KEY INTERVIEW: New European Flavour Association Head Highlights Major Trends in Flavor Industry

05 Dec 2016 --- As European Flavour Association’s new executive director, Alexander Mohr PhD, settles into his new role, FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with him to talk objectives for the future and how trends like sustainable sourcing, personal nutrition, functional foods and provenance, are all driving the flavor industry forward.

Having worked in European associations for the last seven years, Mohr has swapped a professional life in the steel and glass industries to head up the EFFA, taking up the appointment in early November - and he’s immersing himself in the flavor industry’s biggest challenges. How does it taste so far?

“Great. It has been quite an intense few weeks, in which I already had the opportunity to meet many of our members and closest stakeholders and I have to say that it was a very good experience. It is a very dynamic and creative industry with highly skilled and passionate people,” he says. 

“I would like to build on the successful work so far and keep improving our relations with stakeholders. There is an increasing recognition of the work the EU flavor industry is doing. We want to do our best to play an active role in positioning the industry, in becoming the go-to source for all flavoring topics in Europe for a broader audience and strengthening our position as a reliable partner for the EU institutions.”

Five years since EU-wide regulation changes were brought in - which affected the flavors industry especially with the introduction of a positive list of flavourings substances, the so called ‘Union list’. EFFA constantly informs its members on amendments so they can keep track, says Mohr. 

“EFFA welcomed the flavoring regulation back in 2011 and the establishment of the Union List and its principles. This list, which is applicable since 2013,is a ‘living organism’, which keeps changing and that is how it should be. What is important to the industry, and key to be able to keep up with the consumer’s demands, is a common understanding and interpretation of the regulation from the various Member States and the respect for the underlying principles.”

“EFFA’s priorities on regulatory matters are going in this direction, for example with our Flavour Regulation Guidance Document that can be found on our website.”

Just like other sectors, flavor houses and companies are closely following consumer trends, constantly looking for ways to tap into what’s next. And it’s no surprise to learn that, just like elsewhere in the food industry, personalized nutrition and a greater awareness of healthier products as well as wanting to know more about origins, is high on the agenda. 

“There is an increasing consumer demand for food that fits into a ‘conscious’ diet where one is seeking, for example, sugar, fat and salt reduction or for food products which have been enriched with specific nutrients or functional ingredients that provide benefits for disease prevention. Flavorings can help to have these kind of products while still maintaining great taste.”

“Also people want to know where their products come from, i.e. provenance is a big trend. Wanting to know where your apples, steak and vegetables come from has spread to other areas as well.”

Staying on the subject of trends, Mohr stresses just how important sustainable sourcing is in the flavors industry and how EFFA members continue to make inroads in developing countries.

“This also means working closely together with the partners from the communities where the raw materials are sourced. A good example is the commitment of our member companies in countries like Madagascar, where they involve the vanilla growers in the value creation. Another example is the use of raw materials as efficiently as possible e.g. using also the water phase and/or peels, etc. of the fruit. This has many benefits such as having a full and authentic flavor profile and using the full scope of our raw materials, reducing waste and making a responsible use of resources.”

“On the other hand, there are always new raw materials to discover, new combinations of ingredients to invent, this is what makes this industry full of opportunities. Of course, it also varies according to each country since taste is a highly cultural aspect. Business opportunities in Belgium are not the same as in Italy for instance, because the consumer’s demands can be different. The industry adapts to each local consumer to better reach their expectations.”

Mohr has been a lecturer on international relations at the ‘Institut d’études Politiques de Paris’ (SciencePo). He holds a law degree from the University of Tübingen, Germany and has published several publications on EU regulatory developments in the field of sustainability. He speaks English, German, French and Italian to a lesser extent. He replaces EFFA’s outgoing executive director, Sven Ballschmiede. 

by Gaynor Selby and Elizabeth Kenward