The use of natural flavours and additives in food and drink is on the increase as food processors strive to cater for consumer preference. Commonly used natural flavours, such as vanillin (from vanilla beans), benzaldehyde (bitter almond oil), cinnamaldehyde (from cassia bark) and caffeine (from coffee beans), are more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. Providing an economic incentive for less scrupulous people to trade synthetic flavours as natural. Luckily, synthetic flavours often referred to as "natural equivalent" or "chemically identical" can be distinguished from natural flavours by analysis of the stable isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.

Authenticity Testing of Vanillin Package includes stable isotope analysis of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen Testing of Acetaldehyde, Benzaldehyde or Cinnamaldehyde Package includes stable isotope analysis of hydrogen and carbon Authenticity Testing of Caffeine Package includes stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen

Our Flavour Isotope Analysis Packages allow flavours to be identified as being of natural or synthetic origin.    

We recommend that 0.5 grams of vanillin or caffeine crystals and 2.5 ml of pure acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde or cinnamaldehyde be supplied for analysis. Samples will be tested and a laboratory report issued within 21 days of arrival. Our laboratory reports include deuterium*, carbon-13*, nitrogen-15* and oxygen-18* content of the flavour, as determined by duplicate analysis, and an interpretation of the outcome of the analysis.

For further information about our flavour isotope analysis services please contact us or use our quote form.

* If appropriate for the flavour being tested.