CHIRATA (SWERTIA CHIRATA BUCH.-HAM.)

CAS: 977052-80-4 FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT

CHIRATA (Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham.) is a botanical flavoring agent or adjuvant permitted as a natural flavoring substance under general conditions of good manufacturing practice in US food additive regulations, specifically referenced by the FDA eCFR §172.510 listing for natural flavoring substances and natural substances used in conjunction with flavors. This plant-derived bitter botanical is historically known for its strong bitter taste and use in traditional herbal contexts.

What It Is

CHIRATA, scientifically known as Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham., is a plant-derived botanical ingredient categorized in food regulatory listings as a natural flavoring substance or flavor adjuvant. In US regulations, it appears under its common name and CAS number 977052-80-4 as a natural substance that may be used to impart or modify flavor profiles in foods under the conditions prescribed in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 172.510, which governs natural flavoring agents and related substances permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption. This botanical name is widely referenced in traditional medicine and herbal contexts and is associated with a distinctive bitter sensory note, which historically informed its consideration in flavoring applications. While Swertia chirata is principally a plant with ethnobotanical heritage, in the context of food ingredients it is defined by its function to contribute flavor and technical effects rather than nutritional value. The bitter taste profile contributes to its use as a flavoring agent or adjuvant in specific food applications in which bitterness or taste modification is desired. Regulatory listings identify the ingredient name and CAS number, along with alternative names, which include CHIRATA, CHIRETTA, SWERTIA CHIRATA, CHIRAYTA, BITTER STICK, EAST INDIAN BALMONY, and OPHELIA CHIRATA, reflecting historical and trade nomenclature.

How It Is Made

The botanical ingredient CHIRATA is derived from the whole or specific parts of the Swertia chirata plant, a member of the Gentianaceae family native to the Himalayan region. In practical flavoring ingredient preparation, plant material can be harvested, dried, and subjected to processes such as extraction with food-grade solvents or water to concentrate flavor compounds, followed by purification steps to isolate components that impart the desired bitter sensory characteristic. These plant extracts are then formulated into a form suitable for use in food flavoring, such as liquid extracts or concentrates that capture the bitter constituents. Because CHIRATA is used as a natural flavoring agent, the manufacturing processes must meet food-grade quality and purity standards, including adherence to good manufacturing practice (GMP), to ensure safety and consistency. Quality control specifications typically include botanical identification, absence of contaminants, microbial limits, and solvent residues where applicable. Such manufacturing practices aim to preserve the organoleptic properties associated with the ingredient, including its bitterness and ability to modify or enhance flavor profiles when used in conjunction with other flavor components. CHIRATA’s production for food use involves upstream cultivation and harvest of the plant, followed by controlled extraction and formulation steps designed to yield a stable ingredient that can be incorporated into flavoring systems.

Why It Is Used In Food

CHIRATA is used in food primarily for its role as a flavoring agent or flavor adjuvant, contributing specific sensory characteristics, particularly bitter notes that can enrich or balance complex flavor compositions. Natural flavorings like CHIRATA are selected by food formulators when a botanical bitter component is desired to achieve a target taste profile or to complement other flavor elements in a product. The functional rationale for using such plant-derived flavoring substances includes enhancing depth of flavor, contributing complexity to bitterness profiles in beverages, savory products, or specialty formulations, and providing a natural alternative to synthetic bitter agents for applications seeking botanical labeling. Regulatory frameworks like the US FDA’s listing of CHIRATA under the natural flavoring substances category (21 CFR 172.510) reflect the technical recognition of its flavor-modifying potential when used in minimal quantities consistent with good manufacturing practice. In this context, CHIRATA’s use is not intended to provide nutritional benefit but rather to modify or enhance the sensory attributes of foods, aligning with consumer interest in botanically derived ingredients in flavored products. Such natural botanical extracts are incorporated into food flavor systems where their distinctive taste qualities support the overall flavor design objectives in complex formulations.

Adi Example Calculation

Because CHIRATA does not have a specific numeric acceptable daily intake (ADI) published in standard food additive evaluation references, an illustrative calculation using a hypothetical ADI cannot be provided. In general for substances with established ADIs, an example calculation might use a hypothetical body weight to convert mg/kg body weight guidance into a total daily amount; however, for CHIRATA the regulatory use paradigm is governed by good manufacturing practice and minimal use levels rather than a numeric ADI. Consequently, illustrative ADI calculations are not applicable in this context.

Safety And Health Research

Public regulatory inventories and botanical ingredient databases identify CHIRATA as a natural flavoring substance, with its use governed by the principle of good manufacturing practice ensuring that it is used in the minimum quantity necessary to achieve its technical effect in food. Regulatory frameworks like the FDA’s natural flavoring substances provision define permissible use conditions that implicitly consider general safety criteria for flavoring agents. The broader context of botanical extracts underscores that research on Swertia chirata includes phytochemical characterization and studies on plant-derived constituents; however, data specific to the safety of CHIRATA as a food flavoring ingredient, including human toxicology endpoints, are not detailed in standard food additive regulatory listings. Traditional uses in herbal practices and the presence of diverse phytochemical constituents have been described in academic literature, but this information pertains to medicinal contexts rather than regulatory safety assessments for food flavoring use. Consequently, safety narratives focus on compliance with regulatory guidance for natural flavoring substances and adherence to good manufacturing practice, with the understanding that approved usage conditions are designed to limit exposure to levels established as safe by risk assessment frameworks. CHIRATA’s safety profile in foods is therefore informed by its regulatory status and technical use conditions rather than discrete toxicological benchmarks in food additive databases.

