WILD Expands Ingredient Portfolio With Ginger Flavor Sensations

24 Feb 2014 --- Ginger is a growing trend and very versatile for food and beverage concepts. Currently, WILD has developed new concepts based on a unique ginger preparation. The ingredient comes directly from fresh ginger and therefore keeps the authentic taste intact. The preparation can be used in beverages and confectionery products.

Ginger flavored foods are becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe. According to new data from the market research institute, Innova Market Insights, the number of ginger products is growing rapidly, especially in the category of beverages. The number of beverages featuring a ginger note, a total of 132, has nearly doubled in 2013 compared with the previous year.

Consumers are showing greater interest in exotic – in many cases Asian – foods and beverages, which are ideally suited by ginger. The advantages of ginger include that it is still regarded as an exotic ingredient, while being successfully established on the market. Thus, consumers are already familiar with the spicy product, but nevertheless perceive new applications as innovative taste experience.

The unique aspect of WILD's new ginger preparation is that it is directly obtained from fresh ginger, so all of its typical attributes are preserved. This keeps the authentic ginger taste intact – its multifaceted aroma, the nuanced interplay of characteristic aroma compounds, its full body and most importantly, the spicy aftertaste.

Thanks to this new technology, the resulting products clearly distinguish WILD's ginger concepts from other manufacturers of dried raw materials. An important aspect is standardization. WILD is able to regulate the production of these ingredients so that the intensity of ginger's heat is maintained at a constant level. The company's portfolio not only includes ginger preparations, but also natural ginger flavors as well as extracts. WILD offers its ginger products in liquid form or as a spray-dried powder, depending on the application.

WILD’s ginger ingredients are suitable for application in nearly all beverage categories. The spicy note combines well with still drinks and tea products, as well as with carbonated soft drinks. Additionally, beer mix drinks and energy drinks get that special something with the ginger flavors.

One promising product concept is the citrus-ginger flavor, for example: the refreshing tang of citrus paired with the gentle spice of ginger produces a sensation that is both fruity and hot and that surely hits the tastebuds of consumers.

The new ginger preparation can also be used in sweet applications such as confectionery products and ice cream. The premium ginger compositions are especially good in fruit gums and hard caramels. With the sweet and spicy elements, numerous new product ideas are possible in this innovative segment.

Through its decades of experience in supplying the food and beverage industry with natural ingredients, WILD claims to be the ideal partner for these trend products.