This book is an introduction to the fascinating world of aroma chemicals, essential oils, fragrances and flavour compositions for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. The present state-of-the-art technology, the future use of resources and biotechnological approaches for the production of the respective chemical compounds are described. A large section is devoted to the description of the renewable resources of flavours: spice plants, fruits from moderate to tropical climates, vegetables, fermented and heated plants. Analytical methods, such as gas chromatography coupled to human or electronic noses or to a mass spectrometer, are outlined and consumer trends, legal and safety aspects are described. Novel renewable resources come from biotechnology. Enzymes, for example, bio-transform cheap substrates to produce flavours de novo; plant cells in culture may serve as a rich resource of genes coding for metabolic activities in transgenic producers. The book will be of greatinterest to scientists and engineers in the food, flavour, fragrance and pharmaceutical industries and all respective researchers in academia.

The Flavour and Fragrance Industry-Past, Present, and Future

Flavours: the Legal Framework
Olfaction, where Nutrition, Memory and Immunity Intersect
Chemistry of Essential Oils
Bioactivity of Essential Oils and Their Components
Citrus Flavour
Fruits and Vegetables of Moderate Climate
Tropical Fruit Flavour
Vanilla
Flavour of Spirit Drinks: Raw Materials, Fermentation, Distillation, and Ageing
Wine Aroma
The Maillard Reaction: Source of Flavour in Thermally Processed Foods
Chemical Conversions of Natural Precursors
Industrial Quality Control
Advanced Instrumental Analysis and Electronic Noses
Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry of Aroma Compounds
Enantioselective and Isotope Analysis-Key Steps to Flavour Authentication
Flavour-Isolation Techniques
Aroma Recovery by Organophilic Pervaporation
Encapsulation of Fragrances and Flavours: a Way to Control Odour and Aroma in Consumer Products
Creation and Production of Liquid and Dry Flavours
Enzymes and Flavour Biotechnology
Microbial Flavour Production
Microbial Processes
The Production of Flavours by Plant Cell Cultures
Genetic Engineering of Plants and Microbial Cells for Flavour Production.