Creating fantasy flavors
September 2, 2012 11:30 AM
Flavorist Michele Hagen's mission is to create mouthwatering tastes for the flavoring company Givaudan. Some of her creations mimic nature while others - like dragonberry - are pure fantasy.
The Flavorists: Tweaking tastes and creating cravings
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- Let me echo the previous comment. Fascinating report, especially the expression on Morley Safer's face when tasting the chicken flavors. You omitted an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FACT about Givaudan. Givaudan, as a subsidiary of Roche, actively uses cell lines derived from human (including fetal) embryonic stem cells to find flavors that trick taste receptors in the tongue to think they're eating the real stuff (I may be stating this wrong- but CHECK IT OUT!). I also noted this with Pepsico who are using the same thing. I (myself) feel this is a HIGHLY UNETHICAL use of this technology, which I am not in any way opposed to for medical research for the benefit of mankind, not for a commercial product to sell more soda pop. CBS NEEDS to EXPOSE this for the benefit of its viewers.
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- Facinating report, you may find it interesting that the wine industry, part,icularly in California and the US, is very involved in this same fantasy, creating wonderfully tasting wines through chemistry. I remember being shocked that a chemical engineer was one of the head people leading a global wine producing group. Have you ever wondered why in the US, a vintage year has very little revelance compared to France, that is because the chemists have mastered the art of making every vintage year taste the same! Ah, chemistry, it takes the romance out of wine making and it makes money!
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