Strawberry Flavour Formula

Strawberry is a fantastic flavour, and it can be replicated fairly well. However, it is more complex than something like banana or bubble gum. Most publicly available formulas use anywhere between 8 and 20 compounds to develop the flavour, and the 12 formulas below provide a good example of the different compounds used to make a strawberry flavour.

My goal here is to give you the tools to work with flavour compounds competently, and by listing a dozen different formulas, the goal is to show you there are many paths to a strawberry flavour. More importantly, if you see a compound in any one of the 12 formulas below, you can try to work it into your own strawberry formula. Basically, mix and match various compounds from different recipes to see how they work. It can also help if you have a limited inventory of flavour compounds. Use what you have.

As I mentioned in the video, if you are just looking for a straightforward strawberry flavour, premade flavours are good and can save you time. You don't need to reinvent the wheel, as dozens of companies and probably hundreds of researchers have tweaked the flavour profile of these strawberry flavours for decades.

But, I like the creative side of playing with flavours, so experimenting is my preference.

Strawberry Delight

This is the formula I used in the video and is based off of a Bedoukian formula called Strawberry Delight (PDF). It is, in fact, a perfume accord, but every ingredient in the formula is FEMA/GRAS, and it works as flavour. The only issue is that I didn't factor in how much the vanillin takes this to the candy side of the flavour spectrum, so you can reduce it if you want to get a more natural flavour. But it works pretty well.

Please note: I have removed the DPG (dipropylene glycol) and used a mixture of ethyl alcohol and propylene glycol (PG). You can probably use just propylene glycol. You should never use DPG in a flavour formula.

15.65 Aldehyde C-16
5.83 Ethyl Butyrate
4.61 Vanillin
3.07 Ethyl Maltol
1.84 Ethyl Acetate
1.23 Methyl Octine Carbonate
0.43 Raspberry Ketone
0.31 Cis-3-Hexenol
0.31 Aldehyde C-14
0.22 Furaneol 20%
0.06 Ethyl Benzoate
0.01 Benzaldehyde
0.02 Hydratropic Aldehyde DMA 10%
0.03 2-Octen-5-one
16.36 Ethyl Alcohol
50.0 Propylene Glycol

100.0 Total

Strawberry Flavor

I did mix this formula up, and it is reasonable, though it has more of a generic red berry flavour. But adjusting the acidity, making it red and mentioning that is a strawberry flavour could pull a person's mind to the strawberry flavour. Never underestimate the power of suggestion when it comes to flavours, marketing has as much to do with flavour as science does.

3.50    ethyl butyrate
0.70    aldehyde C-16
0.50    cis-3-hexenol 10%
3.50    isobutyl acetate 10%
1.50    styrallyl acetate 10%
1.00    ethyl 2-methyl butyrate
0.50    gamma-decalactone 10%
10.00    methyl cinnamate
78.80    ethanol
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

From patent RE30363 Processes for producing strawberry flavor compositions

1.00    geraniol
3.33    aldehyde C-16
4.77    2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid
5.66    vanillin
13.06    ethyl pelargonate
14.00    isoamyl acetate
58.18    ethyl butyrate
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent RE30,363 Processes for producing strawberry flavor compositions

0.96    beta-naphthyl ethyl ether
2.33    vanillin
2.88    aldehyde C-16
4.90    2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid
9.58    ethyl acetate
12.25    isoamyl acetate
26.20    ethyl butyrate
40.90    isoamyl butyrate
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent 8,252,356 Flavor composition or fragrance composition

2.000    S-tropical 2-thiobutyrate
1.200    ethyl butyrate
0.140    isoamyl butyrate
0.900    butyric acid
0.040    ethyl lactate
2.000    benzyl alcohol
1.000    cis-3-hexenol
0.100    linalool
0.120    aldehyde C-16
0.080    hexanal
1.500    3-ethoxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone
0.170    gamma-decalactone
0.140    gamma-undecalactone
55.610    ethyl alcohol 95%
35.00    propylene glycol
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent 4,851,050

14.37    acetic acid
0.85    aldehyde C-16
2.85    caprylic acid
0.57    diacetyl
26.00    ethyl acetate
11.40    ethyl butyrate
1.40    gamma-undecalactone
1.14    cis-3-hexenol
7.14    maltol
20.00    levulinic acid
7.14    methyl 2-methyl butyrate
7.14    alpha-campholenol
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent 3,931,293

0.20    raspberry ketone
1.50    vanillin
2.00    maltol
1.50    aldehyde C-16
2.00    benzyl acetate
1.00    ethyl butyrate
0.50    methyl cinnamate
0.50    methyl anthranilate
0.10    alpha-ionone
0.20    gamma-undecalactone
0.20    diacetyl
0.10    (E)-anethol
1.70    cis-3-hexenol
38.50    ethanol 95%
50.00    propylene glycol
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent 3,931,293

1.00    geraniol
3.33    aldehyde C-16
4.77    isopropyl 2-methyl-3-pentenoate
5.66    vanillin
13.06    ethyl pelargonate
14.00    isoamyl acetate
58.18    ethyl butyrate
100.000    Total

Strawberry flavor

Patent 3,931,293

0.96    beta-naphthyl ethyl ether
2.66    vanillin
2.88    aldehyde C-16
4.90    isobutyl 2-methyl-3-pentenoate
9.58    ethyl acetate
12.25    isoamyl acetate
26.20    ethyl butyrate
40.57    isoamyl butyrate
100.000    Total

Strawberry No. 1

Cosmetic, Fragrances and Flavors, Louis Appel, 1982, Novox, Inc. pg. 341

5.00    diacetyl
30.00    ethyl valerate
100.00    dipropyl ketone
300.00    ethyl lactate
15.00    butyric acid
50.00    ethyl oenanthate
5.00    methyl salicylate
9.00    methyl heptine carbonate
1.00    cinnamyl butyrate
20.00    cinnamyl valerate
35.00    maltol
125.00    aldehyde C-16
15.00    aldehyde C-14
15.00    vanillin
150.00    orris rhizome tincture 5%
125.00    propylene glycol
1000.000    Total

Strawberry No. 2

Cosmetic, Fragrances and Flavors, Louis Appel, 1982, Novox, Inc. pg. 342

5.00    diacetyl
30.00    ethyl valerate
300.00    ethyl lactate
50.00    ethyl oenanthate
7.00    methyl salicylate
7.00    methyl heptine carbonate
6.00    cinnamyl valerate
35.00    maltol
180.00    aldehyde C-16
20.00    aldehyde C-14
20.00    ethyl vanillin
30.00    orris rhizome concrete 10%
310.00    propylene glycol
1000.000    Total

Strawberry No. 3

Cosmetic, Fragrances and Flavors, Louis Appel, 1982, Novox, Inc. pg. 342

For Flavor Use
10.00    ethyl acetate
5.00    diacetyl
20.00    ethyl butyrate
300.00    ethyl lactate
35.00    isoamyl valerate
2.00    isovaleric acid
3.00    caproic acid
30.00    orange peel oil 10 fold
5.00    ethyl salicylate
35.00    maltol
5.00    raspberry ketone
300.00    aldehyde C-16
20.00    aldehyde C-14
5.00    vanilla resinoid
225.00    propylene glycol
1000.000    Total