Beverage Flavours and Increasing Consumer Health Consciousness
Beverage Flavours are a crucial component of beverages, including soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, teas and coffee. Increasing consumer health consciousness is driving beverage producers to include more organic and natural ingredients.
Crossover flavors are also becoming popular, like tastes inspired by breakfast foods or classic candy. In addition, earthy or bitter green flavors like kale and matcha are appearing in juices and smoothies.
Organic Flavors
Natural flavors are a safe and FDA-regulated way to add flavor to food and beverage products. There are three different categories of flavors used in beverages, including natural, organic, and artificial. Natural and organic flavors are derived from natural sources, while artificial flavors are chemically synthesized.
The natural ingredients in these flavors come from crops that are not treated with harsh chemicals and pesticides. This means you are getting a more healthy product while still enjoying the delicious taste of your favorite drink. Organic flavors can also help you meet the needs of your customers with specific allergies or dietary restrictions.
Consumers today are focused on eating and drinking healthier options. This trend has been fueled by the popularity of nutritionally fortified meal-replacement drinks and vitamin- and mineral-supplement beverages. Flavor chemists are expertly pairing these new trends with natural and organic flavors to create tasty beverages that support health and wellness.
Flavor companies own their proprietary formulas for these natural ingredients. Therefore, it is very difficult for consumers to know exactly what is in their organic Beverage Flavours natural flavors. These flavors are likely to contain some of the same ingredients as conventional flavors, including propylene glycol, mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 80, and BHT and BHA. However, they will not have any of the “incidental additives” that are prohibited in organic foods.
Natural Flavors
Natural flavors are found in a huge variety of beverages, and they can also be used in other products such as yogurt, baked goods, candy, ice cream, protein bars, canned soups, salad dressings, pasta sauces, canned fruit, vegetable juices and even baby food. Natural flavors are made from combinations of isolated ingredients such as natural oils, extracts or spices. They can contain anything from raw cacao to raspberry ketone, but they are not rigorously regulated in terms of their original source. Food manufacturers are not required to list exactly what’s in a natural flavor formulation, though they do need to identify any top-8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy and fish) and the product should state that it contains these ingredients if the food is likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Wright’s team of flavorists create natural flavors using raw materials that are sourced from all over the world. He says that, chemically, natural flavors are similar to artificial flavors, because they don’t replicate the exact taste of a raw ingredient but combine several substances to recreate it. However, he adds that the chemicals are vetted by FEMA and the FDA to ensure they are safe for use.
He adds that extracts can heighten or balance beverage flavor, while contributing less variability than whole raw ingredients. They also allow a beverage to retain its integrity and shelf stability longer than juices or concentrates.
Fruit Flavors
The beverage market provides a great opportunity for manufacturers to explore unique combinations of fruits and vegetables. In beverages, these ingredients can enhance the taste and provide a multi-sensory experience for consumers.
Increasingly, beverage formulators are turning to natural flavors and extracts. These are typically derived from domestic and exotic fruit, providing a wide range of flavor profiles to choose from. The use of these flavors can make products more appetizing and offer consumers a healthier option than sugary drinks. However, it’s important to remember that natural flavors do not add nutrients or functional properties to a product.
In addition to boosting the flavor profile of a product, many of these flavor additives can act as a natural sweetener. This is an excellent option for companies trying to reduce the amount of added sugar in their products. However, it’s important to consider how other ingredients in a product will impact the overall sweetness.
Natural fruit flavor for beverages is available in liquid, powder and syrup form. It can also be delivered in combination with other flavors. It’s also a popular choice for beverage makers looking to appeal to millennials and Generation Z consumers. Popular options include strawberry, watermelon and lemon. Nostalgia can also be a driving force for bringing back old favorite flavors, like grape or black cherry.
Citrus Flavors
As consumers seek out healthy products, manufacturers are incorporating food flavour manufacturers more natural flavors into their beverages. These include citrus flavors that offer a refreshing taste and high nutritional value. These flavors are also used in various processed foods such as breakfast cereals, bakery items, candies and savory snacks.
According to the market research report, the global citrus flavor market is expected to reach a value of more than $1.96 billion by 2023, with a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. The major growth drivers for this market are the increasing demand for clean label and natural flavors, growing consumer awareness about health benefits of citrus fruits, and the availability of new and improved technologies for creating clean-label flavors.
Citrus flavors are ideal for many beverage applications, including teas and soft drinks. They are known for their refreshing taste and ability to help reduce the amount of sugar in a product. In addition, these flavors have been shown to be beneficial in helping people maintain a healthy weight and lower blood pressure.
According to ADM’s OutsideVoiceSM survey, consumers are looking for more intense citrus flavors that go beyond traditional orange, lemon and lime. To meet this demand, ADM has developed a variety of flavor capabilities, such as emulsion, molecular distillation and encapsulation, which are being used to create new products. For example, its ADM Citruclear is a water-soluble system that can be used in carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. It offers excellent stability and can be used with a wide range of carbonating levels.