# Flavours and fragrances

Aroma chemicals, natural extracts and the compounded flavours and fragrances that go into food, drinks, soaps and perfumes; a $43 billion oligopoly.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/

Specialty chemicals · Industrial & consumer specialties · No. 90

- Product family
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- not published as a world tonnage; compounds are dosed at low levels (often under 1% of a food or 1-3% of a detergent, indicative)
- HS 330210, 330290
 Specialty chemicals · Industrial & consumer specialties · Foundation · Matter

The taste of your fizzy drink and the scent of your washing powder were designed by a handful of flavour houses.

Chart: Illustration: Flavours and fragrances

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Some ingredients are distilled or pressed from crops such as mint and citrus; others are synthesised, and synthetics make up 62.4% of fragrance ingredient value.

##### Three things to know

1. Synthetic aroma chemicals make up 62.4% of fragrance ingredient value, and naturals the other 37.6%.
2. India exported 16,882 t of spice oils and oleoresins worth $430 million in April-January 2025-26.
3. Asia is the fastest-growing region at 6.7% a year, against 3.0% in Western Europe.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Crops, chemicals**Mint, citrus, vanilla, turpentine, petrochemicals
2. 2 **Ingredients**Distilled oils and synthesised aroma molecules
3. 3 **Compounding**Perfumers blend dozens to hundreds of ingredients
4. 4 **Consumer goods**Dosed into drinks, snacks, soaps, perfumes

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flavours_fragrances/links/index.md)