How are food and drink companies able to replicate intricate natural flavors with artificial ones?

Question

For instance, how does something taste like a tangerine when there is no actual tangerine juice in the food or drink?

In: 4

Answer 1

I read somewhere that they don’t replicate flavors exactly. That is, they don’t say “lets make a fake tangerine” They make a flavor and then decide what it tastes like. If it tastes like tomato, then they now have a fake tomato flavor.