By Cindy Hazen, Contributing Editor
It’s easy enough to find a definition for the word “natural" in the dictionary. Merriam-Webster gives these two: being in accordance with or determined by nature, or having or being a classification based on features existing in nature.
It sounds simple enough, until you start talking about food product design. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) does not define natural. Without a standard reference, manufacturers are left to make the call for labels of nonmeat foods and beverages. To add to the conundrum, opinions within the industry vary because of the need to balance cost and meet ever-changing consumer expectations.
Flavor first
Flavors are the one category of ingredients for which FDA offers specific guidance regarding “natural" (21 CFR 101.22).
Fortunately, there aren’t many limitations to creating natural flavors. According to Steve Wolf, director of flavor applications, Robertet Flavors, Inc, Piscataway, NJ: “For the most part, anything that can be made without natural components can be made with natural components. The chemistry isn’t that different. In other areas of the food industry that’s not always the case."
Norma Schwarz, R&D lab manager, Flavor Dynamics, Inc., South Plainfield, NJ, says there is a challenge, however, in creating natural, organic-compliant flavors. “Many natural ingredients don’t even fall into the category of organic-compliant because of the way they are processed, so you have to create the flavor with even more restrictions," she says.
Cost is another issue. “Ingredient costs can run 10 to 20 times more for naturals as opposed to artificial ingredients, and this can make creating the final flavor very challenging," says Schwarz. “Also, certain ingredients that are available artificially, that can create better-tasting flavors, are not always available naturally."
Flavors are process-specific. “In carbonated beverages, flavor use levels tend to be a lot lower than in dairy or noncarbonated beverages," says Schwarz. “Since many carbonated beverages are packed in clear plastic bottles, the challenge is creating a flavor that does not ring at the top of the bottle or create any sediment that will fall out or haze in the final product."
In dairy products, flavors are used at higher levels because of the masking effect of gum systems and the fat content in the milk. “When developing flavors for dairy beverages, you have to be careful not to add ingredients that can create off notes in the milk, especially when the final product is heated," Schwarz says.
In noncarbonated beverages, “natural flavors usually contain acids and fruit juices, which cause the use level to increase," Schwarz continues. “Flavor issues arise when these products are heated. When hot-packed or aseptically packed, certain volatiles can “blow off" and cause flavor loss in the final product. At this point, the flavor needs to be enhanced to compensate for this loss. These differences are challenges that flavor chemists face every day."
Perception is partly responsible for the flavor requirements of different beverages. “In most carbonated beverages, the carbon dioxide in and of itself changes the way the flavor is perceived in your mouth," says Wolf. “Part of it is the perception, and part of it is that in most carbonated beverages there isn’t much going on there. It’s just sweetened water and the flavor. There’s nothing to hide it. Carbonated beverages are usually using only citric acid or phosphoric acid, and just changing between the acids will change the perception of the same flavor."
A juice beverage has multiple contributions to flavor. “Other things that are perceived in the finished beverage are coming from the sugar system, the acidulant system and things like that," Wolf says. The choice of sweetener will also impact flavor outcome. The sweetness of Reb A is distinctly different than sugar sweetness.
Texture tricks
Harold Nicoll, marketing manager, TIC Gums, Belcamp, MD, reminds us that replacing the texture that dissolved sugar provides can be tricky. High-intensity sweeteners like stevia (up to 400 times sweeter than sucrose) can replace the sweetness but not the mouthfeel that accompanies dissolved sugar or corn syrup. “Without the addition of texture modifiers, the drinks will seem thin and will lack body," he says. “The best gums for adding body are certain spray-dried synergistic blends of acacia gums that have enhanced emulsifying properties or texture systems that contain guar or other ingredients, still containing reduced levels of guar, that are cold-water soluble and have comparable viscosity to 100% guar gum."
