IFF taps “conscious consumerism” in flavors, harnessing key tools and cost-effective solutions

18 Jan 2024 --- IFF is seeing a demand play out for traditional flavors such as vanilla, chocolate chip and cookies and cream in sweet food applications such as ice cream and desserts, prompted by the continuation of the nostalgia trend triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers yearn for comfort and familiarity in the face of a fast-paced, stressful and uncertain world.

On the other hand, exciting and unusual globally inspired flavors — particularly Korean, African, Italian, Japanese and Greek — are also trending as consumers seek to satisfy their cravings for escapism and indulgence.

Food Ingredients First speaks with Cecilia Pereyra, global product marketing for flavors, who discusses its anticipation and support for evolving flavor needs while responding to the growing trends of conscious consumerism and planet-friendly ingredients. 

“For example, in Madagascar, where smallholder farmers produce over 80% of the world’s vanilla, our vanilla sustainability program aims to secure supplies of the best extracts and natural flavors while improving the environment and local communities’ living standards,” she explains. 

“We guarantee a fair price for the beans, according to Fair Trade practices, while providing training in sustainable agricultural methods. So far, we have supported over 3,000 Madagascan farmers, 25% of them women.”

Flavor development tools
Taste and flavor modulation are vital tools for delivering the flavors consumers crave while supporting their desires for healthy, natural foods and beverages. 

Pereyra says: “Take sugar, where reduction has long been the game, with low and no-sugar products comprising the majority of new product launches. This is driven by shifts in the regulatory environment, including sugar taxes and consumer demand.”

IFF’s research shows that most European consumers want the sweetness in yogurts, for example, to come from fruit or fruit sugar, while 51-72% agree that reduced or sugar-free options would taste more natural. 

“Our IFF Flavorfit portfolio offers taste modulation tools to help manufacturers create better-for-you products without compromising taste. These include IFF Flavorfit [sweet], which alters the perception of added sugar alternatives without using extra sweeteners. At the same time, IFF Flavorfit [masking] can reduce or even neutralize off-notes, such as bitterness or sourness,” explains Pereyra. 

Deepening umami
Umami creation is another major flavor challenge facing manufacturers, flags Pereyra. 

The primary commercial source of umami has traditionally been monosodium glutamate (MSG). 

“However, with consumers and regulators increasingly turning against MSG on health grounds and the cost of its raw materials skyrocketing, our customers required cost-effective alternatives.”

Pereyra claims that developing these is “not straightforward, as other ingredients containing glutamic acid don’t provide a clean taste and can be detrimental to the entire taste profile of the final product.”

IFF invests roughly 5% of its annual sales to create innovative products that meet the growing consumer demand for healthy food and beverages.“Our approach is a sophisticated, modular ‘umami toolbox’ to tailor a product-specific solution. It’s built on existing IFF capabilities, including our sugar- and sodium-reduction technologies, natural umami sources developed with our partners, and our unique proprietary flavors produced in-house using fermentation techniques, enzymatic processes and our expertise in molecular synthesis.”

Trending tastes 
Pereyra remarks that consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, which drives demand for flavors offering functional and sensory benefits.

“Spicy, tangy and smoky flavors are increasingly popular, with ginger, spicy honey, jerk, miso, tahini and sesame seed flavors from around the world trending in the frozen foods and snacks categories. We’re also seeing a huge amount of innovation in the beverage space, with manufacturers exploring new flavors and novel textures to create multi-sensorial experiences,” she notes. 

While taste is the primary driver for food and drink purchases, this is closely followed by clean label and naturalness. “Global sales of clean label ingredients are expected to rocket from US$38.8 billion in 2021 to US$64.1 billion in 2026,” comments Pereyra. “As consumers focus more on optimizing clean eating, their demands for recognizable ingredients and increased transparency in the food chain have created industry-wide shifts.”

Cost-effective citrus solutions 
IFF currently invests almost 5% of its annual sales in R&D to create innovative products that meet growing consumer demand for healthy food and beverages and answer our customers’ specific product development needs. 

“For example, with orange juice prices at historic highs due to the ongoing devastation of citrus crops by HLB (huanglongbing) disease, manufacturers are increasingly turning to IFF for reformulation solutions,” she says. 

The company’s Re-Master Citrus innovation program offers a comprehensive collection of global citrus flavors to ensure authentic and regionally specific taste profiles in F&B products. It includes IFF NEO, a cost-effective portfolio of natural flavors delivering a citrus taste without using citrus oil ingredients or derivatives. 

Pereyra concludes: “This allows for a decrease in juice levels while maintaining a rich taste, offers manufacturers a more stable supply chain, and reduces both price volatility and environmental impact.”

By Elizabeth Green