Egg Flavour
Egg flavour is a compounded flavouring formulated to deliver boiled egg, egg yolk, custard or fried egg character in a food. It is used both to reinforce products that contain egg and to give egg character to products that contain none, and the second use has grown with the cost volatility of egg supply and with the development of plant based egg substitutes.
The profile rests on two chemistries that have to be balanced against one another. Sulphur compounds carry the boiled egg note, principally hydrogen sulphide and its reaction products together with dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl trisulphide, which are generated when the sulphur bearing amino acids of egg white are heated. These are extremely potent and turn quickly from egg to sulphurous and unpleasant, so their dosage is the most delicate part of the formula. The yolk side comes from lipid derived compounds, with aldehydes such as 2,4-decadienal from the oxidation of the yolk's polyunsaturated fatty acids, lactones giving the creamy roundness, and carotenoid degradation products contributing depth. Vanillin, maltol and furanones round out a custard profile.
Many grades use a real egg base, either whole egg or yolk powder that has been enzymatically digested or heat reacted, which gives a fuller character than aroma chemicals alone. The flavour comes as an oil soluble liquid, a water soluble liquid, a paste and a spray dried powder.
We source bulk Egg Flavour from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Fujian. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Flavours and Aromas
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear to slightly hazy pale yellow liquid, or free flowing cream powder |
| Odour and Flavour | Characteristic cooked egg or custard, matching retained reference |
| Relative Density (25°C) | Within the range declared for the grade |
| Refractive Index (20°C) | Within the range declared for the grade |
| Gas Chromatography Profile | Conforms to retained reference chromatogram |
| Solubility | Soluble in the declared carrier system |
| Flavour Load, powder grade | Not less than 10.0 percent |
| Surface Oil, powder grade | Not more than 2.0 percent of total flavour load |
| Moisture, powder grade | Not more than 4.0 percent |
| Acid Value | Not more than 5.0 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value, oil based grade | Not more than 10 meq/kg |
| Lead | Not more than 2 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | Not more than 1,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | Not more than 100 cfu/g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Grades divide first by profile. Boiled egg, egg yolk, custard, fried egg, omelette and egg white profiles are formulated separately, since the sulphur to lipid balance differs in each and none substitutes for another. Custard and yolk profiles are the largest by volume because they serve bakery and dessert work.
They divide second by whether real egg material is present. Grades built on egg powder or egg yolk hydrolysate carry egg as a declared allergen and cannot serve vegan applications, while fully compounded grades built on plant carriers can. Physical form is the third axis, with oil soluble liquids for bakery fats and fillings, water soluble liquids for beverages and custards, and spray dried and encapsulated powders for dry mixes, instant products and seasoning. Heat stable versions are formulated for baking and retort, since the sulphur fraction is the first thing lost in an open cook. Concentration is expressed as a dosage rate rather than an assay, and natural, natural and artificial, and artificial declarations follow the origin of the components.
Applications
- Egg noodles and instant noodles, where the flavour supports a reduced egg inclusion
- Custards, flans and egg tart fillings
- Cakes, sponges and sweet bakery, reinforcing the egg character of the crumb
- Mayonnaise, salad cream and dressings, including egg free versions
- Plant based egg substitutes, both liquid and scrambled formats
- Ice cream and frozen dessert, particularly custard style products
- Instant powders, dessert mixes and drinking custards
- Savoury snack seasoning, in egg and mayonnaise flavour coatings
- Prepared soups and sauces such as egg drop soup and carbonara style bases
- Pet food, where egg is used as a palatability cue
China Manufacturers of Egg Flavour
Top Egg Flavour manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States the individual flavouring substances used hold FEMA GRAS status, and egg powder and egg hydrolysate are food ingredients rather than additives. Labelling follows 21 CFR 101.22, which determines whether the declaration reads natural flavour or artificial flavour and which governs the use of the word egg on a product whose egg character comes from a flavouring rather than from egg. Egg is a major food allergen and must be declared wherever an egg base is present, and pasteurisation requirements apply to egg products used as raw material.
In the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 and its Union list authorise flavouring substances, and flavourings carry no E number, while the carriers, emulsifiers and antioxidants present in the formulation are additives declared under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. Enzymes used to prepare an egg base fall under the food enzymes regulation. An egg based flavour requires an establishment approved under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 because egg products are of animal origin, and eggs are among the allergens requiring mandatory declaration under the food information regulation. Codex is relevant through its general guidelines for the use of flavourings and its code of hygienic practice for eggs and egg products.
Manufacturing Process
Where a real egg base is used it is prepared first. Whole egg or yolk powder is rehydrated into a slurry, pasteurised, and either digested with proteases and lipases to release peptides, free amino acids and free fatty acids, or heated with reducing sugars under controlled conditions so that the sulphur and Maillard notes are generated in the vessel. The choice of lipase decides which fatty acids are released and therefore the direction of the yolk character. The digest is then inactivated by a high temperature hold and standardised before use.
Compounding follows. Aroma chemicals, the egg base and any natural preparations are weighed individually against the master formula in a temperature controlled dispensary, with the sulphur fraction almost always prepared as a dilute sub-compound because the materials involved are active at parts per billion and cannot be weighed neat with any accuracy. They are charged to a stainless steel vessel with the chosen carrier, agitated to dissolve, held so the blend comes together, then polish filtered. Powder grades are emulsified into a maltodextrin, modified starch or gum acacia slurry, homogenised to a fine droplet size and spray dried, then agglomerated or fluid bed coated where retention matters, with a topping flavour sprayed on to restore the volatiles lost in drying. Release is by sensory panel against a retained reference supported by gas chromatography, with flavour load, surface oil and moisture checked for powders.
