The cooperative search for flavor chemicals goes back as far as 1965 when a group in the Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC) decided it was time to develop a source book. There were, to be sure, many catalogs available from suppliers, and the familiar “Green Book”, (the “Yellow Pages” of the chemical industry), resided in the desk drawers of most flavorists.
However, the needs for a specialized listing was manifold: Many chemicals offered by the industry were not a suitable grade for flavors, sources for many materials of great interest to the creative flavorist were not listed, and the costs of materials from “rare chemical” houses were prohibitive for flavor use, An expanded index of confirmed suppliers would certainly be useful.
James Broderick, president of the SFC, addressed the problem by appointing a Flavor Chemical Committee headed by Al Saldarini. Saldarini, with his committee members, searched for all available chemical catalogs and individuals who were aware of unlisted supply lines.
