KEY INTERVIEW: Health, Wellness and Multisensory Experiences Driving Flavor Innovation at MANE

MANE’s flavor division devised key innovation strategies targeting in particular the fast growing health and wellness solutions market, continuously searching to maintain its leadership in naturals and focusing on distinctive consumer sensorial experiences.

FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with Director of Market Intelligence and Strategic Development at MANE, Dominique Delfaud, who explains that Health and Wellness is a major challenge for the food industry, but confirms it comes as no surprise. “In the western world in particular, we have seen a steady growth in chronic diseases such as diabetes or Crohn’s,” she states. “We recently carried out a study on what “eating well” meant to European consumers and for 44 percent of them it meant eating healthy food. Health is a major concern for consumers when it comes to making food choices.”

 

Health and wellness is a major innovation platform at MANE, we aim to make healthy products taste great, in response to this demand,” explains Delfaud.

 

Another trend on the rise is flexitarianism. “We have recently found out that 25% of European consumers declare that they will decrease their meat consumption intake in the years to come, this trend is confirmation that flexitarianism is likely to become a permanent trend,” explains Delfaud. MANE is seeing an increase in interest in protein enrichment and animal protein substitution. Delfaud says that when it comes to plant based protein, the flavor is at stake. Protein and flavor interact which means it requires a lot of research and the solutions need to be customized to fit those specific needs. “The meat industry is understandably very concerned,” explains Delfaud, “But this is an opportunity for them too. In Germany, meat brands have proven to be very successful with plant based products and right now these changes in the meat industry could create other opportunities and potentially be tackled very well.”

 

This opens doors and opportunities for MANE, certainly in flavor innovation. Delfaud believes that taste and texture are equally as important. “We listen to consumers in what they are looking for, of course the final test for us is in taste, people will look for the yumminess, the umaminess, of meat products in plant based proteins, so we have an important role to play,” she says.

 

Thanks to a comprehensive understanding of soy proteins, MANE has developed SENSE CAPTURE SOY a range of flavor solutions significantly decreasing the intensity of off-notes associated with the use of soy proteins in processed meat products.

 

“In terms of further R&D development, plant based proteins other than soy are also steadily moving upscale, and dairy protein is equally important to MANE,” Delfaud claims, “We are currently working on these, and we should have solutions coming out in the months and years to come.”

 

As far as the health and wellness platform is concerned, a strategic focus area for MANE’s Fundamental Research and R&D teams has been FMPs, for taste and mouthfeel modulation benefits in particular.

 

“The regulatory frameworks for flavors with modifying properties (FMPs) are much more precise since 2015. FMPs are flavorings which modify the overall taste perception. They are not sweeteners nor flavor enhancers, and they must pass strict sensory tests to be considered as FMPs to comply with the Group’s global policy.”

 

Several flavor solutions derived from the SENSE CAPTURE platform (Boost, Mask and feel solutions) have been launched in the last months targeting sweetness, mouthfeel, acidity, bitterness, astringency issues in food and drink products around the world. New sensory methods have been devised by MANE sensory experts enabling effective discrimination of the best compounds based on sensorial performance. We are presently rolling out our flavor solutions SENSE CAPTURE MS bringing both taste and flavor modulation to low sugar applications. We have natural solutions for all type of sweet applications (soft drinks, hot drinks, dairy etc).

 

Multisensory eating experiences
Beside health and wellness trends, food and drink flavor innovation is still driven by the continuous search for enjoyment of hedonic satisfaction of consumers.

 

Energy, stimulation, vitality are very popular need-states for new products in all kind of segments: beverages, snacks, confectionery and cereals. Convincing the consumers about the effectiveness of those “energy” promises can be quite a challenge for brands. MANE views this product development gap as an opportunity for flavor solutions to play a greater role in the marketing success of new food and drink products. Delfaud explains: “We feel that what people are expecting from their food is, of course, to be healthy, but the enjoyment factor is still very high. Based on this platform, we work a lot on trigeminal stimulating substances and the emotional impact that substances such as PHYSCOOL and SENSE CAPTURE TINGLING have.”

 

“Multisensory experience is a big opportunity in the market for the flavor business,” claims Delfaud. “Trigeminal subtances is one solution, then we also work on ranges of products that have visual textural and taste benefits, such as capsules. We currently have a range called POWERCAPS which can be applied to a lot of confectionary products. POWERCAPS are dried gelatin capsules, resulting from co-extrusion process. First, they have a visual effect and then they burst in your mouth which really delivers a multisensory experience. According to our consumer research, the POWERCAPS technology contributes to deliver an enhanced product experience on key claims such as lasting, enhanced freshness, flavor morphing and delivering functional benefits,” she explains.

 

The sensorial experience is a complex construct in the brain of consumers, involving in particular the flavor, the taste and the texture.

 

The more senses involved, the more distinctive and memorable the experience will be. “The brain doesn’t fully segregate texture, flavor and taste, if you get the flavor right but not the right texture consumers might find the flavor is not right and vice versa.  MANE, with its portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, has the skills to design the perfect sensorial experience” she adds.