Process for preparing natural benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde, natural benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde compositions, products produced thereby and organcleptic utilities therefor

A process for augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of a smoking tobacco or smoking tobacco article comprising the step of intimately admixing with said smoking tobacco or imparting to at least one component of said smoking tobacco article, an aroma or taste augmenting or enhancing quantity of a product produced according to the process comprising the step of carrying out a retro-aldol reaction on naturally occurring cinnamaldehyde in the presence of base and an inert solvent and in the absence of any other reagents according to the reaction:

• ##STR48## the reaction being carried out at from about 0.2 up to about 10 atmospheres;
• at a temperature of from about 40.degree. C. up to about 150.degree. C. and for a period of time of from about 5 hours up to 80 hours;
• the base being selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, lithium carbonate, lithium bicarbonate, proline, choline, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate and mixtures of lecithin and base;
• the inert solvent being a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 lower alkanol.