Sensient Flavors & Extracts has recently developed SmokeLess Smoke, a range of natural, clean-label flavours covering the full palate of the most popular smoky flavour notes desired in gourmet culinary products.
In response to the European Food Safety Authority’s recent evaluations of primary smoke condensates and smoke flavourings, and the looming expiration of the use authorisation of these flavours, Sensient Flavors & Extracts developed SmokeLess Smoke.
The SmokeLess Smoke range of flavours are natural solutions that cater to diverse smoky flavour notes, while being free of actual smoke condensates and meeting requirements for natural, vegan, non-GMO, Halal and Kosher label claims.
“At Sensient, we pride ourselves on delivering natural ingredients that not only meet health and sustainability goals but also deliver a delightful culinary experience,” said Mitin Rathod, Global Marketing Manager, Sensient Flavors & Extracts. “SmokeLess Smoke provides food and beverage producers with options to meet the growing consumer demand for unique smoke tastes across an array of products, including meat, fish, cheese, dairy, snacks and beverages, while addressing regulatory concerns.”
Contextual flavour notes
The range covers the full palate of the most popular smoky flavour notes delivered by traditional primary smoke flavouring. Furthermore, Sensient takes geographical preferences into account; a barbecue taste for UK consumers will be different than one for people in Spain.
Sensient can reformulate flavours to create unique signatures based on the core smoke types:
- Smoke type: strong ashy with balanced fruity and woody undertone
- Hickory type: earthy and woody
- Oak type: sweet woody style with mild burnt and nutty notes
- Mesquite type: sweet barbecue style flavour with savoury umami notes and a meaty or bacon undertone
“Our team of flavorists from around the world developed smoke flavour profiles — without actual smoke — by selecting and combining natural raw materials that are safe and compatible with consumers’ expectations,” Rathod said.
Background on the EFSA Opinion
In total, authorisation for the use of eight primary smoke condensates and flavourings are likely to expire by the end of June 2024; two expired at the end of last year.
The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings released new scientific opinions about the safety of the remaining eight smoke flavour primary products that were due for EU renewal, concluding that “based on the available scientific evidence, experts could not rule out concerns regarding genotoxicity.”
This means that, pending formal EU decisions that are anticipated to come shortly, EU authorisations for primary smoke condensates will be prohibited by the end of June 2024.