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New flavor concepts which give ideas and inspiration

 

(beveragemanager.net) - With food legislation and consumer expectations moving towards naturalness, especially in the field of flavors, natural and premium have become the new standard.

Consumers expect countless flavor variations and seasonal products which bring variety to the shelves. The number of calories has also become one of the decisive criteria. And even when consumers are prepared to pay more for natural and attractive products, in the end they will still be counting their pennies.

For all professionals involved in product development, this is a balancing act. With regards to flavors, it means being as natural as possible, continually presenting new creations with extraordinary and exotic combinations, and above all, producing flavors that are available in sufficient amounts at a standardized quality all year round. Due to the implementation of the new European Commission (EC) flavorings legislation at the beginning of 2011, Sensient Flavors not only modified its product range, but has continued to introduce an innovative variety of new solutions throughout the year.

Stricter regulations for natural claims

The new legislation means that flavors from a quoted source which are declared as 95/5 must contain at least 95 per cent of the flavoring components of the named raw material. As a consequence, flavors now contain a larger amount of expensive, high-grade raw materials. At the same time, there have been increasing challenges in the labs: Where previously 10 per cent of the flavoring components from other natural sources could be used to give a specific flavor fingerprint, for example, fresh, ripe or green notes, or to compensate for natural fluctuations in raw materials – this is now limited to only 5 per cent by weight. For flavorists, this can be a true challenge.

With its 95/5 flavors, the company shows how manufacturers and consumers can profit from the new regulations. The company’s “Fabulous Flavors” range uses only the best raw materials to produce a comprehensive line of 95/5 flavors which meet the regulatory guidelines in full, allowing the claim “natural X flavoring” to be used on packaging.

Besides basic flavors, the “Fabulous Flavors” range comprises a wide array of 95/5 flavors, each of which can be tailored to the needs of the consumer end product. Due to their excellent stability, the liquid flavors are suitable for nearly all beverage applications, even in drinks with a high acid content. Many flavors come into being in close co-operation with customers. In addition, Sensient constantly develops new flavor concepts which give ideas and inspiration to the development of new market products.

Sweetness in perfection

Sensorial fine-tuning with sweetening solutions is another part of Sensient’s service, as, apart from the flavor, sweetness is an important taste factor in the end product for beverages. The sweetness and mouthfeel of sugar have long been the gold standard. But with increasing health and weight consciousness among consumers, several calorie reduced sweetening options have been established. In order to bring them as close to sugar as possible, which still is the expectation of many consumers, undesirable off-notes or aftertastes have to be masked, and any drawbacks in mouthfeel have to be compensated for. In many cases, the company’s experts can even reduce the amount of sweetener required, as premium flavors can enhance the sweetness perception of sugar and other sweeteners.

With “All Purpose Sweet Solutions” (APSS), Sensient offers natural flavors which allow for calorie reduced product variants without compromise on taste. For example, these flavors can mask the aftertaste of stevia and other high intensity sweeteners. APSS is available in many combinations as well as in tailored solutions and as stand-alone premium flavors.

Creative solutions for drinks

Like Sensient’s 95/5 flavors, APSS flavors can be used in beverages and many other applications with endless formulation variations. It is clear that the natural trend is not just limited to beverages but extends to many other applications including dairy, confectionary and bakery. When considering beverages alone, there are many parameters to take into account when selecting a suitable flavor such as level of carbonization, use of sugar or sweeteners, colors and acidity.

In the modern beverage categories in particular, companies can demonstrate their capacity for innovation. The soft drinks category includes not just carbonated soft drinks. Nowadays consumers have a wide choice, including flavored water, ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, dairy drinks as well as RTD coffee and energy or sports drinks. This diversification, combined with the many technical parameters to consider, requires many skills of product developers and technologists. Sensient offers distinctive solutions for all types of drinks. (se)