About Flavors

We have the pleasure to inform you about flavors

Natural and artificial flavors are defined for the consumer in the Code of Federal Regulations. A key line from this definition is the following: " a natural flavor is the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional." Synthetic  flavors are those that are made from components that do not meet this definition.
The question at hand, however, appears to be less a matter of legal definition than the "real" or practical difference between these two types of flavorings.
There is little substantive difference in the chemical compositions of natural and artificial flavorings. They are both made in a laboratory by a trained professional, a "flavorist," who blends appropriate chemicals together in the right proportions. The flavorist uses "natural" chemicals to make natural flavorings and "synthetic" chemicals to make synthetic flavorings. The flavorist creating synthetic flavoring must use the same chemicals in his formulation as would be used to make a natural flavoring, however. otherwise, the flavoring will not have the desired flavor. The distinction in flavorings--natural versus artificial--comes from the source of these identical chemicals and may be likened to saying that an apple sold in a gas station is artificial and one sold from a fruit stand is natural.
This issue is somewhat confusing to the average consumer in part because of other seeming parallels in the world. One can, for example, make a blue dye out of blueberry extract or synthetic pigments. These dyes are very different in chemical composition yet both yield a blue color. Similarly, consider one shirt made from wool and another from nylon. Both are shirts, but they have very different chemical compositions. This diversity of building blocks is not possible in flavorings--one makes a given flavor only by using specific chemicals. Thus, if a consumer purchases an apple beverage that contains an artificial flavor, she will ingest the same primary chemicals that she would take in if she had chosen a naturally flavored apple beverage and the same chemicals that nature provided during the apple ripening. 
When making a flavor, the flavorist always begins by going to the scientific literature and researching what chemicals nature uses to make the desired flavor. He then selects from the list of flavor components found in, say, real apples, generally simplifying nature list to eliminate those chemicals that make little contribution to taste or are not permitted owing to toxicity. (Nature has no restrictions on using toxic chemicals, whereas the flavorist does.) The flavorist then either chooses chemicals that are natural (isolated from nature as described above) or synthetic chemicals (made by people) to make the flavor.
So is there truly a difference between natural and artificial flavorings? Yes. Artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized. Another difference between natural and artificial flavorings is cost. The search for "natural" sources of chemicals often requires that a manufacturer go to great lengths to obtain a given chemical. Natural coconut flavorings, for example, depend on a chemical called massoya lactone. Massoya lactone comes from the bark of the Massoya tree, which grows in Malaysia. Collecting this natural chemical kills the tree because harvesters must remove the bark and extract it to obtain the lactone. Furthermore, the process is costly. This pure natural chemical is identical to the version made in an organic chemists laboratory, yet it is much more expensive than the synthetic alternative. Consumers pay a lot for natural flavorings. But these are in fact no better in quality, nor are they safer, than their cost-effective artificial counterparts.

NUTRITION FACTS:

Great for any application.
Ouf flavors are offered as water soluble and oil soluble.
Water soluble flavors are based on pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol and water. Average caloric count for water soluble  flavors is 200 calories for 100 grams flavor. Oil soluble flavors are based on sunflower oil or triacetin. Average caloric count is 700 calories for 100 grams flavor.
Considering an average use of our flavors of 0.3%, the calories contribution  in food by our flavors is between 0,5 to 2 calories for 100 grams serving. Let's say, calories contribution by our flavors is negligible.
Our flavors DOES NOT contain sugars, protein, genetic modified ingredients, animal ingredients of any kind, preservatives, sweeteners and colors. They are all gluten and peanut free. Great for diabetics, vegetarian and vegans.

How i can use flavorings in my kitchen?

Our flavors are realized to perform when used at 1 up to 5 grams of flavor for a Kg of finished product.

