IFT First 2025: dsm-firmenich targets off-notes in plant proteins with ModulaSense masks
21 Jul 2025 | dsm-firmenich
Melanie Luangrath, senior director for new business development at dsm-firmenich, talked to us about the company’s ModulaSense maskers, which help “unlock the full potential” of its plant-based protein, Vertis CanolaPro. She detailed how the range addresses sensory challenges associated with plant proteins, and what impact it could have on the taste and acceptance of ready-to-mix drinks and protein bars.
Fingerprints first, reporting from IFT 2025 in Chicago.
I'm here with Melanie Junggraf from DSM Firman, who is a senior director, new business development.
Welcome to you.
Thank you, Joshua.
So my first question, how do modular sense masks address the sensory challenges associated with plant proteins like Canola Pro, and what impact will they have on the taste and consumer acceptance of ready to mixed drinks and protein bars?
Cana Pro has so many market functional benefits, but like many plant protein, it may present sensory challenges.
Cannoaro has a distinctively sweet taste with some licorice-like notes as as some astringency.
And that's where we have the new modulescence maskers specifically targeting these off notes and intercept them before they reach the key receptors.
By eliminating these sensory challenges, we're helping producers to make plant-based, ready to mix and protein bar products more palatable and enabling higher inclusion of protein protein fortification.
And looking at the bigger picture, then this means more brands will be able to satisfy a broader consumer audience, whether they are vegans, vegetarian, flexitarian, and anyone seeking, as a matter of fact, enjoyable and functional products.
It's interesting.
And can you elaborate on how the receptor-based technology behind these masks works at a molecular level?
To target bitterness, astringency, licorice-like notes in plant protein, with modulescence, we go beyond masking off notes.
We decode them.
Using cutting edge flavor science design, we are enable to intercept with our new maskers and make it, make them more accurate.
We intercept unwanted flavors before they reach and they activate key taste receptors and, and this is backed by over two decades of innovation in plant-based taste design.
And our new maskers are the most advanced tools that we have to unlock the full potential of Virtu skin.
OK, and with the increase in consumer demand for high protein plant-based products.
How do modularense masks help manufacturers meet the dual challenge of delivering both high nutritional value and great tasting products like RTM drinks and protein bars?
With Kero, we've been collaborating with our clients to bring high quality plant-based products to the markets to more consumers since 2023.
It's been also used to create countless great tasting products with superior texture.
That gives consumers the plant-based experience that they crave.
So Canora Pro has been successfully used in sports nutrition and lifestyle, nutrition products, better for you snacks, plant protein, fortified spreads, pasta, and many more.
But at the we are looking always at how can we make our solution work even better for our clients to help them.
Integrate more easily, better experience for consumers, and that's where Modulaence comes into the bleacher where you have two ingredients that are paired together for plant-based nutrition, but really the outcome is that there no longer is competition between taste or good nutrition, two solutions that share one outcome.
And what are some of the key functional benefits of Vti Canodaro?
And how do they contribute to its versatility and applications beyond RTM drinks and protein bars?
Do you have any plans to expand its use into other food sectors?
Kanoro is the result of more than 10 years of R&D research that valorized an existing side stream of Canoa oil production.
And Canopro has an especially attractive appealing nutritional profile to plant-based protein because it's a complete protein with all the nine essential amino acids.
It has a PDA of 1, which is the highest you can reach, and it's also free from all the major allergens, including soy.
So the key functional benefits of canola are.
It's excellent solubility across a broad pH range forming em emulsification and dilation properties that makes it ideal to complement other pulse proteins such as pea, fava, and the like, and very much for the use in sports and lifestyle nutrition products including RTMs, meaning ready to mix, RTD ready to drink, bar, baked goods, and fortified cereals as I mentioned.
The first wave of our new modulescence maskers are designed specifically for the beverage and the protein bars, but we plan to expand this into other applications, so please stay tuned.
OK, so as a final question, DSM Firm emphasizes sustainability with with products like Vertis, canola Pro being upcycled from canola oil production.
So how important is sustainability in the development of modular sense maskers, and how do they align with the broader shift towards sustainable nutrition?
It's It's a very important question because Canaro has a very unique sustainability profile.
It is low in water usage and has very low carbon footprints, especially if you compare it with the most commonly plant protein out there such as pea and soy, and it's made from an existing crop, so we are not using any additional arable land to produce.
We are very proud of the work that the team has put behind to unlock the potential of Kanoe pool and make it now available at scale.
The Tuscan plus modular sense are really bringing a big step towards that ambition where we would like to have consumer being able to not compromise and have both of best words what is good for them and what is good for the for the planet.
So our ultimate goal is to contribute more and more to a resilient and sustainable future of the food production.
