June 2011 Prepared Foods – More than a few perfumes have been sold on the premise they provide a unique aroma on every individual. The explanation often given is “personal chemistry,” where an odor is perceived differently, depending on a person’s own aroma, as well as interactions between the perfume and compounds naturally present on the skin.
A somewhat analogous situation and challenge exists, when product developers work with flavoring compounds. Regardless of whether a flavor falls into the artificial, natural or nature-identical category, any individual flavoring compound will be perceived differently, depending on the type of food matrix into which it is formulated.