Taste has always been central to a consumer’s experience with foods and beverages. With greater attention to reducing sugar and salt, and interest in functional ingredients, nutrition and flavor are key strategic partners today.

“The role of taste in food and beverages is irrefutable, however, consumers now want taste to be built into the DNA of healthy food,” said Shawn Gerstenkorn, strategic marketing director, beverage, Kerry Taste & Nutrition. With the availability of a range of options, consumers are no longer willing to trade off taste for health and nutrition, he added. “In 2017, 57% of consumers agreed that nutrition is more important than taste, but in 2019 only 48% of consumers agreed that nutrition was more important,” he noted, citing the company’s white paper on “The Future of Food.”

The need to build back or balance taste expectations will continue to be “an imperative task to master,” Gerstenkorn said, noting that 42% of consumers agree that healthy food and drinks tend to be less tasty. “Food for the future will have to deliver on and exceed consumers’ taste expectations in order to differentiate and stay competitive in a loyalty hungry marketplace.”

Across the globe, people are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that their personal choices and lifestyle have on health and wellbeing, noted Kelli Heinz, vice president of marketing and industry affairs at Bell Flavors & Fragrances. “Today’s ever-evolving consumer is in search of new experiences and interactions that break the daily routine, and at the same time, are discovering new moments of comforting consumption in premium products and nostalgic flavors of childhood.”

Better Beverages

Bell continues to identify natural and “better-for-you” flavor trends, said Heinz, noting several in the health-positioned beverage market.

• Botanically inspired: flowers (elderberry, hibiscus), green (green tea, matcha), adaptogens (ashwagandha, mushrooms), and herbs + spices (basil, rosemary, cardamom);
• Mood flavors: therapeutic flowers (lavender, rose, passionflower), herbs + fruits (lemongrass, mint), and sparkling citrus (yuzu, kumquat);
• Immune boosting: citrus (grapefruit, tangerine), superfoods (blueberry, kiwi), sweet (honey, cocoa), roots (ginger, turmeric), and berries (acai, raspberry).

The popularity of plant-based products and ingredients in beverage formats continues to be on the rise, noted Jason Murphy, flavor chemist at Prinova.

“For flavors, natural botanical and fruit extracts are on the top of the list for their clean label and transparency perception to consumers,” he said. “However, while these natural extracts/distillates are derived naturally from the source, they are often much weaker in aroma and taste than either a single natural chemical compound or artificially derived compound.”

In cold, water-based health beverages Gerstenkorn said there is greater use of natural flavors and extracts that contribute to the halo effect of the targeted positioning or claim. 

“For health-positioned beverages, a great approach is to use flavors that consumers associate with health and pair them with ingredients that allow science-backed claims. Common ‘healthy halo’ flavors are ginger, mint, cinnamon, and turmeric. These flavors may create a health association for a consumer (e.g., ginger and digestive health), but there may not be enough science to support nutrition-related claims for these types of flavors, or they may not be used at a dose that would deliver a benefit. That is where the pairing with a science-backed ingredient that can carry an on-pack claim can be beneficial.”

Adding strong colors, such as beet juice, can also contribute to that halo of health, he said. “Our Kerry market research shows that consumers associate certain botanicals with different need states. In the U.S., for example, mint, cinnamon, and ginger are strongly associated with digestive/gut health, whereas cherry blossom, jasmine, and orange blossom are associated with beauty benefits (skin, hair, nails). As manufacturers launch new beverages, you will see combinations of fruit and botanical flavors that contribute to the targeted need state/positioning.”

In dairy/alternative dairy-based nutritional beverages, flavors are more geared toward comfort and permissible indulgence, said Gerstenkorn. “After the traditional chocolate, vanilla, strawberry flavors, we are seeing more coffee/mocha and caramel, for example, but also a consumer desire for more fruit-flavored options such as berry and banana.”

