The Safety Assessment of Flavor Ingredients Derived from Plant Cell and Tissue Culture

Abstract

Food flavors are complex mixtures of individual flavor ingredients which are often natural constituents of food, and can be produced through physical means from traditional plant and animal sources, chemical synthesis, and processes incorporating the techniques of modern biotechnology. Plant cell and tissue culture provide alternative methods for the production of food flavors and food flavor ingredients. The use of plant cell and tissue culture presents new issues related to the safety assessment of flavors. A safety assessment scheme has been developed to address these issues, particularly issues associated with plant cell and tissue culture methods, with and without the incorporation of genetic modification. A key issue associated with plant cell and tissue culture also addressed in the new scheme is the safety assessment of complex mixtures that may be produced through plant cell and tissue culture.