Sep 20 2011 --- At BRAU 2011, Kerry Ingredients & Flavours will focus on two key innovations that help global beverage manufacturers keep up with the latest citrus flavour trends, while also managing reformulation challenges such as sugar reduction.

Kerry’s presence at Brau will provide the first-ever opportunity to sample concepts based on ‘taste twists’ the six new natural varietal citrus flavourings for beverages launched in June 2011 while Kerry’s beverage specialists will also reveal the latest evolution of the company’s proprietary fmt Sweetness Modulation.

“Our new ‘taste twists’ flavourings demonstrate our innovative approach to citrus and reflect a new palette of flavours that complement the trend towards varietal type taste profiles,” comments Chris Slack, Marketing Executive - Beverages (EMEA). “They can be used individually and mixed with other flavours to help create innovative, refreshing new products with exotic varietal citrus notes. By adding new depth to our comprehensive Citrus Collection, they really do help customers to squeeze more from citrus!”

The taste twists flavourings include:
•    Kusiae and Rangpur lime (mandarin limes, hybrids between mandarin orange and lemon)
•    Meyer lemon (sweeter and less acidic taste than the common lemon)
•    Pomelo (the largest of all citrus fruits, whose flavour resembles a mild, sweet grapefruit)
•    Blood orange
•    Clementine

Kerry Ingredients & Flavours is a core specialist in citrus and a true global player, with a world-class supply chain sourcing from Florida, Brazil, Mexico and Italy. “We are among the handful of companies that manage raw materials within the citrus groves of Florida right through the production process,” continues Chris. “Our expert team of flavour and beverage technologists, at our Citrus Centre in Lakeland, Florida, take an integrated approach that helps bring consumer-preferred citrus-flavoured beverages to market faster, and at optimum cost.”

Kerry’s ongoing work in citrus is expected to yield further exciting results in 2012 which will help increase the stability of citrus flavours over shelf life in the pipeline.

fmt Sweetness Modulation, a proprietary technology from Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, helps beverage manufacturers create great-tasting reduced sugar products. By drawing upon Kerry’s expertise in the sourcing and processing of natural extracts, fmt can be declared as ‘natural flavourings’. It is delivered in a highly tailored way, backed by sophisticated applications expertise to craft optimum results in every individual formulation.

“Kerry’s fmt product range is continually evolving to enable beverage manufacturers to take advantage of current and future trends, such as the move towards 'mid carb’ options in which fmt can supply up to 50% of the sweetness, plus the imminent arrival of stevia-sweetened products following the anticipated EU approval for steviol glycosides before the end of 2011,” comments Chris. “fmt also improves the taste of soft drinks with alternative sweeteners, and by helping to hedge against volatile sugar prices and supply chains, fmt can play a valuable role in cost optimisation. Most importantly it is suitable for most soft drink applications. Visit us at BRAU to find out more!”