Vanillin: more than a flavouring agent--a potent antioxidant

Vanillin is probably the most widely used flavouring agent for sweet foods such as biscuits, desserts, ice cream etc. It has been aruged, however, that vanillin is used not only as a flavouring ingredient but also to mask undesirable off-flavors developed during storage by products susceptible to oxidative degradation. This paper shows that vanillin not only adds its pleasant flavour note, but also acts as an antioxidant in complex foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is shown that the keeping quality of precooked dried cereal flakes was considerably increased by the addition of 0.01-0.5% (on a dry matter basis) of vanillin.