Demand for natural vanillin is rising, says Solvay

30 Sep 2021 --- The world’s demand for natural vanilla extract substitutes is set to continue growing. According to Solvay, this trend is reinforced both by the growing switch to artificial to natural ingredient and the fact that natural vanilla is going to continue being extremely expensive as production volumes cannot grow to meet rising global demand.

In recent years, the company has bolstered its production capacities and its competitiveness for natural vanillin by investing in new assets as well as optimizing the process thanks to research programs.

In a webinar scheduled for October 7, Caroline Calin, business developer for naturals at Solvay, will explain how natural vanillin can meet industry’s crucial clean label demands. 

Rhovanil Natural CW enables “clean labeling” for manufacturers, in addition to being strictly identical to synthetic vanillin.Consumers pay more attention to labels 
Nowadays, consumers are paying more attention to food labels and composition. Transparency and understanding ingredients is becoming a key factor in everyday purchases. As a result, consumer expectations for clean labels, or even clear labels as well natural and sustainable ingredients are rising.

This is also in line with Innova Market Insights Top Trend for 2021, “Transparency Triumphs.” 

Notably, the food industry is looking to meet increasing consumer demand for natural ingredients and healthier products. With the company’s Rhovanil Natural, Solvay provides a unique solution that enables manufacturers to incorporate natural vanillin in their recipes easily, it outlines. 

An additional advantage for manufacturers of Rhovanil Natural CW is that it allows a simple switch from synthetic vanillin without requiring any reformulation. 

Because the molecules are strictly identical, they offer the same physical and chemical properties and the same organoleptic profile: rich, creamy and long-lasting sweetness – which happens to be also increasingly used for non-sweet products such as sports nutrition products. 

Earlier this week, Solvay and Eurovanille jointly announced the sale of the Vanifolia formulated product line to Eurovanille, a key player in the processing of natural vanilla-flavored products for the food sector. As part of the deal, Solvay will maintain ownership of its Rhovanil business line and provide Rhovanil Natural CW to Eurovanille for the production of Vanifolia for the next three years.

Up for the clean labeling challenge
Solvay’s Rhovanil Natural CW, one of the industrially produced vanillin recognized as “natural” by stringent EU regulations, was launched more than 10 years ago and is the latest development within the Rhovanil brand, which was created in the 1970s.

This makes it one of the numerous eco-friendly solutions Solvay has been developing in a wide range of sectors over recent years.

Products containing it can bear mentions such as “natural flavor” or “natural flavoring substance” allowing manufacturers to provide reassuring information for consumers whose awareness is constantly on the rise when it comes to safety, traceability and healthfulness.Solvay has bolstered its production capacities for natural vanillin in recent years.

A solution for truly natural vanillin?
Today, vanilla bean production only represents 1% of the global demand for vanillin, so manufacturers have no choice but to use natural flavors substitutes, says Solvay. 

Historically, the company has always held a key position in this market. The company’s ancestor Rhône Poulenc was the first to successfully synthesize an artificial equivalent to the precious molecule in France in the late 19th century.

Today, when manufacturers are actively looking for solutions that will help them meet the “clean label challenge” – exhibiting simpler and additive-free ingredient lists that can satisfy the customers’ growing thirst for natural products – replacing artificial vanillin with a natural vanillin is becoming a key competitive advantage.

In the webinar next week, Solvay will discuss the company’s capabilities in natural vanillin. You can sign up for the webinar here.  

By Elizabeth Green