In order to help our users to dose them correctly, we offer the opportunity to purchase a set of plastic pipettes. Five drops out from this pipette, represents 0,1 g of flavor, so an amount useful to flavor 100 g of food product.
Before use our flavors on larger amount of food, we suggest to experiment a little bit. Try them in a 100 ml of vegetable oil, add 5 drops and taste. If too much reduce, if low, increase.
Moreover, plese keep in mind that cooking process, cold or iced food, amount of fat, sugar and proteins reduce the flavor intensity, so when flavors are used in such conditions, a little over dosing might be required.
Flavours bind very well with food matrix and fat, sugars, proteins "catch" the flavor molecules, thus make them less available for the taste buds. Generally speaking, richer the food, less the flavor will be perceived.
Super fat or high protein foods will require flavor overdosing, to make it comes out well. Flavor use, food technology and personal taste, are a combination of science and human preferences, so a little experimentation is needed before achieve satisfactory results.  
TASTE MECHANISM
Flavor is a complex mixture of sensory input composed of taste (gustation), smell (olfaction) and the tactile sensation of food as it is being munched, a characteristic that food scientists often term “mouthfeel.”
Although people may use the word “taste” to mean “flavor,” in the strict sense it is applicable  only to the sensations arising from specialized taste cells in the mouth. Scientists generally describe human taste perception in terms of four qualities: saltiness, sourness, sweetness and bitterness. Some have suggested, however, that other categories exist as well—most notably umami, the sensation elicited by glutamate, one of the 20 amino acids that make up the proteins in meat, fish and legumes. Glutamate also serves as a flavor enhancer in the form of the additive monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Taste cells lie within specialized structures called taste buds, which are situated predominantly on the tongue and soft palate. The majority of taste buds on the tongue are located within papillae, the tiny projections that give the tongue its velvety appearance. (The most numerous papillae on the tongue—the filiform, or threadlike, ones—lack taste buds, however, and are involved in tactile sensation.) Of those with taste buds, the fungiform (“mushroomlike”) papillae on the front part of the tongue are most noticeable; these contain one or more taste buds. The fungiform papillae appear as pinkish spots distributed around the edge of the tongue and are readily visible after taking a drink of milk or placing a drop of food coloring on the tip of the tongue.
SALTS, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), trigger taste cells when sodium ions (Na+) enter through ion channels on microvilli at the cell’s apical, or top, surface. The accumulation of sodium ions causes an electrochemical change called depolarization that results in calcium ions (Ca++) entering the cell. The calcium, in turn, prompts the cell to release chemical signals called neurotransmitters from packets known as vesicles. Nerve cells, or neurons, receive the message and convey a signal to the brain. Taste cells repolarize, or “reset,” themselves in part by opening potassium ion channels so that potassium ions (K+) can exit.
ACIDS taste sour because they generate hydrogen ions (H+) in solution. Those ions act on a taste cell in three ways: by directly entering the cell; by blocking potassium ion (K+) channels on the microvilli; and by binding to and opening channels on the microvilli that allow other positive ions to enter the cell. The resulting accumulation of positive charges depolarizes the cell and leads to neurotransmitter release.
SWEET STIMULI, such as sugar or artificial sweeteners, do not enter taste cells but trigger changes within the cells. They bind to receptors on a taste cell’s surface that are coupled to molecules named G-proteins. This prompts the subunits (a , b and g ) of the Gproteins to split into a and bg , which activate a nearby enzyme. The enzyme then converts a precursor within the cell into so-called second messengers that close potassium channels indirectly. Just as important as ingesting the appropriate nutrients is  not ingesting harmful substances.The universal avoidance of intensely bitter molecules shows a strong link between taste and disgust. Toxic compounds, such as strychnine and other common plant alkaloids, often have a strong bitter taste. In fact, many plants have evolved such compounds as a protective mechanism against foraging animals. The sour taste of spoiled foods also contributes to their avoidance. All animals, including humans, generally reject acids and bitter-tasting substances at all but the weakest concentrations. The intense reactions of pleasure and disgust evoked by sweet and bitter substances appear to be present at birth and to depend on neural connections within the lower brain stem.
The strong link between taste and pleasure—or perhaps displeasure—is the basis of the phenomenon of taste-aversion learning. Animals, including humans, will quickly learn to avoid a novel food if eating it causes,or is paired with,gastrointestinal distress.

