Flavor Extremes: From Sulfur to Zesty Citrus

In this month’s column we evaluate ingredients from Treatt, a global ingredients manufacturer founded in 1886 and known for its expertise in natural extracts, particularly citrus oils and extracts. The column will also review high-impact aroma chemicals supplied through Treatt’s long-standing partnership with UK manufacturer Endeavour Speciality Chemicals.

Organoleptic Evaluation Panelists 

• Andrea Albertino, Ph.D., Senior Flavorist, Esarom
• Kavita Bhatnagar, Ph.D., CEO, Kanegrade Flavors & Ingredients
• John Forbes, Consultant, Ceressence Consultancy
• Trevor Groome, Consultant Flavorist – Director, Orchid Aromatech Ltd
• Bimal Karmakar, Ph.D., Principal Flavorist, Givaudan
• Jack Nicol, Flavorist, IFF
• Britta Nobis, Senior Flavorist, Silesia
• Maria Palassarou, Ph.D., Flavorist, Givaudan
• Ján Peťka, Ph.D., Head of Flavor Development, Austria Juice
• Michele Pezzotta, Flavorist, Silesia Flavors
• Aine Walsh, Principal Flavorist, Keurig Dr Pepper

2-Isobutyl-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane

FEMA# 4286, CAS# 18433-93-7

• Odor Descriptors @ 1%: Ethereal, pungent, fruity, sweet, ripe, fermented, brown notes, rummy, nutty, green grassy, slight rubbery, resinous.
• Taste Descriptors @ 5 ppm: Chocolate, sweet, tropical, pungent, green leafy, herbal, alcoholic rummy, fusel oil notes, metallic, rhubarb, berries fruity profile.
• Possible applications: Its sweet ethereal element would complement all brown tonalities, especially chocolate flavors, while it would provide additional complexity to brown nutty profiles, such as medium-roast type coffee flavors. The dominant fruity and ripe aspects would make it a great addition to various fruit flavor profiles, like tropical fruits, orchard fruits, berries, as well as dried fruit flavors. Its alcoholic, fuse oil impression in combination with the sweet element would complement brown spirits profiles, like rum, whisky and cognac. Lastly, the pungent, fermented and metallic notes could make it a great fit in dairy and cheese tonalities, like blue cheese flavors.

Methyl-3-(methylthio)butyrate

FEMA# 4166, CAS# 207983-28-6

• Odor Descriptors @ 0.01%: Sulfur, tropical fruit notes, like passion fruit, durian, jackfruit, fermented, vegetable, rubbery, metallic, slight alliaceous, truffle notes, cheesy.
• Taste Descriptors @ 1 ppm: Tropical, overripe, fermented, sweet, cooked, pulpy, fruity, sulfur, passion fruit notes, rubbery, metallic, truffle, cheesy, dried fruit notes, rummy.
• Possible applications: Its intense sulfur, exotic character would complement all tropical fruit tonalities, such as passion fruit, durian, jackfruit, mango, whereas its sweet, overripe and pulpy attributes would provide additional complexity to canned fruit profiles, like pineapple, stone fruits flavors, like peach and apricot, as well as orchard fruits tonalities. The sweet, fermented elements in combination with the sulfur notes would make it a great fit in dairy flavors like condensed milk, whereas its additional metallic character could also complement cheese tonalities, like mozzarella flavors. 

TreattZest Expressed Lime's zesty, sweet, coumarinic elements would complement liquors, alcoholic drinks and cocktails profiles, like mojito.Vittorio Gravino at Adobe Stock

TreattZest Expressed Lime

FEMA# 2632, CAS# 90063-52-8 (EU), 68916-84-7 (U.S.)

TreattZest products are based on a gentle multistage extraction process resulting in highly concentrated natural extracts that are intensely effective at low dosage rates.

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Zesty, sweet, lemon candy character, juicy, peely, soapy, green, lemongrass notes, coumarinic.
• Taste Descriptors @ 15 ppm: Zesty, lemon-lime character, sweet, juicy, fresh sharp, green, peely, aldehydic, slight soapy, herbal lemongrass notes, coumarinic, slight bitter aftertaste.
• Possible applications: Its authentic lime expressed character would provide complexity to all citrus lemon and lime tonalities, even when added at low levels. The zesty, sweet, coumarinic elements would complement liquors, alcoholic drinks and cocktails profiles, like mojito flavor, as well as carbonated beverages, such as cola and ginger ale profiles, where a sweet, juicy citrus note is essential. 

TreattZest Orange

FEMA# 2825, CAS# 8028-48-6 (EU), 8008-57-9 (U.S.)

