Flavor is among the most essential factor for food selection and determines
the taste, trigeminal and aroma of the food item. Currently, five main types of flavors
are recognized i.e. sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Umami flavor has a pleasant
savory taste and is becoming popular in the food industry for the enhancement of food
taste. Edible mushrooms are one of the major sources of umami flavor. Similarly
different natural and synthetic flavorings and flavorants are added to enhance food
products. These flavorings and flavorants also have health benefits and apprehensions
to human health. The natural plant-based flavor products should be encouraged as they
have health benefits and are being used for thousands of years as flavorings &
flavorants and as traditional plant-based medicines. The food industry is looking for
new plant-based flavoring agents to satisfy consumer demands.
Keywords: Flavorings and flavorants, Food additives, Synthetic flavorings
agents, Umami flavor.
