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Chapter 18 · Enchanting Chemistry - Natural Flavors and Fragrances
18
5 Flavors can also be smelled, but they are used
in foods to achieve a certain taste. However,
the sense of smell plays a more important role
in tasting food than the sense of taste. That
is known to anyone who has ever tried to
distinguish a peeled onion from an apple with
his eyes blindfolded and nose covered.
An exact differentiation between fragrances and
flavors is not always clear and in many cases not
necessary, as many substances are used both in
foods as flavors and in cosmetics as fragrances.
The historical development of fragrances and
flavors was very similar and often parallel. We will
explain this development here using the fragrances
as an example. People have been using fragrances
for a very long time. Historically, the use of smoke
sacrifices as a form of worship to God goes back
to burning certain parts of plants, such as leaves
or flowers and resins, to produce a pleasant scent.
The word perfume, which is commonly used
today, is also derived from this application: Latin
per fumum means “through the smoke”.
In the beginning, there was the use of whole
plant parts. Later, attempts were made to isolate
the essential oils responsible for the smell from
the corresponding parts of the plant. Appropriate
methods were developed to give something a more
specific, pleasant scent, e.g. when embalming a
deceased person. Later, essential oils were used to
mask unpleasant body odors; this happened at a
time when body hygiene was generally poor.
In modern times - in the sixteenth century - the triumphal success of toilet waters
and perfumes finally began, which deliberately
combined mixed fragrances into a more or
less uniform, commercially available product.
The city of Grasse in southern France is often
regarded as the birthplace of perfumery (BOX:
The “perfume capital” Grasse). These fragrances
then found their way to whole Europe at the end
of the seventeenth century. In Germany, a great
success was the development of the “Eau de
Cologne” (BOX: Genuine Eau de Cologne).
Chapter Timetable
5 The term aromatic substance will be
defined, and we learn about the historical
development of fragrances and flavors.
5 We distinguish natural fragrances and
aromas from synthetic ones and look
at some important representatives of
synthetic fragrances.
5 The most important production methods
for essential oils are explained.
18.1 Definition and History
A fragrance is by definition a volatile chemical
compound of natural or synthetic origin that
produces an olfactory sensory impression. Thus,
the smell of a substance is not a property of the
substance itself; rather, the smell originates only
in the brain of the perceiver. The noticed smell
is therefore largely dependent on what has been
learned. We have learned, for example, that rose
blossoms smell like roses; it is not a physical
property of the substances in the rose blossoms.
Aromatic substances can be divided into fragrances and flavors:
5 Fragrances are compounds that are formed
by plants and animals and are predominantly used for communication (i.e. they
are secondary natural ingredients). Thus,
fragrances are originally of natural origin.
Fragrances generally have a rather pleasant
odor for humans and are therefore used
in the perfume, detergent and cosmetics
industries. However, there are also odors
which are unpleasant for humans, e.g. the
odor of sweat or the odor which is secreted
by animals as a deterrent (e.g. of skunks).
In technical applications, for example,
tetrahydrothiophene (THT) plays a role:
This cyclic sulfur compound is added to
natural gas to make leaks in the natural gas
supply network smellable at an early stage.
Chapter 18 · Enchanting Chemistry - Natural Flavors and Fragrances
18
5 Flavors can also be smelled, but they are used
in foods to achieve a certain taste. However,
the sense of smell plays a more important role
in tasting food than the sense of taste. That
is known to anyone who has ever tried to
distinguish a peeled onion from an apple with
his eyes blindfolded and nose covered.
An exact differentiation between fragrances and
flavors is not always clear and in many cases not
necessary, as many substances are used both in
foods as flavors and in cosmetics as fragrances.
The historical development of fragrances and
flavors was very similar and often parallel. We will
explain this development here using the fragrances
as an example. People have been using fragrances
for a very long time. Historically, the use of smoke
sacrifices as a form of worship to God goes back
to burning certain parts of plants, such as leaves
or flowers and resins, to produce a pleasant scent.
The word perfume, which is commonly used
today, is also derived from this application: Latin
per fumum means “through the smoke”.
In the beginning, there was the use of whole
plant parts. Later, attempts were made to isolate
the essential oils responsible for the smell from
the corresponding parts of the plant. Appropriate
methods were developed to give something a more
specific, pleasant scent, e.g. when embalming a
deceased person. Later, essential oils were used to
mask unpleasant body odors; this happened at a
time when body hygiene was generally poor.
In modern times - in the sixteenth century - the triumphal success of toilet waters
and perfumes finally began, which deliberately
combined mixed fragrances into a more or
less uniform, commercially available product.
The city of Grasse in southern France is often
regarded as the birthplace of perfumery (BOX:
The “perfume capital” Grasse). These fragrances
then found their way to whole Europe at the end
of the seventeenth century. In Germany, a great
success was the development of the “Eau de
Cologne” (BOX: Genuine Eau de Cologne).
Chapter Timetable
5 The term aromatic substance will be
defined, and we learn about the historical
development of fragrances and flavors.
5 We distinguish natural fragrances and
aromas from synthetic ones and look
at some important representatives of
synthetic fragrances.
5 The most important production methods
for essential oils are explained.
18.1 Definition and History
A fragrance is by definition a volatile chemical
compound of natural or synthetic origin that
produces an olfactory sensory impression. Thus,
the smell of a substance is not a property of the
substance itself; rather, the smell originates only
in the brain of the perceiver. The noticed smell
is therefore largely dependent on what has been
learned. We have learned, for example, that rose
blossoms smell like roses; it is not a physical
property of the substances in the rose blossoms.
Aromatic substances can be divided into fragrances and flavors:
5 Fragrances are compounds that are formed
by plants and animals and are predominantly used for communication (i.e. they
are secondary natural ingredients). Thus,
fragrances are originally of natural origin.
Fragrances generally have a rather pleasant
odor for humans and are therefore used
in the perfume, detergent and cosmetics
industries. However, there are also odors
which are unpleasant for humans, e.g. the
odor of sweat or the odor which is secreted
by animals as a deterrent (e.g. of skunks).
In technical applications, for example,
tetrahydrothiophene (THT) plays a role:
This cyclic sulfur compound is added to
natural gas to make leaks in the natural gas
supply network smellable at an early stage.