Product-oriented flavor research: learnings from the past, visions for the future

In the past flavor research and the development of new flavorings were constantly driven by the interaction of flavor analysis, structure elucidation, and chemical synthesis accompanied by sensory. Highly potent flavor compounds were identified in numerous food products and helped to establish a powerful toolbox for flavorists. Nowadays we experience the merging of various scientific disciplines, for example medicine, biology, chemistry, and various technologies in the field of flavor research, which shows direct impact on our understanding of flavors. At the same time modern life has profoundly changed our eating habits. This situation generates new challenges for product development teams, which represent all facets of technologies. This paper will illustrate different examples for the evolution of product-oriented flavor research and future trends.