The “Taste Map”: All Wrong

One of the most dubious “facts”about taste—and one that is commonly reproduced in textbooks—is the oft-cited but misleading “tongue map” showing large regional differences in sensitivity across the human tongue. These maps indicate that sweetness is detected by taste buds on the tip of the tongue, sourness on the sides, bitterness at the back and saltiness along the edges. Taste researchers have known for many years that these tongue maps are wrong. The maps arose early in the 20th century as a result of a misinterpretation of research reported in the late 1800s, and they have been almost impossible to purge from the literature. In reality,all qualities of taste can be elicited from all the regions of the tongue that contain taste buds. At present, there is no evidence that any kind of spatial segregation of sensitivities contributes to the neural representation of taste quality, although there are some slight differences in sensitivity across the tongue and palate.

Can I mix flavors together?

Of course, mixing flavors together is always recommended when you want to increase the level of complexity of the aromatic components.
It's always good to keep in mind that you must dose individual flavors wisely to avoid an unbalanced result.

Discover the genuineness of our ingredients

Nature is our master, and diversity is the key that makes everything special. 
 
We always bear this in mind when creating new flavours for you. Flavours can be quite simple blends of just a few raw materials, but often are extremely complex blends of essential oils, flavour chemical compounds, natural  extracts, distillates,and absolutes.
 
The use of super critical CO2 extracts, and natural flavour complexes obtained by bio-conversion and controlled fermentation, are other raw materials often used to create your flavours. In this endless always fascinating palette, we must be able to choose the purest and finest.
 
With well over 1200 raw materials utilized in flavour creation and hundreds more food ingredients in stock, Flavourart is capable of satisfying the most demanding requirements concerning creation and innovation.

Combining a consolidate proprietary database of flavour formulas, creativity and service, we can realize almost every flavour to suit your needs. We keep commercial relationships with suppliers from all over the world, together with research institutes and universities, so that we can use the most updated scientific information.
When you purchase a flavour, you expect not only great taste, but good performance in the food base. A flavour must be simple to use, simple to dose, and of course it must withstand all of the application parameters involved in production. The flavour should also maintain it's profile during the shelf life of the product with minimum changes, and also be competitive in price. Demands regarding flavours are extremely difficult to achieve. Flavour creation is and always will be a delicate and complex task. However the result of working together with you the customer, can achieve a small masterpiece that we can both remember and be very proud of.

I noticed that some products are available with oil base, in which kind of food i should use that?

Flavourings that contain oil soluble base are ideal for the preparation of oils or very fatty matrix. For all other uses we suggested the use of flavorings in water soluble base.

Why ordering today, the products will be shipped after 15 days?

With FlavouArt quality and product safety it's very important because really make the difference.

That's why we ship always fresh products and we do not use premixed based from external producers.
Working in "hand-crafted" style, and certifying each stage of production in our factory has a very high cost: time.
Currently FlavourArt can rely on a workforce of about 40 people and filling machines able to guarantee a daily production of over 50,000 pieces, in this period the demand is far greater than we can meet.
We have in place a number of measures to accelerate production, without ever compromising on quality.
We will keep you constantly updated, sure that you will understand that we are taking every measure possible because the situation is not pleasant for either of us.

What is Diacetyl?

We noticed an interest to use our flavours in electronic smoking or vaping and some customers rised question about the presence in some formulations of a compound known as Diacetyl.
 
First, we would like to clarify what diacetyl is. The following info are sourced from IFIC, International Food Information Council.
 
What is diacetyl and where is it found?
 
Diacetyl and related compounds produce the buttery odor and flavor of many foods. It occurs as a natural byproduct of fermentation and is found in several dairy products like butter, cheese and milk as well as in bread, coffee, brandy, and rum. It also is manufactured as a component of artificial butter flavoring that is used in butter-flavored microwave popcorn, candy, baked goods and cake mixes. Are there other flavors like diacetyl? Yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines replacement flavors or flavoring agents as “substances added to impart or help impart a taste or aroma in food.”
 