Bars, Snacks and More

As for flavor trends in protein bars, snacks, and other food products, while comfort flavors have been satisfying for people during the pandemic, consumers are now gravitating toward more innovative flavors with bolder profiles, according to Lindsay Parks, marketing communications and social media specialist at Bell Flavors & Fragrances.

“Bell’s global Spark trends reveal that consumers are craving escapism and new realities through the senses,” she said. “This trend is revealing itself in the snack category, as there’s increasing popularity in fusion flavors and region-specific cuisines, such as those from the Balkans, Malaysia, and the Latin Highlands. Other notable flavor trends in this category include flavor fusion, sweetness enhancement through vanilla and perceived depth through smokiness.”

Murphy noted a “continued and steady demand” for plant-based protein products, which often come with inherent, unwanted “off-tastes.”

“Natural flavors to mitigate or block these bitter, off-notes used in conjunction with natural, great tasting flavors will continue to be on trend for the foreseeable future,” he said. “In addition, we continue to see the following flavor categories trending in the protein snack and powder market space: traditional chocolate and vanilla flavors, nostalgic and indulgent flavors such as cookies and cream, peanut butter cup, or birthday cake, and finally sweet and fruity flavors—especially blue raspberry, cotton candy, grape, and fruit punch.”

Sweet flavors like chocolate, marshmallow, and salted caramel are popular across the bar and snack category as consumers look to balance health with indulgence, according to Gerstenkorn. “Consumers want products that are not just healthy but also deliver a great taste experience. Flavor profiles inspired by popular sweet treats like birthday cake, rocky road ice cream, and tiramisu can be seen across the category in addition to seasonal flavor innovation including pumpkin pie, peppermint, and hot cocoa.”

Gerstenkorn also sees interest in flavors that consumers connect with various need states. “The flavors of mint, cinnamon, and ginger are strongly associated with digestive and gut health while flavors like coffee, tea and citrus are associated with boosting energy.”

Formulation Challenges

Working with natural flavors and health ingredients can present taste challenges during formulation.

“Naturally-derived flavor components are often higher in cost and may be less taste-affective, so a higher use rate could be required,” said Murphy, “which in turn could lead to bitter or unsavory off-tastes/negative attributes.”

Also, limited availability and reproducibility can be an issue, he added. “Typically, natural colors are not as vibrant as artificial, and they tend to have stability issues with a shorter shelf life. Off-tastes in natural colors from spices or roots, for example, could pose another potential challenge.”

Bitter or unsavory off-tastes can be mitigated or masked, Murphy said, and “natural, proprietary flavors are continuously being developed that can act to intensify sweetness, suppress bitterness, mask off-notes, or enhance overall flavor perception, thus requiring a lower use rate of a higher-cost natural ingredient.”

Understanding the taste and color implications of trending health ingredients is imperative to developing effective taste solutions and improvements, according to Alex Amann, junior flavorist at Prinova. “Does the ingredient impart bitterness? On the chemical level, what is causing that bitterness? What do we have in our flavor toolbox to combat that chemical interaction? Having a thorough knowledge of the ingredient allows you to apply different technologies to effectively overcome the challenges. Collaboration between brands and suppliers is necessary to deliver a product that is both trending and tastes great.”

Plant-based protein ingredients in high protein snacks and beverages can create flavor challenges due to the bitterness and beany notes, said Christina Coles, senior associate marketing manager, sugar reduction and specialty sweeteners at Ingredion Incorporated. “Certain flavors with modifying properties can overcome these challenges by improving overall taste through building, balancing, and rounding, by suppressing or mitigating undesirable notes, increasing flavor and mouthfeel perceptions, and moderating lingering flavors.”

Added protein claims, both dairy and plant-based, have never been so popular, according to Gerstenkorn. “Adding higher concentrations of protein to products, however, may bring undesirable characteristics in both mouthfeel (gritty, pasty, watery, etc.) and flavor (bitter, beany, etc.).”

