Versatile vanilla: Regional notes captivate consumers while cross-category innovation proliferates

17 Jan 2024 --- From infusing flavor into baked goods, savory dishes and beverages to its expanded role in masking off-notes in plant-based meat — vanilla is pegged as a unanimous favorite of consumers, a multidimensional ingredient that is applied across a myriad of categories.

And now, vanilla industry players have released a line up of innovations to provide customers with clean label, cost-effective ingredients that can be used in appetizing functional products that align with consumers’ health goals.

Vanilla ingredients’ popularity is evident in F&B launches globally, with a 3% compound annual growth rate between October 2020 and September 2023, suggests Innova Market Insights’ data.

Category-wise, the confectionery space utilized vanilla ingredients the most (65%) in product launches from October 2022 to September 2023, with 19% being used to add flavor to chocolate blocks, followed by wrapped and unwrapped chocolate pieces (14% each), dairy-based ice cream & frozen yogurt (12%) and other chocolate confectionery (7%), indicates the market researcher.

Food Ingredients First dives further into the trend with insights from prominent vanilla suppliers, exploring flavor nuances, supply chain challenges and emerging innovations associated with the globally well-liked ingredient.

Shanyn Seiler, global product marketing, vanilla at ADM (Image credit: ADM).“From the creamy notes of vanilla grown in Uganda to the smoky, woody profile of Indonesian vanilla, brands that lean into these regional distinctions will find appetizing product and flavor innovation opportunities,” says Shanyn Seiler, global product marketing, vanilla at ADM.

“The caramellic and maple notes of vanilla from Tanzania that suit savory stews and baked goods and the long-lasting buttery, fruity and flowery Papua New Guinea vanilla are excellent for frozen treats and active nutrition bars, providing both a marshmallow-like mouthfeel and distinct flavor,” she continues.

Conversely, for formulators looking to leverage the most familiar flavor, Madagascan vanilla is hailed as the right choice.

“With roughly 70-80% of the world’s vanilla produced in Madagascar, it comes as no surprise that its profile is the most recognizable. Consumers tend to find comfort and authentic taste experiences through Madagascan vanilla’s strong vanillic profile with notes of bourbon, raisin and balsamic.” 

Invoking nostalgia
Vanilla continues to reign as the flavor of choice for consumers. Between October 2022 and September 2023, vanilla (68%) was confirmed as the top ingredient in F&B launches with vanilla, followed by vanilla extract (33%) and vanilla bean (7%), as indicated by Innova Market Insights’ data.

High vanillin extracts impart a robust flavor to products, says Zilberman (Image credit: Hannan Bar Assulin).Travis Green, VP of commercial development, global vanilla at ADM, explains this upward trend: “Vanilla’s versatility and common usage across foods and beverages are key to its ongoing growth, with the new year promising explorative opportunities in terms of flavor among consumers, along with a desire for authenticity.”

These findings are backed by the company’s recent 2024 Flavor & Color Trends report, pointing at vanilla’s alignment with the trend, with consumers seeking accurate replications of flavors from their past.

“Specific vanilla notes can transport these consumers to moments in time that deeply resonate with them,” he tells us.

Meanwhile, Green flags the role of affordability and notes that “cost and clean label credentials” still continue to drive shoppers’ purchasing decisions, necessitating a “balancing act” in creative innovation.

“There has been a shift in the vanilla ingredients that consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies lean toward, with some moving from natural vanilla extracts to other flavors containing non-vanilla derived vanillin to answer consumer calls for more affordable products.”

Unlocking full aroma potential
Brands are increasingly innovating to bolster their global flavor capacity by adding diverse and premium flavors to their portfolio, in turn warranting their products fulfil consumers’ taste expectations.

Ensuring a high vanillin concentration is integral to formulating a top-quality product, notes Oren Zilberman, CEO and co-founder of Vanilla Vida.

Vanilla Vida's indoor curing technology increases yield by 20%/sq meter (Image credit: Assaf Karela).The vanilla producer houses a fully controlled “indoor curing facility” that deploys smart and automatic sorting machines for providing optimum conditions for the vanilla beans to attain “full aroma potential-to-flavor conversion.” He adds that analytical data-based monitoring also ensures consistency in quality and aroma.

“In November 2023, for the first time in the world, Vanilla Vida presented vanilla beans with a 5.5% vanillin concentration,” he highlights. This led the company to reach a commercial production scale of vanilla pods with 4% vanillin, allowing manufacturers to use less raw material for a more concentrated extract.

“High vanillin extracts allow our consumers to reduce the scope of use and enjoy a robust flavor, while also expanding the use of vanilla extracts to products where, until now, a price barrier had existed due to the need for high quantities,” he details.

Meanwhile, Eurovanille uses hydroalcoholic extraction of the black bean, which "requires precise control over factors such as temperature, alcohol concentration and time to achieve optimal flavor and aroma profiles," says Sylvain Portal, R&D director at Eurovanille.

For stringent quality control, the flavor house adopts sustainable farming practices with its partners and ensures efficient supply chain management. “Recognizing the importance of supply security, we emphasize diverse origin sourcing, including regions such as Madagascar, Uganda and Papua New Guinea,” he informs.