There are also flavor enhancers, which are “substances added to supplement, enhance, or modify the original taste and/or aroma of a food, without imparting a characteristic taste or aroma of its own.” Flavors and flavor enhances are considered part of the larger group of food additives which the FDA regulates. This includes determining their safe use in food. Are there any significant health risks in consuming foods containing diacetyl? No. The FDA currently classifies diacetyl as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) for consumption.
 
What about potential health effects of inhaling diacetyl vapors? Concerns about inhalation of diacetyl vapors stem from worker safety issues, not from the general public consuming or smelling foods flavored with diacetyl in the home. Interest in the possible inhalation effects of diacetyl first arose when workers in a microwave popcorn production facility developed breathing problems in the late 1990’s. Since that time, experience with people working in factories around diacetyl and research in animals has suggested that frequent and repeated breathing of high concentrations of diacetyl in the air may be associated with an extremely rare lung condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans.
 
This condition can cause scarring of the small airways in the lung, which can result in less air exchange in the airways and over time, airway blockage. As with most medical issues, an individual’s medical history and ongoing medical conditions may influence their response to diacetyl, so some individuals may be more sensitive than others to the inhalation effects of diacetyl. In April 2007, the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) launched a program to address hazards and control measures associated with factories where butter-flavored microwave popcorn is produced.
 
The FDA continues to seek additional information to help further clarify any health effects from diacetyl. Is the industry doing anything about the potential health effects to workers? Yes. Because of the potential health risks from repeated exposure, the industry has implemented changes to reduce workplace exposure to diacetyl, including implementing engineering controls such as closed mixing tanks, separate mixing rooms for butter flavors, requiring respirators for mixing room operators, and improving air circulation in facilities.
 
We realize that for E smokers, our food flavors are used in a different way as they are not ingested but inhaled, and the presence of diacetyl can be a cause of concern.
 
For this reason we have carried out massive removal of diacetyl from our flavor collection since November 2010 and product still containing it are clearly identified.
 
Disclaimer: We produce and sell FOOD FLAVORS which comply with Italian and EU legislation and EFSA reccomendation. They are safe for FOOD use as they are intended to enter the body by the digestive system, not by lungs.
 
Digestion involves acid breakdown, enzyme attack, and kidney and liver processing. Vapor by the lungs goes directly in the blood stream. Even though due to absence of combustion, vaping can be compared to odor smelling in open air, consumption of food flavors by vaping has not been specifically tested for safety. Flavourart srl can not be held responsible for any claim or damage arising by the use of food flavor by the means of electronic devices as E-vapers, E cigarettes and similar.

About VAT

We have been asked why we apply 22% VAT on our orders, both for goods sent inside and outside EU We would like to avoid that, but unfortunately this is our fiscal requirement. As we are a officially registered Italian company, we have to obey legislative requirements.
We already investigated this issue several times, in order to see if we could avoid the addition of 22% VAT to orders coming outside Italy. This is the situation:
 
For EU customers VAT is not levied if recipient customer owns a regular VAT number, so if it is a commercial or production company. In this case, our web shop offers this opportunity, and customer can have VAT exemption using a valid VAT number filled in VAT field during customer registration process.
For private user, whom do not own a VAT number, we have no option and we have to add it.
For non EU customers VAT is not levied if orders are delivered by courier and they clear custom. Custom fee for flavoring materials is around 6% of invoice value and will be charged to recipient customer, (check this with local custom. Taric code for flavorings is 3302 10) .
Consider that courier might require additional costs for related paperwork.
 
We deliver with Fedex, so for those interested is possible to check with your local Fedex affiliate. For this type of order, Flavourart has the burden of proof with fiscal authorities that fees has been payed at destination, and we have to file all invoices and related custom documents. Private customer however will likely prefer to have small flavor orders delivered by regular and cheap mail. In this case, there is not the custom clearance, and the 22% VAT will be levied to the order. In practice, private non EU customers should evaluate the situation and decide if pay 22% VAT or clear local custom, and pay higher cost of courier delivered goods, considering that sometimes, depending of recipient country, custom clearance can be a complicated procedure.
 
