Using Distillates to Simplify Flavor Creation
Taste is a fundamental human sense that goes hand in hand with flavor. Better-tasting foods have drawn humans since the dawn of time—sweetness indicates an energy source, bitterness indicates danger, and umami might mean protein.
Today, flavor science is a widely studied area of research that informs the modern food and beverage industry. Flavorists are artists who understand which chemical elements in food taste best and how to pair them. They often create flavoring blends from food derivatives like distillates.
What are Distillates?
A distillate is a liquid flavoring agent derived through distillation. It’s a natural ingredient with a potent flavor that tastes like the food used to make it. The most popular method for making distillates is blending food into a liquid, heating it, and letting it evaporate and re-condense. The resulting liquid becomes the distillate.
Using Distillates to Make Food Flavorings
Many consumers are confused by the term “natural flavorings” on food labels. Typically, it pertains to a mix of different ingredients that make food taste and sometimes smell more appealing. The blend may contain plant extracts, isolates, resins, and distillates.
Distillates are especially popular in beverage and liquid condiment flavors. They are essentially isolated plant compounds that allow for precise flavor development.
For example, honey distillate contains compounds like phenylacetaldehyde—a natural ingredient in honey that gives it a sweet and herbaceous taste. Using a distillate allows flavorists to impart honey-like flavors in a drink without adding actual honey, which would increase its caloric content and change the texture.
Here’s how distillates streamline the flavor creation process:
- Impart more flavor in less product volume.
- Do not require straining, etc, as they do not contain solids.
- Allow the use of individual flavor compounds at different phases of production.
- Completely water-soluble, reducing reliance on heat and solvents.
How Distillates Affect Food and Beverage Quality
The quality of packaged or processed food ultimately depends on the quality of its ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, whole ingredients – nuts, seeds, vegetables, etc – do not always equate to higher-quality products. Food and its flavor degrade over time, so opting for an extracted or distilled version often improves taste.
Distillates can enhance the quality of foods and beverages in many ways:
- Improved mouthfeel. Distillates are liquids that will not affect the texture of a dish. For instance, a banana distillate would feel lighter and smoother on the tongue compared to blended fruit pieces in an ice cream syrup.
- Longer shelf-life. Food and drinks that contain whole ingredients often have higher preservative requirements. Distillate-based flavorings allow manufacturers to create cleaner, more natural products.
- Better flavor distribution. Distillate liquids are homogenous—every drop tastes, smells, and looks alike. This quality imparts uniform flavor throughout a condiment or beverage rather than sharp bursts at unpredictable intervals.
Using Distillates for Clean-Label Products
Clean-label foods contain as few ingredients as possible. They’re all about natural ingredients and naturally derived flavorings. It’s advised to avoid preservatives, dyes, and fragrances at all costs. The demand for healthy, clean-label products is increasing, leaving many manufacturers wondering how best to take advantage of the trend.
While overhauling your entire production line may not be financially viable, changing your flavor additives might be. Distillates are 100% natural ingredients derived from plants. They are ideal for flavored waters, energy drinks, functional beverages, and mocktails.
At Advanced Biotech, we prioritize quality and flavor in all our ingredients. Our natural distillates selection is suited to savory and sweet applications, imparting potent flavor perfect for clean-label products. Contact us for more information about our range, or request a sample to put it to the test.