Switching to sustainable vanilla
With some uncertainties surrounding vanilla’s future availability, quality and price stability, food companies are continuously looking for sustainable natural solutions, affirms Caroline Calin, technical marketing naturals for Syensqo (formerly part of Solvay Group).

Syensqo's Rhovanil Natural CW can be used to enhance oat milk's taste (Image credit: Syensqo).“To help the chocolate and confectionary industry answer this challenge, Syensqo has developed a natural version of its historical vanillin — Rhovanil Natural CW.” 

Its newer grades Rhovanil Natural Delica, Alta and Sublima are based on Rhovanil Natural CW which is produced by biofermentation of ferulic acid, a natural compound found in rice bran oil. 

Calin explains: “The flowability of these new grades is higher in formulations than that of pure vanillin, resulting in better dispersion and greater homogeneity in the food matrix, such as chocolate, bakery and dairy products.”

Crossing over into savory
Due to its ability to mask protein’s off-notes and bitterness, vanillin is driving cross-category innovation, such as Syensqo’s Rhovanil Natural CW being tested in meat-free sausage products, highlights Calin.

The company is also seeing rapid growth in the nutrition segment, spreading across sports nutrition into lifestyle nutrition. For instance, adding vanillin to plant-based proteins like oat milk can enhance the taste of oat milk and attract consumers, she remarks.

Meanwhile, ADM is combining vanilla with its flavor-enhancing techniques in high-protein shakes and alternative dairy applications to tackle taste and texture challenges.

Eurovanille's "Coeur de Vanille" comprises 100% natural vanilla and is made without exhausted beans (Image credit: Eurovanille).“Vanilla can provide a perception of creaminess that emulates the gold-standard mouthfeel of traditional dairy and when combined with our TasteSpark flavor modulation technology, we can further elevate the sensory appeal,” underscores Seiler.

Eurovanille's latest offering, "Innovation Coeur de Vanille," is noteworthy for its unique signature flavor, comprising 100% natural vanilla without the use of exhausted beans and featuring user-friendly dosage, informs Portal.

"This innovation not only delivers a premium vanilla experience but also streamlines the formulation process for manufacturers. Furthermore, Eurovanille introduces a novel range of masking agents tailored for plant-based products, seamlessly combining masking properties with distinctive flavor profiles (Bourbon, French vanilla & Gourmand)."

"These offerings are strategically designed to elevate the formulation capabilities of manufacturers and brands, addressing the complexities of flavor development and enhancing the overall quality of their products," he continues.

Controlling vanilla quality
Certifications of vanilla can be a means to assure consumers of full traceability along the supply chain, underscores Laurent Deniau, global director of Vanilla & Botanicals at Symrise.

“Certifications can help them to make the right choice in an easy and convenient way. The entire vanilla we source at Symrise comes with certificates ranging from UEBT Rainforest Alliance over Organic to Fair Trade and Fair for Life.”

He stresses that transparency along the food chain remains essential, with consumers eager to get a “clear understanding” of where ingredients come from and to know that manufacturers are sourcing their vanilla sustainably. 

Calin at Syensqo highlights that vanilla — the second-most expensive crop in the world — is a “cash crop” for farmers who do not control the end price when they sell the green uncured beans to the collectors. 

Furthermore, there are several players along the vanilla value chain, including the vanilla bean extracts. “This has led to speculation and variations in quality, in particular in the percentage of vanillin in cured vanilla beans,” she reveals.

Transparency along the food chain is essential to assure consumers that manufacturers source vanilla sustainably, says Deniau (Image credit: Symrise). “The vanilla bean market is not regulated like the cocoa or coffee market; the food industry has seen a fluctuating government policy on prices and availability, with recent prices of cured beans going up to US$500 per kg and no export authorized for many months last year.”

Meanwhile, Deniau continues that climatic threats such as storms, cyclones and variable local government policies can pose challenges.

Symrise claims to secure fair living incomes for the vanilla farmers it works with in Madagascar to improve their resilience. 

“With our unique supply chain, we source the beans directly from the farmers and share our knowledge to build mutual trust,” says Deniau. 

“We also run our own curing and extraction facilities on the ground ensuring the full traceability of our extracts and a better control of the vanilla quality.”

“Generational push” for vanilla
As we go into the new year, Calin says Syensqo is witnessing a “generational push” toward new experiences with vanilla.

“According to the 2022 Trend Survey by Innova Market Insights, novel flavors are on the rise, pushed by younger Gen Z or Millennials.”

Younger consumers drive novel flavor innovations, indicates Innova Market Insights' data (Image credit: Symrise).She notes that the trend for exotic experiences has grown significantly post-pandemic, adding that vanillin can boost the overall taste and sweetness in novel flavors such as dragon fruit, yuzu and pink grapefruit.

Meanwhile, for Zilberman, Vanilla Vida is on the “cusp of a significant shift” in its agricultural operations. 

“We will transition from small and non-specialist vanilla growers to farmers who are willing to focus on vanilla growth to improve their expertise in the field and as a result, increase their income by expanding their cultivation scope, quality and stability.” 

“We also believe that growing in greenhouses will become more common,” he concludes.

By Insha Naureen