You pick up any packaged food or drink from a grocery store and you will notice that it has something called artificial flavour or natural flavour. Many foods and beverages contain an array of ingredients. But have you wondered what exactly these ingredients are? Or why do they have natural flavour or artificial flavour? Many times these components of a particular product are not to be overlooked as it is the flavour that gets the consumer addicted to that particular food or drink.
What are artificial flavours?
Artificial flavours are basically the trial and error method of chemical analysis which is done in a lab. Mainly esters and derivatives are the source of these chemicals. For example if you want to make lemon flavouring or essence then the technicians identify the main chemical compound which is found naturally in the lemon peel or say lemongrass and then prepare a similar one by doing the chemical analysis. On the other hand if you take oranges then its substitute is going to be octaacetate.
How are Artificial flavours made?
The whole concept of creating artificial flavors is based on the cost of the product. There is no doubt that this chemical alternative is much cheaper than natural alternatives. For food & beverage manufacturers, it provides the same (or better) taste and aroma at the lowest cost.
Why Artificial flavours are bad for your health?
If you have an allergy to a specific ingredient then artificial flavours can be harmful to your health. Research shows that these synthetic flavourings did not show harm to human health when used as intended in scientific research. However the banned synthetic flavors are still being used in the food and beverage industry which can be harmful in the long run.
How are Natural flavours made?
Natural flavours are made from plant or animal sources depending on the type of the product. Natural flavours are derived from the following: like fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, diary, herbs, spices, leaf, the roots of a tree, bark or even the bud. These are then processed, fermented or distilled naturally to get the final flavour for a particular product. let's say if you want to extract the natural flavour of orange then you might want to cold pressed the orange peels to get flavour. This same unique technique is also used by a brand known as Beyond Water who provides flavoured water with natural colour and natural ingredients. They offer health, hydration and convenience and aim to add pure natural flavours and colors in potable bottles. Beyond Water uses 99% pure stevia of the highest quality that is derived from stevia farmers to create an all-natural essential vitamin product, making it safe for you and people of all ages to consume. They use the highest quality natural ingredients that are tasty as well as natural. They have 4 flavours namely: Zesty Orange which gets its juicy flavour from oils extracted from cold pressed orange peels, Lemon Mint is made by cold pressing oils of lemon peels and then combined with mint oil that is distilled to give that perfect Nimbu-pani taste. Lemon Iced Tea on the other hand is made with cold brewing of fresh tea leaves which is then combined with cold pressed lemon peel oil and lastly a combination you will not forget, Mango Peach is made with mango and peach pulps. All these flavours are made with natural ingredients to keep you hydrated and healthy at the same time. I mean why should one compromise with taste when you can get the best of both worlds.