Sensient launches natural flavor portfolio BioSymphony to expand flavor complexity profiles

Sensient Flavors & Extracts has unveiled BioSymphony, a portfolio of natural flavor solutions intended to simplify global formulation and enhance sensory performance through biotransformation. Developed using nature-derived processes, the platform addresses common formulation challenges such as ingredient masking, taste balance, and premium ingredient replacement.

BioSymphony is designed to deliver value across three core areas: premiumization, flavor expansion, and ingredient challenge mitigation. It aligns with global natural flavor regulations, enabling its use across regions without special labeling.

“We like to call it ‘complexification,’ Steve Morris, president of Sensient Flavors & Extracts, tells Food Ingredients First. “BioSymphony takes simple ingredients to the next level and enables you to do more with less.”

The BioSymphony platform emerged from Sensient’s broader innovation strategy, particularly its newly established natural flavor development platform. According to Suja Senan, PhD, senior innovation scientist at Sensient and the lead developer of BioSymphony, the concept was shaped directly by voice-of-customer feedback.

“We repeatedly heard three questions from customers: how can I make mass-produced products taste more homemade, how can I stretch the flavors in my library to add nuance and tonalities, and how can I reduce premium ingredients without compromising flavor impact,” she says.

BioSymphony is designed to answer these questions using biotransformation tools grounded in natural processes. Senan compares the transformation to traditional culinary and fermentation methods.

“Think flavorful bread from flavorless flour or complex chocolate from bitter cacao,” she explains. “BioSymphony allows flavorists to get closer to true-to-source solutions, while application scientists can use it to balance all basic tastes in a formulation.”

Managing flavor profiles

In application, the platform helps manage ingredient challenges by masking undesirable off-notes while enhancing key flavor elements. For example, it can be used to mask sourness in sauces while elevating tomato and umami notes. In high-protein beverages, it can reduce chalkiness and enhance vanilla or cocoa tones.

Suja Senan, PhD, senior innovation scientist at Sensient and the lead developer of BioSymphony.“Formulators are often forced to make trade-offs in ingredients without sacrificing taste,” Senan notes. “BioSymphony extends the performance of ingredients like proteins and sweeteners, and it helps reduce the perception of off-notes from alcohol, caffeine, or bitter amino acids.”

BioSymphony has shown strong performance across various categories, including sauces, beverages, and baked goods. In product testing, espresso martinis were perceived as having more pronounced coffee and chocolate notes with reduced alcohol burn, while Alfredo sauces developed a creamier profile.

“Customer feedback consistently indicates that BioSymphony helps round out the basic tastes, delivering a more coherent and balanced product,” says Senan.

The name “BioSymphony” is supposed to reflect the platform’s conceptual foundation in both science and sensation. “In music, the combination of sounds determines whether a piece is harmonious or discordant,” says Senan. “BioSymphony helps achieve that same sense of coherence and rhythm in taste.”

As part of Sensient’s broader portfolio — which includes modulators like the Smoothenol and Trueboost lines — BioSymphony occupies a strategic position. It connects multiple flavor technologies and supports innovation in both traditional and emerging product formats.

“BioSymphony was developed to sit at the intersection of our compounded flavors, modulators, and natural extracts,” says Senan. “It’s a versatile tool for masking, modifying, and boosting flavors, using only natural and biologically grounded processes.”