Fi Europe 2025: HTBA showcases the future of clean label taste modulation with OptiTaste
16 Dec 2025 | HTBA
HTBA’s chief commercial officer Tom D’hoore outlines the revitalized OptiTaste platform, highlighting advances in natural taste modulation. He explains how OptiTaste supports clean label sugar reduction, bitterness masking, and off-note control, delivers measurable sensory impact across categories, differentiates from competing solutions, and is evolving to meet future reformulation demands.
Fin Greens first, supporters of FI Europe 2025 in Paris, and we're here at the HTPA stand with Tom Dar, who is chief commercial Officer.
Welcome to you, Tom.
Very good morning.
Welcome.
So my first question, what key improvements have been made in the revitalized Opti Taste platform?
So basically, we launched our Optiaste platform at IFT in July.
And this is the first occasion that we're showcasing it to the European audience.
So basically it's the same brought to Europe.
I just repeat what it consists of.
Our Optias is a platform which is solutions based, OK?
It is built on individual flavors which act as flavors with modifying properties.
OK.
We've optimized their combinations to tackle three types of solutions sweetness modulation.
Taste masking and what we call balance, which is basically mouthfeel and flavor intensity.
OK, can you tell us more about how this platform helps manufacturers address key challenges like sugar reduction, bitterness masking, or offload control, while keeping those much needed clean label functionalities.
So I said, Aptita is based on individual.
Flavonoids, OK?
In taste masking, these flavonoids, they are by themselves, they are tasteless, but they have a remarkable affinity for bitterness receptors.
So they are very versatile taste masters.
On the other hand, they don't have themselves intrinsic sweetness, but they have the ability to modulate.
Sweetness.
Basically enhancing the sweetness intensity, bringing more onset and cutting off injury.
OK?
And most flavonoids, and the ones in nati taste in particular, they actually enhance the mouthfeel.
OK.
All of these individual molecules are flavoring substances.
They're natural, so they are declared as natural flavor.
OK.
And I think on top of that, and very important to stress is that they do not have intrinsic sweetness, so we're not enhancing sweetness with hidden sweeteners.
OK, that's interesting.
And can you share examples of product categories where obviously taste delivers the most noticeable sensory impacts?
We target three main categories beverage, dairy.
And plant based.
OK.
If we look, for instance, at the prototypes we're showcasing here, there's a soft drink, OK, where we add optiaste on top of stevia.
OK.
There we basically gain onset.
We gain overall sweetness intensity.
We Reduce the linger and we bring more mouthfeel and flavor intensity.
OK.
In parallel to that, there's, a caramel coffee pea protein shake, which I have to admit is a little bit harsh.
So there, what we do is we reduce the grittiness, OK, from the pea protein.
We significantly Reduce the pea taste and we reduce the astringency and bitterness associated with the protein and by doing so, the coffee and specifically the caramel flavors come out more.
OK, so those are a couple of examples.
They're great.
So, OK, so what sets HCPA and its aftertaste platform apart from other solutions on the market?
I would say many things to start with ourselves.
We produce the individual compounds.
We've developed the individual compounds.
We do regulatory work for the individual compounds worldwide, and I cannot stress enough the breakthrough.
That we obtained earlier this year with the approval of neurringenin as a flavor with modifying properties is the first time a flavonoid-based FMP gets approved since 2012, so we act as pioneers.
On top of that, we bring these flavonoids together and we optimize.
The blends with the ion specific solutions.
On top of that, most of the flavonoids are produced from raw materials which are side streams in agriculture, and as such they are upcycle certified.
And our facility is also zero residue certified.
OK, looking forward, how do you envision, envision Optitaste evolving over the next few years to meet emerging challenges in product formulation?
I see 33 types of change.
One, the incorporation of new molecules.
We're actively working on the pipeline with some new flavonoid FMPs.
Second, technologies.
It's no secret we have a collaboration with a French biotech company.
So we foresee to bring the first flavonoid FMP to market produced by Biosynthesis in 2027 and maybe even as soon as 2026.
OK.
And third, I foresee us to incorporate new delivery systems to improve the applicability of these solutions.
That's great.
Thanks for your time today.
Thank you for your time.
