Which Food Flavorings Contain Diacetyl : De-mystifying Diacetyl
Diacetyl which is also known as 2,3 butanedione in chemical terms, is a naturally occurring chemical that is produced during the beer fermentation process as a by product.Some more information about Diacetyl and which food flavorings contain Diacetyl have been discussed below.
Diacetyl is present naturally in some oils, wine, beer, butter and coffee. Its key characteristics are its butter like flavor and its tendency to make several dairy products creamier when added.
Concerns regarding Diacetyl
Diacetyl is known to cause a lethal and vicious lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn lung” to popcorn factory workers. Diacetyl is added as a flavoring in making butter popcorn. Though Diacetyl has been passed and approved by the FDA for use in food items, several manufactures have stopped using this product all together.
Diacetyl is used as an artificial flavoring compound and is often added to several products to impart an artificial flavor to them. Some of the foods to which Diacetyl is added have been discussed below.
Food flavorings with Diacetyl
Diacetyl is a used to prepare several flavorings which are then added to different food products to give the foods an artificial flavor.
Uses in artificial butter flavoring
Diacetyl has a butter like flavor which makes it a popular choice for adding to a variety of snacks, desserts. It is very commonly used to prepare butter flavored popcorn, corn chips, cookies, pancakes, crackers, waffle syrups etc. It is also used for adding a butter flavor to several food sprays as well as oils.
Uses in artificial strawberry flavoring
The artificial strawberry flavors that is added to a wide range of food products like yoghurt, milk drinks, beverages, biscuits, cookies, ice cream etc contain Diacetyl as one of its flavoring ingredient.
Uses in artificial banana flavoring
Similar to the strawberry flavoring, Banana flavoring which is added to a lot of food products as an artificial flavor, contains Diacetyl as its component ingredient. Like Strawberry flavoring, banana flavoring is used in a lot of milk products, cookies, cakes etc.
Uses in dairy Flavoring
Diacetyl has a tendency to make the milk products creamier, so it is often added to sour cream, cheese, and other types of dairy products. Diacetyl aids in enhancing the flavor of the dairy products.
With the above uses of Diacetyl you may now have a clear idea on which food flavoring contains Diacetyl. Diacetyl has been passed as safe for use by the FDA, but if you prefer food products which have authentic fruits or butter flavor, you may check the ingredients list on the food packet and make an informed decision.
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