Picanha flavor can be obtained from plants; understand

Customers of fast food chains and consumer rights organizations have since last week debated McDonald’s McPicanha sandwich, which is not made with steak, and Burger King’s Whopper Rib, which does not have ribs as an ingredient.

In both cases, the taste and smell of picanha or ribs are the result of the addition of flavors developed by specialized companies, a common and heavily regulated practice in the food industry, say professionals in the field.

Each technique for obtaining aromas must undergo safety research and be authorized by health regulatory agencies — in Brazil, the products follow Anvisa’s standards.

Additives are made by industries known as aroma houses, and may even be synthetic. But, in the case of those used in the controversial hamburgers, they are natural, that is, obtained from natural raw materials, through processes that imitate what happens in the kitchen.

Each manufacturer has its formulas, which they keep secret. The methods used to obtain these aromas may include fermentation, the use of enzymes and reactions from temperature variations, according to aromaist Massao Alves, an expert on the subject.

The basic raw material can be plant, animal, a combination of the two or, in some cases, microbiological, according to technical information from the industry. Vegetable bases tend to have a greater supply and lower cost, but the choice depends on which end product is desired.

“A raw material widely used to obtain these natural flavors is soy, which is rich in very specific groups of amino acids and proteins. And these amino acids, when they react, develop different profiles of flavorings”, explains Massao.

Manufacturers are not required to inform the exact formulation of their flavorings, but they must use substances listed in the list of health agencies, which usually accompany the safety surveys of industry entities.

In the case of the natural flavor of picanha, the industrial process replicates the Maillard reaction, which takes place when the piece of raw meat, with its characteristic fatty side, is placed over the fire.

In the barbecue, proteins, sugars, vitamins and lipids, which in their natural state are poor in flavor and odor, react with each other and are transformed by heat, producing both volatile components (which reach the smell) and stable components (which please the taste).

In the industrial reactor, the same elements of picanha (proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins), obtained from vegetables or meat, are subjected to high temperature to obtain the same effect. In other words, the entire flavor production process is industrially recreated. In general, the compounds obtained are more stable, enhancing the flavor.

This Maillard reaction is responsible for the characteristic grilled or roasted taste of meats, for example. In the industrial process it is possible to produce aromas not only of the type of meat —beef, pork or chicken— but also of the type of preparation: roasted, boiled or grilled meat, for example.

Many supermarket products benefit from industrial meat aromas: snacks, protein bars, frozen foods, instant soups and ready-made seasonings, for example.

In addition to meat, there are several other sectors of the industry that use aromas: yogurts, cookies, juices, breads and cakes are some examples.

Massao explains that, when leaving the industry, additives can have different forms of presentation, including powders, pastes, liquids and emulsions, depending on the technology used and the desired application.

THE Sheet asked McDonalds and Burger King on Tuesday morning what additives they used in the snacks that caused controversy, if the hamburgers were already flavored or received the additive at the store and if other snacks also used natural flavors, but got no response until publication of this text.

Understand identical natural and artificial scents

In addition to natural aromas, the industry uses aromas classified as identical to natural and artificial.

The ones identical to the natural ones have the same final composition as the natural aromas, but they are obtained through synthetic routes, using the chemical industry’s own resources.

The artificial aroma is what was entirely created in the laboratory and cannot be found in nature.

Massao says that the flavoring industry is very specific “and involves criteria, from a safety point of view, that are very important. So the substances that are used are rigorously evaluated”,

It is a relatively small industrial niche, given the complexity and high cost of production, especially with the strict regulation of national and international health agencies, says the expert.

The aromaist profession does not require specific training, as your main skill must be olfactory and gustatory sensitivity. “There are professionals trained in pharmacy, chemistry, engineering, different backgrounds. I met an excellent aromatist who was trained in letters, passionate about poetry”, says Massao.

Information on aroma must be clear, say consumer protection organizations

The problem in recent cases involving fast food chains is ambiguous advertising, says Idec (Consumer Defense Institute) lawyer Mariana Gondo.

Although the advertising campaigns advertised the composition of the snack in fine print, the greatest emphasis was given precisely to the ingredient that was not part of that snack.

“We are talking about a disparity in the supply of information. What stands out is the name of the product and all the other visual and symbolic signs appearing in advertising, the picanha will appear… And the information about the additive does not gain the same weight . That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about the violation of the right to clear, adequate and ostensible information”, explains Mariana.

However, according to Mariana, the gap for situations such as McPicanha is in the difference between what Anvisa asks and what the Consumer Defense Code (CDC) dictates.

“The company is complying with a regulatory norm, of declaration of information on the labeling, for example. But the CDC is broader than that, the company may be complying with a regulatory norm but, through the construction of all its advertising, the its marketing strategy, to be violating the consumer’s right”, explains the lawyer.

When using additives in place of the real ingredients, some companies seek to legally protect themselves from false advertising claims by saying that a certain product is “picanha flavor”, or “rib flavor”, as is the case with the Burger King sandwich.

“The use of these words makes a difference from a legal point of view and from the point of view of consumer perception”, says Massao.

“This elaboration of this message shows that they are taking some care. However, what we want to see in terms of a change in practice is even greater care, to value in the commercial what, in fact, exists in the snack”, adds Mariana.

understand the case

Last Thursday (28), McDonald’s was notified by Procon-DF, Procon-SP and the National Secretariat for Consumer Protection to give explanations about the composition and advertising of the McPicanha line products, after customer complaints that the snacks they weren’t made of picanha.

The controversy gained strength on social networks, especially after the press release in which the fast food chain said that “the brand regrets that the communication created about the new products may have generated doubts and informs that new pieces, highlighting the composition of the sandwiches more clearly, are already being produced”.

Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat), linked to the Ministry of Justice, also requested clarification from Conar (National Advertising Self-Regulation Council) to find out if other entities were aware of the possibility of false advertising.

If the lack of transparency with the consumer is proven, there is the possibility of apprehension, suspension and prohibition of the product, fine or even the revocation of the establishment’s license.

On Friday night (29), McDonald’s said that the snacks should return soon, under another name. In a video on its Instagram page, the company said that it “vacillated in choosing the name of the new sandwich”.

This Monday (2), Procon-DF suspended the sale of Burger King’s rib-flavored sandwich in the Federal District, until the advertising is corrected – which, according to the entity, does not give enough emphasis to the fact that only the aroma of the sandwich is rib. Procon-SP said it will notify the fast food chain for the same reason.

Burger King claims that the burger is made with pork shoulder and has a natural rib flavor. The company changed the name of the snack, which is now called Whopper Paleta Suína. In a statement, the network stated that it “always communicated clearly in all its communication materials the composition of the hamburger present in the sandwich, produced from pork [paleta suína] and with 100% natural pork rib aroma”.

When communicating the name change, this Tuesday (03), the company said in a statement that “transparency has always been a key word at BK. When we launched Whopper Ribs, we announced in our communications that it is made from pork meat – pork shoulder – and with rib flavor, without any artificial ingredients. But people’s reaction is a very clear message. Time to listen, accept and act. No mincing words, no cuteness, without relativizing the problem.”

​”In relation to Procon, the brand has been notified and will provide the requested clarifications”, says Burger King.