Evolving flavor demands: Sensient targets vegan, organic and reduced sugar platforms

01 Aug 2018 --- Clean label is now a global standard. People investigate their food and beverage choices more closely now, and they are very specific about what they want to see. According to recent Sensient primary research, authenticity and natural ingredients are key drivers when it comes to making food choices. Sensient analysts have found that in the clean label world, the words “natural” and “extract” carry significant weight. Consumers see it as the closest to nature that they can get. At IFT 2018, just last month, Sensient were exhibiting their latest product innovations, developed in response to these consumer needs.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst at the event, Mathias Bohn, Technical Sales Manager, Savory Flavors, for North America says: “Across the market, we have seen the demand skyrocket for vegan style products and vegan flavors which are just some of the concepts that we are presenting here at the show. We are promoting how to integrate foods that are vegan with something that would meet mass market appeal.”

One of the concepts on the show floor was Sensient’s Chicken Waffle, which, according to Bohn, is “a very southern-inspired dish of traditional fried chicken placed on top of a Belgian waffle.”

“We have taken a vegan chicken flavor, integrated it into a vegan waffle, we have a so-called vegan extract ‘honey’ which is an agave syrup and a buffalo inspired cream which is a traditional style sour cream, with a heat kick from Buffalo spice,” he notes. “Our salt enhancer also allows us to round off some of the sour notes and add a bit more spice and creaminess into it.”

For Bohn, the trend for vegan is now mainstream. “We have a few different areas in which consumers look for vegan options. Many people are vegetarian or flexitarian, who are actively trying to be healthier for both themselves and the planet.” 

But Sensient believes that vegan appeals to a broader audience. “We have been seeing a lot of manufacturers and producers jump straight to vegan because of potentially missing out on a consumer group altogether. With a vegetarian product, for example, you aren’t going to hit the full market for people who are avoiding meat and meat products,” Bohn states. 

Also supporting this notion, was Kristie Hung, Marketing Specialist at Sensient, who explains to FoodIngredientsFirst that former meat eaters are now jumping straight over to veganism and skipping out on vegetarian altogether. 

“We see, in the market, that traditional meat eaters, who know what real meat tastes like, are heading more towards the vegan meat-free options. They know what they want and how it should taste, are striving to get as close as possible to the real meat that they know, but in their current lifestyle choice,” she explains. 

Meanwhile, the demand for clean and natural ingredients means that consumers are taking their health into their own hands. “We know that clean label is about health, but it goes further than just that,” notes Hung. “It’s about really telling the story of why solutions are natural, where they come from and how they are sourced. And these all fit with some of the key themes we are seeing in the market – vegan, organic, natural and reduced-sugar. There are many stories to tell and crossovers between each trend.”

“For our organic ingredients, we can tell our customers the story from farm to fork. At Sensient, we have really positive relationships with our farmers and growers and we continue to expand our organic product lines,” she continues. “Having those relations with farmers is important to us and consumers understand that as well. They have full transparency as we do in our supply chains.” 

Hung also believes the need for organic stems from hectic lifestyles. “Consumers are often is a rush to grab something healthy to eat, but they also want nutrition and to feel good about their choices. Compared to a few years ago, the demand for organic is on the rise, which is why we have recently expanded our lines to keep up with this increased demand.”

Sugar reduction is also an area for Sensient that cannot be ignored. Hung says: “Nowadays, people want an added health benefit without losing the taste in a product that they love. Sugar reduction has led to some really interesting concepts, for example, replacing sugar with savory and spicy flavors to get a well-rounded taste.”

“A really sweet, spicy heat can offer consumers an exciting taste experience. Consumer palates are always evolving and I think that with the sugar reduction trend nowadays, and many other trends, it is important to appeal to consumers with adventurous palates too,” Hung notes.  

FoodIngredientsFirst also spoke with Keerthana Perumbala, Marketing Associate, Sweet and Beverage Flavors, North America, during IFT in Chicago. “It comes as no surprise that sugar is a highly controversial ingredient. There are so many projects that seek to reduce sugar, government strategies and new regulations about how much sugar a product should contain, as the world tries to reduce obesity and other weight-related health problems.”

“Product makers are responding to this with new technologies around sugar reduction and at Sensient, we have managed to successfully reduce sugar in many applications including ice cream, sweet baked goods and we also managed a 50 percent reduction in sugared milk beverages,” explains Perumbala. 

At the Sensient stand, Perumbala discussed sugar reduction comparison between a full-sugared cookie and a cookie that contained 30 percent less sugar, to see how they compared. 

“Consumers don’t want to sacrifice on taste – so we wanted to display this side by side comparison and see what the reaction was,” she adds. 

Sensient’s natural flavors and sugar reduction solutions are all backed by sensory data, according to Perumbala. You can view the video interview with Perumbala here. 

Sensient also used IFT 2018 to highlight the strategy behind the newly acquired botanical extraction company Mazza Innovation as a strategic pillar for all of its business operations, including colors and flavors. Presented under the new name of Sensient Natural Extraction and continuing to operate out of Canada, the new business unit provides a clean extraction opportunity for Sensient Technologies Corp. The acquisition will offer opportunities in sustainability, cost reduction and clean label, as the entire botanical being used can be broken down and distributed among the diverse companies that comprise Sensient. You can read FoodIngredientsFirst coverage here.

By Elizabeth Green & Robin Wyers