Reconnecting with Essential Oils

As individual natural flavor chemicals have come onto the market, essential oils, absolutes and extracts have taken a back seat in natural flavor compositions, notes Marie Wright, flavor creation manager for IFF. Wright presented her insights into reconnecting with whole natural products during a talk titled "Secret Agents: the Mysterious and Magical Treasures of Taste," at the fall meeting of the Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce, "Saving Essential Oils," in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. In a recent conversation with P&F magazine, Wright discussed the advantages of essential oils and similar products in flavor compostitions, compared to individual components, and issues related to balancing cost with performance.