SPICES AND FLAVORS FOR MEAT PRODUCTS

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SPICES AND FLAVORS FOR MEAT PRODUCTS

• Rick Matulis, Ph.D.
• Senior Scientist
• Givaudan Flavors
• Cincinnati, Ohio

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Spices and Spice Extractives

• Spices and herbs are food seasonings derived from
  plants
• Historically, spices referred to tropical
  aromatics only, while herbs were of temperate
  zone origin.
• They may be made from seeds, fruits (berries),
  leaves, bark, blossoms. stems, roots, bulbs, or
  tubers.
• Spices were historically used for cooking and
  preservation

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Whole and Ground Spices

• Herbs, seeds, fruits, etc., that are not
  processed beyond drying, cleaning, grading,
  grinding, chopping and dicing.
• Spices in this form contain a full compliment of
  flavor as well as add color and appearance to
  products.
• Particle size determines the release and
  distribution of flavor.
• Spices are subject to seasonal variation in
  flavor, quality and quantity.
• Spices may be a source of spoilage organisms if
  not sterilized (irradiation, ethylene oxide).
• Whole spices are not soluble in brine solutions.
• Whole and ground spices are best used when
  appearance is important such as meat rubs and
  some sausage products

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Essential Oils

• Essential oils are volatile, odoriferous
  components found in many plant materials.
• They are normally obtained through steam
  distillation.
• Most essential oils are hydrocarbons (terpenes,
  sequiterpenes), oxygenated compounds (alcohol,
  esters, aldehydes, keytones) and nonvolatile
  residues (waxes, paraffins).
• Essential oils are only part of the spice
  profile.
• Essential oils are deficient in heat, sweetness,
  bitterness and other flavor components.

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Oleoresins

• Oleoresins are prepared from spices or herbs by
  extraction.
• Oleoresins contain both the volatile portion of
  the spice (the essential oil) and the
  non-volatile extract which includes resins.
• Oleoresins are considered more complete than
  essential oils and are therefore considered to be
  a better replacement for whole spices.
• Essential Oils and Oleoresins are
  microbiologically clean and can be standardized
  for strength and flavor profile.
• Food grade emulsifiers can be added to oleoresins
  to make them water soluble.
• Oleoresins can be placed on soluble carriers such
  as salt, dextrose, flour or yeast to produce a
  dry soluble product.

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Spices for Sausages and Restructured Products

• If visuals are essential for customer appeal,
  some whole or ground spices and herbs are needed.
  They may be supplemented with oleoresins or
  spice replacement products for consistency and
  flavor impact.
• Flavor systems or seasonings must be easily
  dispersed during the mixing process to avoid hot
  spots. It is generally recommended to plate
  oleoresins on a carrier for better distribution
  of flavor throughout the product because of their
  high impact.

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Brine (Marinade) Systems

• The function of brine systems is to distribute
  flavors and functional ingredients throughout the
  product
• Ingredients must be easily diffused into the
  product
• Typical ingredients include salt, phosphate,
  starches, carrageenan, and flavors
• Dry ingredients should have a fine particle size
  and be water dispersible - make sure the
  ingredients will not clog injection needles
• Liquid ingredients must be water dispersible -
  oils must have emulsifiers
• Adjust ingredient levels to different pump levels
  - flavors may have a different impact and release
  at higher pump levels

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Topical Rubs

• The functions of topical rubs are to add color,
  enhance visual appearance and add distinctive
  flavor characteristics to meat products.
• Topical rubs may be used alone or in conjunction
  with brine systems.
• Topical rubs should compliment brine systems.
• Coverage is important - typical rate of use for
  meat products is 2 to 5.
• Browning agents such as maillose, dextrose and
  caramel coloring may be added to the rub.

