Food and beverage manufacturers often use esters as additives to enhance flavor or odor of a dessert or beverage. Many times such flavors or odors do not have a natural basis. The “juicy fruit” flavor, isopentyl acetate is an example. Instant pudding that has the flavor of rum does not contain rum in its ingredients; this flavor is duplicated by the combination of ethyl formate and isobutyl proprionate. The natural flavor and odor are not exactly duplicated, but give the essence of the flavor it tries to duplicate.
A single compound is rarely used in good-quality imitation flavorings. A formula for imitation pineapple flavor is listed in Table 2 below.