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Sweet orange, aldehydic, ethereal, juicy, soapy, fatty, peely, floral, woody, pithy, green, herbal, perilla notes, metallic.
• Taste Descriptors @ 15 ppm: Aldehydic, fatty, soapy, waxy, peely, earthy, ethereal, floral, slight herbal, green, metallic, woody, pithy.
• Possible applications: The sweet and juicy orange character with the intense aldehydic body would complement all peely citrus tonalities, like orange, bitter orange, blood orange, grapefruit, mandarin and tangerine flavor profiles, even when added at low levels. Its intense woody, floral character could make it a great addition to rose flavors, whereas its sweet, juicy elements might also provide complexity to tropical pulpy fruit profiles.

Lemon Oil Citral-less Terpeneless' strong sesquiterpene profile could complement citrus tonalities such as orange and grapefruit.Vera Kuttelvaserova at Adobe Stock

Lemon Oil Citral-less Terpeneless

FEMA# 2625, CAS# 84929-31-7 (EU), 8008-56-8 (U.S.)

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Terpenic, woody, waxy, spicy, floral, slight soapy, green, peely, aldehydic, herbal, slight sweet fruity, earthy, metallic.
• Taste Descriptors @ 15 ppm: Woody, floral, earthy, herbal, spicy, metallic, soapy, waxy, aldehydic, peely, green.
• Possible applications: Its dominant woody, terpenic character would benefit lemon and lime expressed flavor profiles, when low citral level is needed due to stability issues in acidic beverage applications. Its strong sesquiterpene profile could also complement citrus tonalities such as orange and grapefruit flavor profiles.

Bisabolene Ex-Lemon

FEMA# 2623, CAS# 84929-31-7 (EU), 8008-56-8 (US).

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Woody, terpenic, earthy, citrus lime notes, green, spicy, metallic, albedo, floral, balsamic, incense notes.
• Taste Descriptors @ 20 ppm: Terpenic, woody, earthy, spicy, metallic, waxy, peely, albedo, sweet lime, green, cooling sensation, subtle bitterness.
• Possible applications: Its intense woody, terpenic character would complement a variety of citrus tonalities, especially lemon and lime profiles, as well as floral and spicy citrus profiles, such as grapefruit, yuzu and pomelo. The woody, earthy elements in combination with the subtle bitterness would make it also a great addition to tonic water flavor profiles. 

 Passion Fruit Treattarome's characteristic tropical, sulfur, estery, pulpy notes would provide depth and complexity to variety of exotic fruits tonalities, such as passion fruit, mango and pineapple flavors.New Africa at Adobe Stock

Matcha Treattarome

CAS# 84650-60-2 (EU), 68916-73-4 (U.S.)

Matcha Treattarome Matcha is a liquid flavoring agent and fragrance compound with a matcha green tea flavor. Derived from botanical sources, it is suitable for food and cosmetic applications, offering an herbal and green fragrance.

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Green tea notes, green grassy, tea leaf, herbal, earthy, metallic, marine seaweed notes, floral, orris, jasmine, powdery, slight fruity, fermented musty notes, hay, linseed oil character.
• Taste Descriptors @ 0.1%: Green tea taste, herbal, tea leaf, green grassy, earthy, marine seaweed notes, metallic, sweet, fermented notes, musty, powdery, floral, violet leaf notes, hay, astringent.
• Possible applications: Its intense green grassy, leafy, earthy character would provide complexity to various tea tonalities, especially green tea and matcha tea profiles, while it could also complement fruit flavors with green sharp top notes, such as apple, citrus lemon, tropical fruits like mango, as well as green mint profiles. The floral and powdery elements could benefit also berries flavors, whereas its dominant marine note would make it a great addition to savory tonalities, such as seaweed profiles. 

Passion Fruit Treattarome

CAS# 91770-48-8 (EU), 871125-60-9 (U.S.)

Passion Fruit Treattarome is a liquid flavoring agent and fragrance ingredient of botanical origin. It provides a vibrant passionfruit flavor and fruity fragrance, suitable for both food and cosmetic applications.

• Odor Descriptors @ 100%: Tropical, passion fruit notes, sulfur, sweet, fermented, estery, pulpy, seedy, spicy, fruity, slight green.
• Taste Descriptors @ 0.07%: Tropical, passion fruit notes, sulfur catty, fruity, sweet, fermented, estery, pulpy, seedy, juicy, floral, slight soapy, berry blackcurrant notes.
• Possible applications: Its characteristic tropical, sulfur, estery, pulpy notes would provide depth and complexity to variety of exotic fruits tonalities, such as passion fruit, mango and pineapple flavors, whereas in combination with its fermented, floral aspect, it would complement also sweet tropical fruits profiles, like guava and lychee. The sulfur, floral elements would make it also a great addition to berry tonalities, such as blackcurrant.