Regulatory Status Worldwide

In the United States, CHIRATA is referenced in the FDA’s Substances Added to Food inventory (formerly EAFUS) with CAS number 977052-80-4 and identified as a substance used for its technical effect as a flavoring agent or adjuvant, associated with the regulatory citation 21 CFR 172.510 governing natural flavoring substances and natural substances used in conjunction with flavors. This regulatory citation establishes that natural flavoring substances may be safely used in food in accordance with good manufacturing practice and when used in minimum quantities to achieve their intended effect, as defined by the FDA’s food additive regulations. The inclusion of CHIRATA in this inventory indicates recognition of its use in food formulations under the general conditions described in the d regulation. The FDA listing does not imply an FDA numeric safety threshold or an explicit approved use list beyond the general permission under the natural flavoring substances category but establishes the context in which the ingredient may be used. Information from other global authorities, such as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), provides general guidance on the evaluation of flavoring substances, although a specific JECFA specification for CHIRATA itself was not located in authoritative databases at the time of preparation. Regulatory references to CHIRATA’s use reflect a botanical natural flavoring agent recognized under the applicable flavoring regulations rather than a substance with numeric acceptable daily intake thresholds set by international bodies.

Taste And Functional Properties

CHIRATA, as derived from Swertia chirata, is characterized by a bitter taste profile, which is a defining sensory attribute of the ingredient. Bitter compounds from botanical sources are often rich in secoiridoids, xanthones, and related phytochemicals that confer strong taste characteristics. When used as a flavoring agent or adjuvant, these bitter sensory notes can interact with other taste components in food and beverage matrices, contributing balance and complexity, particularly in formulations where bitterness is desirable, such as certain herbal beverages, bitter-flavored confections, or savory products. Functionally, CHIRATA represents a botanical source of flavor-active compounds that can influence taste perception even at low concentrations, and its behavior in processing conditions depends on factors such as solubility in water or alcohol, stability under heat, and interactions with other flavor molecules. Because CHIRATA is plant-derived, its flavor impact may vary with extraction method and formulation, requiring careful control to achieve consistent sensory outcomes. While the bitter profile is its most notable sensory dimension, CHIRATA’s functional role centers on its contribution to overall flavor architecture rather than imparting nutritive components.

Acceptable Daily Intake Explained

Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is a regulatory concept used by international bodies to define the amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk; it is typically derived from toxicological data and risk assessments. In the case of CHIRATA, specific numeric ADI values established by regulators such as JECFA or EFSA were not located in authoritative additive evaluation listings during preparation of this summary. As a natural flavoring substance permitted under general regulatory provisions, CHIRATA’s use is governed by conditions such as good manufacturing practice and minimal effective concentration rather than a prescriptive numeric ADI. This means that formulators are expected to use the ingredient in the smallest amount needed to achieve the desired flavor effect, and the absence of specific ADI values reflects that the regulatory status does not require numeric intake limits beyond this context. Explaining ADI in lay terms underscores that where numeric values exist for other additives, they represent conservative safety thresholds based on risk assessments; for CHIRATA, a similar safety framework applies through usage conditions without a formal numeric ADI published in additive evaluation databases.

Comparison With Similar Additives

CHIRATA can be compared with other natural bitter flavoring agents used in food, such as extracts of gentian root and bitter orange peel, which also contribute bitter taste profiles to flavor systems. Like CHIRATA, these botanical extracts are permitted as natural flavoring substances under regulatory provisions that emphasize minimal use levels and compliance with good manufacturing practice. Gentian root extract, for example, is known for its bitter sensory contribution in beverages, while bitter orange peel provides citrus-bitter character; both share a functional role with CHIRATA in enhancing complexity in flavor formulations. The regulatory context for these natural botanical extracts is similar, often managed under general natural flavoring substance frameworks rather than specific numeric usage limits, and formulators select among them based on desired sensory attributes in final products.

Common Food Applications Narrative

CHIRATA’s application in food and beverage products reflects its role as a botanical flavoring agent that contributes bitter sensory qualities and complexity to formulations. In practice, ingredients like CHIRATA may appear in herbal beverage blends, botanical-infused drinks, and specialty food items where a naturally derived bitter note is part of the intended flavor profile. For example, craft beverages that emphasize herbal, botanical, or bitter taste dimensions may incorporate CHIRATA extracts alongside other plant flavors to achieve distinctive sensory characteristics. Similarly, artisanal condiments or sauces with a bitter or botanical character could use CHIRATA to complement other taste components and enhance depth of flavor. Because natural flavoring agents are used in minute quantities to impart or modify sensory attributes, CHIRATA’s presence in final products is typically subtle and integrated into broader flavor systems rather than being a primary ingredient by weight. The use of botanical bitter agents reflects a broader trend in food innovation where formulators seek to leverage natural plant extracts to deliver complex taste experiences in products marketed for their unique sensory appeal.

Safety & Regulations

FDA

  • Notes: Inclusion under the natural flavoring substances regulation allows use under good manufacturing practice without explicit numeric approval thresholds.
  • Regulation: 21 CFR 172.510

EFSA

  • Notes: No specific EFSA additive assessment with numeric ADI found for this ingredient.

JECFA

  • Notes: No specific JECFA numeric ADI or specification entry located for this botanical ingredient.

Sources

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