Ingredient Information

Function

Natural smoke flavor is a food ingredient that gives meats, hams, cheeses, chips, soups and other food preparations a smoked like flavor. The main ingredient in natural smoke flavor is known as AM 01 which is usually obtained from beech wood.

Flavoring agent (produces the flavor of natural smoke in foods that have lost their flavor due to processing and it also adds the flavor to foods in which the flavor is desired)

Other Use and Industries

Natural smoke flavor is generally used in foods.

Health Effects

A Natural flavor is considered safe for human consumption, since it’s not intended for nutritional purpose it doesn’t have beneficial health effects, its function is to add flavor and since it comes from an organic matter or natural material it is generally regarded as safe, however we recommend consume in extreme moderation.

Natural smoke flavor and all other natural flavors are safe for human consumption, only individuals with known sensitivity to certain flavorings should avoid them in order to prevent an allergic reaction. In 2009 the European Food Safety Administration evaluated the safety (genotoxic potential) of AM 01, they stated that the use of this ingredient should be of safety concern (the results where somehow not conslusive), the FDA regards this ingredient as safe.

The safeness of smoke flavoring is very controversial. Some consider it to be toxic, especially if it contains the ingredient AM01.

Origins

A flavor ingredient is considered natural when it is a natural oil, essence, extractive, oleoresin or protein hydrolysate that has been obtained by roasting, heating or enzymolysis of an organic material such as a vegetable, vegetable juice, fruit, fruit juice, spice, edible yeast, herb, bark, root, bulk, leaf or similar plant material, meat, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fermentation products or any other which intention in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. A Natural flavoring can go from a dozen to several hundreds components depending on the source or laboratory manufacturing method.

The compound AM 01 gives natural smoke flavor its characteristic taste, this ingredient is usually made by burning beech wood (Fagus sylvatica l.) and the production process consist on the following steps: pyrolisis (heating, burning) of wood particles in a controlled environment, condensation of the hot vapors, dissolution of the raw product in a solvent and subsequent cleaning, and finally distillation of the solution with a desired concentration of AM 01.