The application of essence in food can be divided into three situations: (1) the product itself has no flavor, and the flavor of food is produced by adding essence; (2) essence is added to enhance or improve the flavor of the product itself; (3) essence is used to cover or modify the inherent flavor of the product itself.
Edible essence can be divided into liquid essence and solid essence according to dosage form. Liquid essence can be divided into water soluble essence, oil soluble essence and emulsified essence; Solid essence can be divided into adsorption essence and embedding essence. Liquid essence and solid essence have different properties and uses.
Liquid essence: water soluble essence is composed of three main components: essence base, ethanol and distilled water. Its characteristic is that it is easily soluble in water and the solution is transparent and clear. This kind of essence has low flavor concentration, and because the boiling point of ethanol is also very low, most of them are heat resistant. At higher temperatures, alcohol easily evaporates and carries away some lower boiling point spice components, affecting the aroma and quality of the product. Therefore, this kind of essence is only applicable to products that are not heated or are not heated at a high temperature. For example, lollipop, ice cream, ice cream, fruit juice drinks, soda, alcohol, as well as certain drugs and preparations.
Oil soluble essence is composed of essence base, propylene glycol and other oil soluble solvents. Its characteristic is strong fragrance and insoluble in water. Compared with water-soluble essence, it is more heat-resistant. Therefore, it is more suitable for products that need to be operated at higher temperatures. Such as hard candy, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. Oil soluble essence is easy to form essence turbidity and precipitation when the climate is cold, affecting the appearance. Moreover, it is insoluble in water and must be thoroughly stirred to achieve a uniform fragrance.
Emulsified essence consists of essence base, opacifying agent and distilled water. This kind of essence is milky and viscous. It can disperse quickly when added to water, but the solution is milky. Not suitable for products with high transparency requirements, suitable for products that have no impact on transparency, such as lollipop, ice cream, or juice soda, juice, etc. that require milk turbidity.
Solid essence: adsorptive essence is made by simply mixing food flavor and carrier such as lactose, so that flavor can be adsorbed on the carrier.
Encapsulated essence is made by mixing food flavor with emulsifier and embedding agent (such as edible gum, modified starch, etc.) in advance, dispersing in aqueous solution, and drying by spray. Its characteristics are good stability and dispersibility, making it suitable for use in various beverages, powder products, and instant products.