Smoke flavourings

Smoke flavourings are flavouring preparations produced by bringing a liquid, usually water or oil, into contact with smoke generated by burning wood such as hickory, oak, or maple, then purifying the resulting condensate. They give foods a genuine smoky taste without exposing the product to real wood smoke, and they are applied as sprays, dips, or paints onto the food surface. Because they are regulated flavourings, only authorized products may be used in regions such as the EU, where a positive list controls which smoke flavourings are permitted. They let processors dose smoke character precisely and reproducibly while keeping polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within legal limits.