Sweet on citrus: IFF details plans to extend citrus innovation capacity, highlighting ingredient resurgence

28 Oct 2022 --- Global warming, climate events, plant diseases, the increase of the fresh fruit market and the decline of juice consumption all weigh heavily on the availability, cost and quality of traditional citrus product streams.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Karel Coosemans, global innovation director, underscores citrus’ starring role in formulation, detailing latest advancements in ingredient innovation.

“Citrus is omnipresent in IFF’s product portfolio. It plays an important role for IFF’s Nourish in both our flavor and ingredients portfolio.”

“Our latest launch and an industry first is the new IFF Neo CITRUS collection, a natural flavor collection entirely free of citrus-derived products, bringing high-impact citrus flavor to beverages,” he details. 

IFF has also developed and launched The World of Orange and Lemon collections, an extensive range of Citrus extenders, new stability tools and citrus sulfurs, Upcycled Orange, the LMR Naturals Citrus heart collection and LMR Naturals Citrus organic collection and Citrus modulation tools.

The citrus fruit, aside from offering a source of dietary fibers, continues to see steady growth in innovation surrounding its flavor extracts and texturizers.

Citrus’ prominent positioning
Citrus continues to trend well with consumers, as they’re also acutely aware of the proactive need to support their overall well-being. Consumers associate citrus with vitamin C, and they are increasingly choosing products that include vitamin C to support immune function.

The citrus fruit, aside from offering a source of dietary fibers, continues to see steady growth in innovation surrounding its flavor extracts and texturizers.

The flavor profile is sustaining its popularity in the beverage categories. Recent examples of this include Constellation Brands’ recent partnership with the Coca-Cola Company in the US to launch the Fresca brand of citrus sodas into the alcoholic category. 

Scaling cross-divisional citrus strategy
IFF and Florida Polytechnic University have laid the foundation for a new Citrus Innovation Center, located on the university’s campus in Lakeland, Florida, US.

The nearly 30,000-square-foot, standalone building will launch next year in support of global citrus R&D. It will include sensory and experience venues, research labs, processing, analytical departments, a fully equipped citrus garden and amenities for hosting customers and partners.

Nestled on the Florida Polytechnic University’s campus in the heart of the citrus belt, the new facility is designed, engineered and constructed by Ryan Companies, who upon completion, will maintain the building.

The sprawling, glass-fronted building and surrounding grounds are slated for completion in late 2023.

“This facility represents a significant milestone in our cross-divisional citrus strategy,” says Nicolas Mirzayantz, president, Nourish Division, IFF.

“Here, we will accelerate innovation by combining the expertise from our Nourish and Scent divisions with on-campus talent who are just as committed to pushing the boundaries of science and uplifting the citrus industry as a whole.”

By Benjamin Ferrer