Bell Flavors hails hemp-based concepts, naturalness and sugar reduction as key themes for 2020

29 Oct 2019 --- At this year’s Food ingredients Europe (FiE), Bell Flavors & Fragrances EMEA will present a range of taste solutions with a strong focus on naturalness and health and well-being. From December 3-5, the flavor house will showcase its taste solutions based on hemp, as well as flavor inspirations for snacks, confectionery and beverage products. It will also showcase its innovations in sugar reduction.

New highs for hemp
A key highlight at this year’s show is Bell Flavors’ new natural range of hemp flavors and extracts that are created according to the current growth of hemp-based product developments across all product segments within the F&B industry. The range, therefore, is in-line with consumers’ expectations for clean label products and their associations with hemp as a superfood, notes the company. 

“The current growth of hemp-based product developments across all product segments within the global food and beverage industry and the buzz around cannabidiol (CBD) are likely to fuel product innovations far beyond 2019,” Agneta Hoffmann, Teamleader Marketing Flavors at Bell Flavors tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“The recent popularity of hemp can be attributed to consumers' growing interest in following plant-based and free-from diets,” she states. Moreover, hemp has gained high importance due to its nutritional benefits. Hemp seeds are marketed as a superfood due to their high omega 3 and 6 content, along with highly digestible protein comprised of all essential amino acids. 

“Together with consumers’ aspirations for hemp as a superfood, its characteristic herbal and floral notes are also creating high interest and lend a signature taste profile to a variety of applications. These include non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, baked goods and confectionery products, and even sauces, condiments and marinades,” Hoffmann explains. 

The use of hemp extracts further underlines the “better-for-you” trend, while also having a premium appeal. “Both hemp flavors and extracts will, therefore, be seen in an increasing variety of product launches within the upcoming year,” she affirms.

Bell Flavors will further present a comprehensive portfolio of trend-inspired concepts for snack seasonings, ready-to-drink tea, confectionery products, as well as other segments. These offerings are touted as delivering innovative ideas for expanding manufacturers’ product portfolio and for developing successful market products. 

Naturaless and functional attributes coming to the fore
Bell will also focus on natural taste profiles for the category of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beer products, demonstrating beer flavor profiles and hops extracts that deliver authentic sensory characteristics as well as functional attributes. 

“With the constant evolution of consumers’ aspiration for health and well-being, functionality and naturalness have become key characteristics when choosing a product,” Hoffmann notes. “People are aware of what they consume and what additional health benefits they can incorporate into their daily diets – or, on the other side, what ingredients they should avoid in order to live healthier.”

“Future opportunities for food and beverages will mainly come from the plant-based area. Based on a huge market dynamic for alternative proteins on a global scale, not only meat alternatives will see a respective growth, but also dairy-free white products,” she explains. 

Talking about the meat free movement, it’s evident that consumers want to cut down on meat, but don’t want to compromise on good taste, Hoffmann muses. “Indulgence plays a major role, fueling the need for flavor innovation as well as authentic, natural taste characteristics, such as roasted meat and other culinary meat profiles,” she continues. “At the same time, flavor innovation will likely come from combinations of various herbs and spices or regional spice mixes to deliver an exciting, yet craveable taste experience for younger consumers.”

Moreover, Bell Flavors will also target the combination of natural ingredients and culinary taste profiles to deliver convincing solutions for savory product developments. With its range of natural beef flavors, Bell caters to the growing market needs for beef-flavored product varieties in the EMEA region and also demonstrates its competency in creating iconic meat profiles. 

Sugar reduction 
Bell Flavors strongly focuses on product solutions that respond to evolving consumer needs. Therefore, the company will also present its latest product developments for sugar reduction by demonstrating its “REDsugar” portfolio.

The range of natural flavors is specifically aimed to deliver a taste solution for sugar reduction in beverages, dairy applications, ice cream, bakery products and sauces. It has been created to help keep key sensory characteristics within the various applications and highlight the sweetness, while delivering a positive impact on mouthfeel and texture perception. The variety of natural flavors focuses on clean label product developments and contributes to a decrease of the sugar content by at least 30 percent, depending on the application. 

By Elizabeth Green