Flavor and fragrance chemists are professionals engaged in the study and exploitation of materials capable of impacting the human senses of taste or smell. Flavor chemists work primarily with foods, beverages, and food/beverage ingredients; the latter comprise substances that are either derived (directly or indirectly) from plant or animal sources or are chemically synthesized from petrochemicals. Fragrance chemists work mostly with perfumes, fragranced personal care products, and scented household goods and the odoriferous ingredients used therein, which again may include materials of plant, animal, or petrochemical origin.

Research carried out by flavor and fragrance chemists is generally for the purpose of understanding, designing, or improving upon the sensory characteristics of the types of products and ingredients listed above. This often starts with the detailed chemical analysis of a specific target: a finished product or raw materials used in its manufacture. Creative...