Mint flavors beyond gum? Suppliers tout NPD outside the traditional scope

21 Mar 2019 --- Mint, just like vanilla, is one of the flavors that you couldn’t imagine the world to be without. Mint flavors have long been known to “freshen-up” a range of categories and with mint tonalities continuing to delight consumers globally, this theme is likely to gain even further traction in 2019. Mint is still considered to fall within the realms of the most popular botanical ingredients. Gum is still primarily used for breath-freshening, which is the primary driver for mint. As consumers opt for natural botanicals, mint has become a front-runner for many innovative flavor concepts outside of the traditional chewing gum realm, however.

In the past, gum has been the dominant category for mint flavors. However, the global gum markets have experienced somewhat of a slowdown, which, according to Juan Mejia, Global Mint Business Development Director at Firmenich, might not recover.

“Whole peppermint and spearmint oil, both conventional and organic, are used as flavors over traditional mint flavors,” Mejia explains to FoodIngredientsFirst. “We also see a rise in mint for alternative and treatment use. The active ingredients in many alternative treatments are whole essential oils. Peppermint is in huge demand due to its perceived therapeutic benefits.” The most popular combination that Mejia sees is chocolate and mint, which is used in anything from alcoholic drinks, chocolate, confectionery, desserts and hot drinks, to even cereal bars, he states. 

“We also see a lot of citruses and mint flavor combinations, which are used in juice drinks, dressings, carbonates and hot beverages,” he adds. Mejia also suggests that there are many flavors outside of the usual stalwarts that have enjoyed impressive growth in the last year, including passion fruit, blackcurrant, blueberry and cola. 

“Floral flavors, in general, are on the rise – with Firmenich selecting ‘Hibiscus’ as our 2019 Flavor of the Year – and their more subtle profiles provide a nice counterbalance to the sharpness of mint. Still, the numbers of products launched with these tonalities are far from the mainstream tonalities like mint and strawberry,” Mejia reveals.

Creative combinations 
As an industry, we often see innovative flavor concepts, in both hot and cold beverages, confectionery and chocolate. Mint works particularly well on its own, but there is also growth in mint being used in combination with other flavors. 

Indeed, the demand for mint has increased in beverages substantially. This is seen across all kinds of beverages, including alcoholic, hot and soft drinks, for example. This increase is linked to the refreshing properties associated with mint. “In beverages, however, mint is not usually used as a stand-alone,” Mejia continues, “We see a lot of ‘mint plus,’ innovation, so mint plus fruit, citrus, or herbal blends. “

Mint flavors have been fairly common in some beverage categories such as iced and hot teas, coffee drinks and creamers, particularly in the winter season, as well as in ice cream and frozen novelties,” Catherine Hogan, Senior Category Manager, for Sweet Goods at International Flavors and Fragrances Inc. (IFF) notes. “Other applications where we are seeing growth in mint flavors include green juices, fermented drinks, such as kombucha and yogurt products. Inspired by culinary recipes, mint flavors are also featuring in dressings, sauces and hummus retail products,” she adds.

Regional mint appeal?
Regionally there are differences in the type of mint profiles people prefer, just as with any flavor, so it’s hard to make generalizations, Mejia stresses. Firmenich’s consumer insights and sensory experts identified that younger generations tend to like more impactful flavors and this is also true for mint – consumers prefer higher cooling and more extended lasting mint profiles. “In the US, we see more mint blends, such as dominant peppermint with sweet mint or herbal nuances. 

The second most common is peppermint, or Mint Piperita, which is one the cleanest mint profiles, followed by spearmint. Wintergreen is also popular in the US, but you rarely find it elsewhere,” Mejia notes. In Europe, Mejia adds, there is a solid preference for highly mentholated mint, with strong eucalyptus characteristics. “However, in other parts of the world, eucalyptus is associated with medicinal products and therefore not preferred in consumer packaged mint-flavored products,” he points out. 

In gum confectionery, spearmint and peppermint have long been popular with consumers globally. But there has also been a spike in interest for fruit-flavored gums, which shows a distance from the traditional mint concepts. Hogan, at IFF, says that fruit flavors in gum applications have grown in popularity over the past decade. “This all started with citrus and berry notes,” she says. “And then it expanded into more unique flavors and combinations, including tropical and superfruit flavors.” Hogan also stresses that fruit flavors in gum, whether on their own or paired with cooling sensations or mint, bring an element of enjoyment and pleasure to the consumer’s chewing experience. 

Mejia, at Firmenich, says when it comes to tonalities and considering the healthiest, “mint has a less sweet profile than berries naturally – so it is probably perceived as healthier.” “It is also more traditionally linked to medication with a more detoxifying and refreshing connotation than fruits,” he states. 

Wide innovation scope 
Shilpa Panicker, Vice President for Global Oral Care, Scent & Care Division at Symrise, tells FoodIngredientsFirst there is a strong demand for a wide variety of mint concepts, noting that we can expect to see more of this in the future. “The needs of oral care consumers in particular, are changing fast,” she states. “Globally, we see a solid link to oral health and health in general. Dental care is getting more accessible than ever before and new formats of oral hygiene, including on-the-go oral hygiene, are emerging. Hence, there is and will be a robust demand for a wide variety of mints developing,” adds Panicker. 

Mint is strongly linked to freshness and there are strong regional preferences. At the same time, the use of a particular type of mint is also driven by product positioning and target consumers. Besides mints, flavor bouquets, ingredients and innovations deliver multiple benefits via taste. “Together, they are gaining traction with highly involved consumers across the globe. We can expect this trend to continue,” Panicker concludes. 

What’s next for mint?
While oral care and gum remain the primary application for mint flavors, we can still expect to see mint popping up more frequently in applications across the globe. As we head into spring, combinations of mint will likely be explored in beverages, such as tea, coffee and flavored water. Ultimately, mint flavors are appealing to consumers all-year-round, from spring combinations with other botanicals to festive warm beverages. Often the nostalgic qualities that consumers associate with mint make them return for more.

By Elizabeth Green