A
flavorist, also known as flavor chemist, is someone who uses both
chemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
and art to engineer artificial and natural
flavorFlavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, may also occasionally determine flavor...
s. The tools and materials used by flavorists are almost the same as that used by
perfumerThe Perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as "the Nose" due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions...
s with the exception that flavorists seek to mimic or modify both the olfactory and gustation properties of various food products rather than creating just abstract smells. As well, the materials and chemicals that a flavorist utilizes for flavor creation must be safe for human consumption.
Flavorists, as profession, came about when affordable
refrigerationRefrigeration is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a substance, and moving it to a place where it is unobjectionable. The primary purpose of refrigeration is lowering the temperature of the enclosed space or substance and then maintaining that lower temperature.The term...
for the home spurred a major growth of food processing technology.
A
flavorist, also known as flavor chemist, is someone who uses both
chemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
and art to engineer artificial and natural
flavorFlavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, may also occasionally determine flavor...
s. The tools and materials used by flavorists are almost the same as that used by
perfumerThe Perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as "the Nose" due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions...
s with the exception that flavorists seek to mimic or modify both the olfactory and gustation properties of various food products rather than creating just abstract smells. As well, the materials and chemicals that a flavorist utilizes for flavor creation must be safe for human consumption.
Flavorists, as profession, came about when affordable
refrigerationRefrigeration is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a substance, and moving it to a place where it is unobjectionable. The primary purpose of refrigeration is lowering the temperature of the enclosed space or substance and then maintaining that lower temperature.The term...
for the home spurred a major growth of food processing technology. Processes used in the food industry to provide safe products often affect the quality of the flavor of the food. To the detriment of the manufacturer these technologies remove most of the naturally occurring flavors. To remedy the flavor loss the food processing industry created the flavor industry. The
chemistA chemist is a scientist trained in the science of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density, acidity, size and shape. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component...
s that tackled the demand of the food processing industry became known as flavorists and thus the flavor industry was born.
Today the vast majority of everything we eat now includes Natural Flavors and/or Artificial Flavors developed by a relatively elite, and small group of trade professionals.
Education
Educational requirements for the profession known as flavorist are varied. Flavorists may have had little or no formal education up to PhD's obtained in subjects such as Biochemistry and Chemistry. Because, however, the training of a flavorist is mostly done on-the-job and specifically at a flavor company known as a flavor house, this training is similar to the apprentice system.
Located in
VersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center...
(
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
),
ISIPCAISIPCA is a school for post-graduate studies in perfume, cosmetics products and food flavor formulation, with an apprenticeship period in the industry. It was originally founded in 1970 by Jean-Jacques Guerlain as ISIP...
French School offers 2 years of high standard education in food flavoring including 12 months traineeship in a flavor company. This education program provides students with solid background in
flavorFlavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, may also occasionally determine flavor...
formulation, flavor application, and flavor chemistry (analysis and sensory).
The
British Society of Flavourists together with Reading University provide, every year, a 3 week flavorist training course for amateur flavorists from all around the world.
Flavorist Societies
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a flavorist can join the
Society of Flavor Chemists that meets in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, Cincinnati,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
and the West Coast, 6-8 times a year. To be an Apprentice flavorist in the society, one must pass an apprenticeship within a flavor house for 5 years. To be a Certified member with voting rights, they must pass a 7 year program. Each level is verified by a written and oral test of the Membership Committee. As an alternative to training under a flavorist, rather than the above mentioned cases, a 10 year independent option is available.
In the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, a flavorist can join
The British Society of Flavourists which meets near the
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
area. To acquire membership, applicants must be sponsored by at least two voting members, shall not be under thirty years of age and shall have been engaged as a Creative Flavourist for a period of at least ten years. To be an associate member, applicants must be either a full-time Creative Flavourist with at least four years experience, a Flavour Application Chemist or Food Technologist responsible for flavor blending, assessment and evaluation for a period of at least five years, or a person of such standing in the flavor-producing or using industries as satisfies the Membership Committee that he/she is eligible for membership. An Associate Member must be proposed by two voting members. To be a student member, the applicant must be a new entrant to the flavor industry, not yet able to qualify as an Associate and must be proposed by one voting member. To be an affiliate member, applicants must be Technical and Marketing Consultants, Commercial and Technical Managers having a direct relationship to the flavoring industry, and must be sponsored by three voting members.
External links