By Givaudan

Givaudan is addressing the mouthfeel challenges that food manufacturers of sweet and dairy products face in low-calorie products with its TasteSolutions™ Mouthfeel program. The signature program includes a unique sensory language, Sense It™ Mouthfeel, and advanced technologies to optimize the taste profile of reduced-calorie sweet and dairy products and provide the premium flavor perception consumers desire. Mouthfeel, along with aroma and taste, provide the full experience of a food product in the mouth and impact how the product is perceived. While introducing new and effective natural mouthfeel ingredients through the program, Givaudan has also developed a specific sensory language for mouthfeel.

These initiatives are in response to food manufacturers’ challenge of the growing consumer concern with caloric intake, guiding demand for healthy products with the indulgent flavor consumers crave. However, as calorie reduction impacts the mouthfeel, taste and aroma of food products, a complex formula rebalance is needed to provide the creaminess, richness and lingering of full-fat products. Additionally, over the past year, the added obstacle of highly volatile commodity prices for ingredients such as sugar, dairy and fat, make it increasingly hard to maintain acceptable consumer price points.

“Nutritional value is a key factor driving consumers’ purchasing decisions, but they are no longer accepting a healthier product that does not taste good,” says Esther van Ommeren, Senior Flavorist. “We start with close customer collaboration to understand specific product needs, and from there we formulate to provide the taste and mouthfeel authenticity of a full-fat product, maximizing the consumer taste experience.”

Givaudan’s proprietary language, Sense It™ Mouthfeel, is a unique tool that breaks cultural and language barriers when describing flavors, forming an imperative link between consumer desire, product quality, and flavorists’ creations. Mouthfeel perception varies drastically when calorie and especially fat is reduced in products. The Sense It™ language ensures comprehensive description and identification of mouthfeel related issues, leading to our ability to solve the challenges and validate performance of the solution. Sense It™ Mouthfeel enables Givaudan to include all dimensions of the sensory experience in its flavor solutions.

“A successful reduced-calorie product depends on rebalancing and optimizing mouthfeel, taste and aroma correctly” said Minerva Calatayud, Global Product Manager, Taste. “Whether our customer’s product strategy relates to health and wellness, cost, or indulgence, our investment in mouthfeel technology can help.”

Current consumer trends demand a healthier product that is still indulgent and cost-effective. Customers can partner with Givaudan’s flavour creation and application teams to provide natural or artificial flavour solutions with optimal flavour stability, performance and consistency. Together with its flavor creation, application technology and sensory science capabilities, Givaudan is creating complete mouthfeel solutions for low-calorie applications in both dairy and sweet goods.

Givaudan Flavours is a trusted partner to the world’s leading food and beverage companies, combining its global expertise in sensory understanding and analysis and consumer-led innovation in support of unique product applications and new market opportunities. From concept to store shelves and quick serve restaurants, Givaudan works with food and beverage manufacturers to develop flavors and tastes for market leading products across five continents.

SOURCE: Givaudan