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Flavors

• Flavors are products whose significant function
  in food is for flavoring rather than for
  nutritional value.
• Flavors are Composed of
• Taste or Gustation
• Smell or Aroma or Olfaction
• Trigeminal
• Function of Flavors in Foods
• Pleasure
• Desirability

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Flavor Types and Forms

• Types
• Natural
• Artificial

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Flavor Types and Forms

• Types
• Natural
• Code of Federal Regulations
• 21 CFR 101.22, Section 3
• The term Natural Flavoring or Natural Flavor
  means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or
  extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or
  any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis,
  which contains the flavoring constituents derived
  from a spice, fruit, or fruit juice, vegetable or
  vegetable, edible yeast, herb-plant material,
  meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or
  fermentation products whose significant function
  in food is flavoring rather than nutritional

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Flavor Types and Forms

• Types
• Artificial
• Code of Federal Regulations
• 21 CFR 101.22, Section 1
• The term Artificial Flavoring or Artificial
  Flavor means any substance, the function of
  which is to impart flavor, which is not derived
  from a spice, fruit, or fruit juice, vegetable or
  vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud,
  root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish,
  poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation
  products thereof

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Flavor Types and Forms

• Regulatory
• Governing Agencies - Over the last 20 years
• FDA
• USDA
• ATTTB (formerly BATF)
• RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
• CORPORATE

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How are flavors created?

• Scientific Approach
• Creative Approach

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How are flavors created?

• Analytical or Scientific Approach
• Collection
• Concentration
• Analysis
• Reconstitution

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How are flavors created?

• Analytical or Scientific Approach
• Strengths
• Can identify new and unique compounds
• Can provide useful insights into the composition
  of complex mixtures
• Effective method to collect and study products
  from remote regions e.g. Givaudans Treks
• Weaknesses
• Loss of volatiles during extraction and
  concentration
• Many key components of foods are not stable
• Formation of by-products or artifacts
• Low concentration of flavor volatiles
• Many chemicals identified have no sensory
  significance
• Flavor chemicals are not sensorially pure
• Cost of key ingredients may be prohibitive

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How are flavors created?

• Creative Approach
• Compounded Flavors / Blending
• Select flavoring ingredients are mixed to provide
  the desired profile
• Processed Flavors / Cooking
• Flavor precursors are blended and then cooked
  under specified conditions to provide the desired
  flavor

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How are flavors created?

• Compounded Flavors
• Flavor chemists breakdown the desired profile
  into a series of descriptors or notes.
• Flavoring ingredients are selected that fit the
  desired profile.
• A primary formulation is created and optimized.
• Other, more subtle nuances or secondary notes
  are added to enhance the profile.
• Evaluation - In application, stability, final
  cost, etc.
• Revision and addition of tertiary notes to
  complete the profile.

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Processed Flavors

• Code of Federal Regulations
• "Natural Flavor" term means 
• Protein Hydrolsate
• Product of Roasting, Heating, or Enzymolysis
• Constituents derived from
• Vegetables
• Edible Yeasts
• Plant Material
• Meat, Seafood, Poultry, Eggs
• Dairy Product
• Fermentation product whose significant function
  is flavoring

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Processed Flavors

• Maillard Reactions (1912) or Non-Enzymatic
  Browning
• A) Condensation of Amino groups with reducing
  sugars
• B) Rearrangement
• Fragmentation
• Degradation
• Dehydration
• C) Conditions
• Concentrations
• pH
• Temperature
• Water Activity
• Reaction Time
• Catalysis
• D) Major Classes Formed
• Alcohols
• Aldehydes

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Processed Flavors

• Model Systems

Aromas Generated by Amino Acids
w/Sugars Glycine Cysteine Lysine Methionine Phe
nyl Alanine Glucose Burnt Beefy Burnt Cabbage Car
amel Candy Eggy Potato Fructose Beef Sweet Fried B
ean Soup Dirty Dog Broth Eggy Potato Meaty Mal
tose Beef Baked Stale Horseradish Sweet Ham Pota
to Sucrose Beef Serumy Boiled Cabbage Chocolate Br
oth Bloody Meat Beef Xylose Roast Harsh Brown
Tomato Floral Honey Beef Roast Potato Chicken
Chips
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Supplemental Information

• Web Sites
• www.givaudan.com - Givaudans corporate home
  page. Info about Givaudan and
  links to flavor and fragrance industry
  web sites.
• www.leffingwell.com - Information on ingredients,
  suppliers, and resources for the
  flavor, fragrance, beverage, and
  food industries.
• www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr - Code of Federal
  Regulations
• www.monell.org - The Monell Chemical Senses
  Center, a research institute on smell
  and taste.