Flavorist

A flavorist, also known as flavor chemist, is someone who uses chemistry to engineer artificial and natural flavors. The tools and materials used by flavorists are almost the same as that used by perfumers with the exception that flavorists seek to mimic or modify both the olfactory and gustation properties of various food products rather than creating just abstract smells. As well, the materials and chemicals that a flavorist utilizes for flavor creation must be safe for human consumption.

Flavorists, as profession, came about when affordable refrigeration for the home spurred a major growth of food processing technology. Processes used in the food industry to provide safe products often affect the quality of the flavor of the food. To the detriment of the manufacturer, these technologies remove most of the naturally occurring flavors. To remedy the flavor loss, the food processing industry created the flavor industry. The chemists that tackled the demand of the food processing industry became known as flavorists, and, thus, the flavor industry was born.

Today, the vast majority of everything we eat now includes natural flavors or artificial flavors developed by a relatively elite and small group of trade professionals.