Geschmacksverstärkende Verbindungen in Nahrungsmitteln

Abstract

“Flavour potentiators” or “flavour enhancers”, are substances which have very little taste or odour of their own, but which greatly accentuate the natural flavour of food, probably by stimulating taste receptors. They occur naturally in many foods, but may also be used as additives. Typical enhancers of salty flavours are sodium glutamate, ibotenic acid, tricholomic acid, cysteine-S-sulphonate, 4-amino-5-carboxamido-imidazole-ribotide, inosine-5'-phosphate, guanosine-5'-phosphate, xanthosine-5'-phosphate, and related purine-5'-nucleotides. Sweet flavours are effectively enhanced by maltol and ethyl-maltol. The occurrence of these substances and the problems associated with their use are discussed. Two “flavour modifiers” are also mentioned, namely, the extract of Synsepalum dulcificum, which imparts a sweet flavour to food subsequently taken, and gymnemic acid, which blocks the perception of sweetness.