PART.1 What is food flavoring?

According to the provisions of the National Food Safety Standard Food Flavorings (GB 30616), food flavoring refers to a concentrated and prepared mixture consisting of food flavoring substances and flavoring and auxiliary materials for food (except for those preparations which produce only sweet, sour or sour tastes, and do not include flavor enhancers). Food flavorings may contain or not contain flavoring and auxiliary materials for food. Usually, it is not directly used for consumption, but for food processing.

Flavoring and auxiliary materials for food refer to any basic substances (such as antioxidants, preservatives, diluents, solvents, etc.) necessary for exerting the function of food flavoring substances and/or improving their stability. Appendix B of GB 30616 stipulates the solvents and carriers (Table B.1) and other adjuvants (Table B.2) that are allowed to be used in food flavoring substances, and clearly states that various suitable food raw materials can be used as solvents, carriers or other adjuvants for food flavoring substancesAccording to the provisions of the National Food Safety Standard Standard for Uses of Food Additives (GB 2760), flavoring and auxiliary materials for food shall comply with the provisions of GB 30616. The variety of food flavoring adjuvants used should be minimized on the premise of achieving the desired purpose. Food additives added to food flavoring substances as adjuvants should not perform functional roles in the final food, and their usage in food should be reduced as much as possible on the premise of achieving the desired purpose.

PART.2 How should the naming of food flavorings be standardized?

The label of food flavorings should comply with the provisions of the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Labeling of Food Additives (GB 29924). According to GB 29924, food flavorings should use names and models that are compatible with the aroma, flavor, production process, etc. of the labeled products, and should not cause misunderstandings or confusion. The words "food flavoring" should be clearly marked. In addition, corresponding words or phrases can be added before or after the name of food flavorings, such as water-soluble flavorings, oil-soluble flavorings, blended powder flavorings, micro-encapsulated powder flavorings, emulsified flavorings, paste-shaped flavorings and savory flavorings.

At present, there is a wide variety of food flavorings. Due to their functions such as compensating for the loss of flavor during food processing and storage, and supplementing flavors for low-fat, low-sugar and low-salt foods, they are used in many food categories such as dairy products, beverages, meat products, seasonings, and candies. In Table B.1 of GB 2760, there is a clear list of food categories in the List of Foods Prohibited from Adding Food Flavoring Substances and Flavorings.

In January 2025, the China Association of Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetics Industries issued a notice on the release of the Self-discipline Initiative for Standardized Naming of Food Flavorings, stating that the naming of food flavorings should be strictly standardized, and the following naming methods (including but not limited to) were recommended:

(1) Food flavorings + characteristic aroma/flavor presented by the flavoring, e.g., food flavoring apple-flavored flavoring, food flavoring milk-flavored flavoring.

(2) Food flavorings + model number, e.g., food flavoring AL123.

PART.3 Summary

The standardized naming of food flavorings is not only a legal requirement but also a manifestation of an enterprise's honest operation. By means of scientific naming, transparent labeling, and compliant publicity, consumer trust and market order can be established. From a legal perspective, enterprises should strictly abide by the requirements of relevant regulations such as GB 30616 to ensure that the name truthfully reflects the source of raw materials and technological characteristics. From a practical perspective, standardized naming is not only a legal obligation but also an important means for enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities and enhance brand credibility. In the future, the naming rules for food flavorings may be further refined, and technologies such as blockchain traceability and smart labels may be integrated to strengthen compliance verification. Only by combining the rigid constraints of regulations with enterprise self-discipline can the food industry achieve high-quality development in safety and innovation and safeguard the "trust on the tip of the tongue".

Source: Antion

Note: This article is compiled by Antion. Please indicate the source for reprint.