Different protein sources also bring their own challenges. “Whereas dairy protein is usually better tasting, there is a strong trend in plant-based protein beverage launches, where pea protein shows rapid growth,” said Gerstenkorn. “Pea protein off-notes can be described as bitter, earthy, and chalky and these undesirable flavors are a challenge in product formulation.”

To overcome these challenges, brands can formulate products with flavors and maskers that work best with the different bases, he added. “Flavor modulators, such as Kerry’s Tastesense platform, are highly effective to mask the off-notes and balance the product profile. Additionally, the use of complementary flavors, such as chocolate, coffee, and citrus flavors work well with pea protein, for example.”

Protein can also be added to clear beverages, he said, noting growth in clear whey-based protein products. “Until recently, there were no clear plant-based protein solutions available to brands,” Gerstenkorn added. “To meet this need, Kerry launched Prodiem Refresh, a plant protein hydrolysate solution developed specifically for clear beverages such as waters and energy drinks that have great solubility and clarity.”

As consumers have sought out experiential products, ashwagandha has attracted a growing segment of consumers. This traditional Ayurvedic herb presents some earthy notes, a brown coloring, and cloudiness to formulations, noted Gerstenkorn.

“Also, using truly aqueous solutions, without the presence of fibers, is key to deliver great tasting and visually pleasing products,” he said. “Kerry’s clinically based Sensoril ashwagandha is made with the extract of both leaves and roots and is highly soluble (95-96%), compared to other products in the market.”

Overall, in order to overcome challenges in formulation and produce high-quality products that consumers will buy again, brands should consider partnering with ingredient manufacturers specializing in flavor technology and functional solutions, said Heinz. “Bell’s BellTech program offers a variety of application and technology specialties that can help solve formulation challenges, including those such as taste enhancements (mouthfeel enhancers, sweetness/salt modifications) and masking and neutralization capabilities.”

Growing Natural Preferences

As an ingredient declaration, “natural flavors” consistently shows up with a positive perception among consumers based on Ingredion’s proprietary studies, said Coles. “For example, over 80% of consumers rate natural flavors as an acceptable ingredient in products they purchase based on a 2020 Ingredion study.”

Natural colors and flavors have been gaining favor among consumers at an increasing rate over the last decade or more, said Murphy. Natural flavor and color ingredients and compounds must be derived from plant, animal, microbiological, or mineral origin while artificial counterparts can be derived and artificially synthesized from non-plant or animal sources, he noted.

“I believe consumers’ demand for natural is due to several factors, including the belief that natural flavor and color ingredients are a healthier option,” said Murphy. People also feel that natural ingredients are a more environmentally friendly and responsible option, and that there’s more transparency compared to artificial ingredients. “They want to know exactly what they are putting in their bodies,” Murphy added.

According to Kerry’s proprietary research, artificial flavors and colors continue to be at the top of the list of undesirable ingredients, while consumers continue to look for clean label products, Gerstenkorn said. Along with familiarity and awareness of “clean label,” claims that signify or suggest a cleaner label have progressed, indicating future consumer expectations.

For example, the following claims continue to be strongly associated with clean labels, according to Kerry’s proprietary insights: “all-natural/100% natural,” “made with real ingredients,” and “no additives or preservatives.”

“In consumers’ quest for a truly clean-label product, even certain natural ingredients are becoming unacceptable,” Gerstenkorn noted. “Almost 15% of millennials deemed ‘natural flavors’ as unacceptable in savory snacks, while less than 5% of boomers felt they were unacceptable.”

Ultimately, flavor and color are the first characteristics that consumers experience when consuming a food, noted Parks. “The drive to purchase what consumers believe are ‘clean’ products, coupled with growing concerns around the long-term effects of artificial flavors and additives in food, are key factors propelling the global food flavor market forward. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting attributes and sensory experiences that consumers are craving, colors and flavors must spark curiosity, but also meet changing consumer desires.”

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Sean Moloughney has been the Editor of Nutraceuticals World since 2012. He can be reached at SMoloughney@RodmanMedia.com.