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FDA Halts Approval of Beetroot Red and Spirulina Colorings Amid Safety and Labeling Disputes

FDA Halts Approval of Beetroot Red and Spirulina Colorings Amid Safety and Labeling Disputes March 31, 2026 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has put on hold its approval of two natural-source color additives—beetroot red and spirulina extract—following formal objections from consumer and industry groups. The FDA

Business News Digest for the Global Food and Flavor Industry: March 30-April 2, 2026

North America — Food & Flavor Industry Business News (March 30 – April 3, 2026) March 30, 2026 — Sysco agreed to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot in a $29.1 billion deal. This was one of the biggest foodservice transactions of the week. Sysco said the acquisition would push it deeper into the

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Defining and Controlling Earthy Notes in Food Flavor

Earthy Note in the Context of SFC’s 25 Core Flavor Notes The Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC) mandates that all Certified Flavor Chemists master a lexicon of 25 primary flavor notes—earthy among them—as part of a standardized sensory vocabulary. This shared language ensures precision when formulating, replicating,

Separation in Flavor Systems: What the SFC Requires Every Certified Flavorist to Know

🧪 Separation in Flavor Systems Stokes' Law & Interfacial Tension: Loss of Top Notes, Rancidity, and Consumer Rejection Society of Flavor Chemists — Qualification Exam Syllabus 📐 Stokes' Law: The Physics of Droplet Movement \[ v = \frac{2 r^2 (\rho_d - \rho_c) g}{9 \eta} \] Where: \( v \) = separation velocity,

Thiophenes and their applications in flavors

A thiophene is a five-membered aromatic ring consisting of four carbon atoms and one sulfur atom. Think of it as a benzene ring where one of the CH groups has been replaced by a sulfur atom. This structure gives thiophenes unique chemical properties. Chemically, thiophene is a colorless, volatile liquid

Davana as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the qualification test and interview. Davana is included among these

Cumin as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Cumin as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Cornmint (Japanese Mint) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Cornmint (Japanese Mint) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus

Coriander as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Coriander as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Cognac Oil (Wine Lees Oil) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Cognac Oil (Wine Lees Oil) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on

Top News Stories for the Food and Flavor Industry: April 2, 2026

🍽️ The Main Story: A $65 Billion Flavor Giant is Born The biggest news is the definitive merger between spice giant McCormick and Unilever's food business . This deal will create a new powerhouse owning brands like Hellmann's, Knorr, Frank's RedHot, and French's, fundamentally

Flavor Compounds: Functions, Applications, and Aroma Thresholds - Part 1

A list of compounds is presented in The Technology of Food Flavoring by Dr. Sun Baoguo, a renowned flavor chemist. The function and application cited reflect Dr. Sun’s expert opinions, and the aroma threshold is provided for each compound to give readers a sense of appropriate usage levels. This

Clove as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Clove as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Citronella as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Citronella as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

McCormick and Unilever Forge $44.8 Billion Flavor Giant in Major Food Industry Shakeup

HUNT VALLEY, MD / LONDON – March 31, 2026 — In a transformative deal poised to reshape the global condiment and spice landscape, McCormick & Company has reached a definitive agreement to combine with Unilever's Foods division. The transaction, valued at approximately $44.8 billion, unites iconic brands like Hellmann'

Gov. Pritzker and Mars Snacking Announce 600 New Jobs, Expansion of Global Headquarters in Chicago

Event Date: March 25, 2026 News Release Date: March 25, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and Mars Snacking announced today that the company will add 600 new jobs as part of a major expansion of its global headquarters operations in Chicago. The move consolidates the company’s

Cinnamon (Ceylon) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Cinnamon (Ceylon) as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for

Chicory as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Chicory as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Burn Risk - Part 3: Preventing Burning of a Reaction Flavor in a Production Environment

Preventing Burning of a Reaction Flavor in a Production Environment This production-focused guide is based on the roasted onion or savory sulfur reaction-flavor example, but the same logic also applies to meat, chicken, roasted vegetable, caramelized, and other thermal reaction flavors. The goal is not merely to keep the reactor

Burn Risk - Part 2: Roasted Onion Reaction Flavor Example and How to Determine Each Parameter in the Predictive Model

Roasted Onion Reaction Flavor Example and How to Determine Each Parameter in the Predictive Model This document gives a detailed reaction flavor example built around a roasted onion or savory sulfur reaction flavor, with a step-by-step explanation of how to determine each parameter used in the burn-risk predictive model. 1)

Burn Risk - Part 1: Quantitative Heat and Mass Transfer Model for Predicting Burn Risk

Quantitative Heat and Mass Transfer Model for Predicting Burn Risk This document presents a practical engineering model for predicting burn risk in a flavor reaction reactor, especially for Maillard, caramel, savory sulfur, extract concentration, and viscous thermal processes. It is not a full CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation. It is

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Chamomile as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Chamomile as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Celery Seed as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guid

Celery Seed as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for

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Cedarwood as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Cedarwood as a Natural Flavoring: A Comprehensive Technical Guide The Society of Flavor Chemists requires certified flavorists to be able to identify the plant part used, derivatives, organoleptic characteristics, and major chemical component(s) characterizing the aroma and flavor of the 80 natural flavorings listed on its syllabus for the

Condensation Reactions in Flavor Chemistry

Condensation is one of a handful reactions the Society of Flavor Chemists requires flavorists to understand and consider when formulating flavors. Here is a detailed explanation of condensation reactions in the context of flavor chemistry. 1. Chemical Groups Involved and Conditions Required A condensation reaction is a class of organic