Globally inspired snack and bakery flavor trends
Taste remains a key driver in consumer food purchases. According to the 2018 IFIC “Food and Health Survey,” taste was rated the No. 1 factor, with 81 percent of consumers stating taste impacts their decisions.
Taste modulation
Many brands are improving the nutritional profile of their products by adding protein, fiber or reducing the amount of added sugar or salt—formulation changes that can impart off-flavors. Sensient Flavors, Hoffman Estates, IL, offers its Taste Modulation brand to naturally mask such notes.
“The Taste Modulation portfolio uses extraction capability to recover specific functional materials, our skilled creation and application expertise and the evolving science of taste perception and receptors,” says Keera Perumbala, marketing associate, sweet flavors. “These not only can be tailored to specific label needs of our customers, but also tailored to work with their specific products. We have supported a number of customers in their product conversion journey from artificial flavors and colors to natural, clean versions.” She notes these natural products perform effectively in baked goods, offering a vivid finish with fresh flavors.
Visual appeal
Sensient offers a rainbow of bake-stable colors from natural sources. “Some notable options would be SupraRed, which filled an unmet industry need for a bake/extrusion-stable natural red; Pure-S paprika, which provides bright oranges without any off-notes; Sienna natural brown fruit juice if manufacturers are seeking alternatives to caramel colors; a very unique indigo blue from a vegetable juice; and some exciting new green and dark-brown options that were recently launched,” shares Perumbala. The colors noted have all been effectively used in bakery applications, including muffins, bagels, cookies and croissants.