Flavor Enhancers
Flavor enhancers are additives , i.e. substances used in the food sector to improve the characteristics of finished products; the functions of food additives are numerous (preservation, coloring , thickener , etc.) but flavor enhancers are added with the sole objective of optimizing or enhancing the flavor of foods .
Flavor enhancers, like all food additives , are evaluated and cataloged by the Ministry of Health which, through decrees and regulations, constantly intervenes on the consent or abolition of their use; the evaluation parameter for the appropriateness of use of flavor enhancers is made up of laboratory tests carried out by research groups of the global scientific community.
The updated legislation allows the addition of the following flavor enhancers:
Glutamates
- E620 Glutamic acid
- E621 Monosodium glutamate
- E622 Monopotassium glutamate
- E623 Calciumdiglutamate
- E624 Monoammonium glutamate
- E625 Magnesiumdiglutamate
- E626 Guanylic acid
- E627 Disodium guanylate – Sodium guanylate
- E628 Dipotassium guanylate
- E629 Calcium guanylate
Inosinates
- E630 Inosinic acid
- E631 Disodium inosinate
- E632 Dipotassium inosinate
- E633 Calcium inosinate
- E634 Calcium 5′- ribonucleotides
- E635 Disodium 5′- ribonucleotides
- E636 Maltol
- E637 Ethyl maltol
- E640 Glycineand glycine sodium salt
The most used flavor enhancers are E620 and E640 ; they are able to reproduce the taste of meat , therefore, their addition to soups, sauces and ready meals after industrial cooking has become a common practice.
Glutamate flavor enhancers
Glutamate flavor enhancers occur naturally within food proteins in the form of glutamic acid ; the foods that contain the greatest quantities are: poultry, fish , crabs , some cheeses , mushrooms, legumes and some vegetables .
Excessive doses of glutamic acid and monosodium glutamate can inhibit the excitability threshold of neurons , causing alterations of the parasympathetic system which result in the so-called ” Chinese restaurant syndrome ” , whose most frequent and important symptoms are: nausea , vomiting , diarrhea , cramps abdominal pain and headaches . We also remember that there is food INTOLERANCE (or hypersensitivity) towards these flavor enhancers, easily recognizable by the appearance of intoxication symptoms even following the ingestion of small doses of glutamic acid. E622, ingested in excessive doses, only causes gastro- intestinal disorders while E623, in sensitive people, can also trigger strong asthma attacks ; E624 is characterized by high toxicity and therefore should be totally excluded from the infant’s diet. E625 appears to be simply laxative , while the E626-E629 group has moderate toxicity.
Inosinate flavor enhancers
The flavor enhancers from E630 to E633 are added above all to seasoned foods and an excess of them seems to facilitate the onset of gout ; E634 and E635 are added in good quantities in bagged French fries , they can induce asthma and hyperactivity , and in some foreign countries their use is FORBIDDEN. E636 and E637 are substances that enhance the aromas of packaged products and are also found naturally in toasted foods . Their synthesis occurs through the degradation of cellulose and starch but as there is not yet sufficient data describing their toxicity, their use is prohibited in Europe. E640 is added to foods containing saccharin and has a slight toxicity.
Flavor enhancers are food additives that alter the natural palatability of foods and, although abuse can trigger generally negligible side effects, their addition to foods has the sole objective of increasing commercial sales (to the benefit of industries) and not confers no health advantage to the final consume