For USA market, we are evaluating a partnership with a local reseller or distributor. This company will be able to purchase in bulk with a local re packaging, and will offer our products at a convenient price for US customers.
 
Local legislation that covers VAT and its application with foreign countries is: d.l. 30/08/1993 n° 331, art. 41, point B d.p.r. 633/1972 art 8, point A/B

Are you a customer from Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland? Check your local distributor!

This information is available in English, German and Italian:

ENGLISH

Dear Customers,
the FlavourArt brand continues to enjoy a phenomenal rate of growth in both popularity and demand, something which has been reflected in the delayed shipping times to customers.
We are acutely aware of customers' needs and the rapid growth required on our part, and to that effect we are constantly revising our strategies. We have implemented new systems and increased our production and staffing resources as quickly as is practically manageable. Our strategic planning and development continues on a daily basis.
In order to further extend the level of service and offer improved shipping times to our German-speaking customers in Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland, we have launched FlavourArt GmbH, our German sister company. As from 1st May 2013, customers from those countries will have their own website where they can place their orders: www.flavourart-gmbh.de
Orders will no longer be accepted on the Flavourart Italy website, only on the German language site. Customer service and support will also be provided by FlavourArt GmbH, so please address any questions or concerns to our German partners.
We thank you for your patience, cooperation, and loyalty during this exciting new phase in the development of FlavourArt. Your needs are our prime concern and we are striving to provide only the very best in quality and service.

GERMAN

Sehr geehrte Kunden
unser Liquid erfreut sich immer größerer Beliebtheit. Wie Sie bereits bemerkt haben, ist unsere Lieferzeit aufgrund des hohen Bestellaufkommen unangemessen lang.
In den letzten Monaten haben wir umfängliche Umstrukturierungen und Ressourcen Erweiterungen vorgenommen.
Um für Sie die Verfügbarkeit unserer Liquids wieder sicher stellen zu können, gibt es seit einigen Monaten die FlavourArt GmbH, die für den deutschsprachigen europäischen Raum nunmehr der direkte Kontakt für unsere Kunden aus diesem Bereich sein wird.
Ab dem 01.05.2013 ist es für unsere deutschsprachigen Kunden nicht mehr möglich, direkt bei uns in Italien zu bestellen.
Bitte richten Sie Ihre Anfragen oder Bestellungen an unsere Tochter die FlavourArt GmbH in Deutschland.
Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch auf www.flavourart-gmbh.de

ITALIAN

Gentili clienti, il marchio Flavourart continua a godere di un fenomenale tasso di crescita sia in popolarità che in domanda, cosa che sfortunatamente si riflette nelle tempistiche di spedizione.
Siamo ben consapevoli delle esigenze dei nostri clienti e la rapida crescita richiede continue revisioni di strategie.
Abbiamo implementato nuovi macchinari e aumentato le nostre risorse di produzione e personale, la nostra pianificazione e sviluppo strategico proseguono ogni giorno.
Al fine di estendere ulteriormente il livello di servizio e di offrire tempi di spedizione migliorati per i nostri clienti, abbiamo lanciato FlavourArt GmbH, nostra consociata tedesca, che gestirà gli ordini provenienti da Germania, Austria, Liechtenstein e Svizzera.
Dal 1 ° maggio 2013, i clienti di questi paesi potranno ordinare i nostri prodotti dal sito: www.flavourart-gmbh.de
Gli ordini provenienti da questi paesi non saranno più accettati sul sito di FlavourArt Italia.
Anche il Servizio clienti e Supporto di questi paesi saranno forniti da FlavourArt GmbH, quindi si prega di rivolgere qualsiasi domanda o dubbio ai nostri partner tedeschi.
Vi ringraziamo per la vostra pazienza, la cooperazione, e di lealtà in questa nuova entusiasmante fase del nostro sviluppo.
Le vostre esigenze sono la nostra prima preoccupazione e stiamo cercando di fornire solo il meglio in termini di qualità e servizio.