The perception of any given added ice cream flavoring is influenced, for good or bad, by appearance, aroma, acidity, taste (sweet, salty, bitter, sour), texture (smooth, creamy, rich) and temperature, including appropriate temperature-related chemistries of any given flavor. A focus on the cost management of flavors and flavorings, therefore, also requires a focus on elements influencing body (chew, bite), texture (smoothness, creaminess), sweetness (amount, quality and compatibility) and other factors, vis-à-vis any given flavor, across the full intended shelf life of the ice cream.
This might seem to be a daunting task, but we can offer some guidance when considering flavoring in a cost-competitive marketplace — that is, how to inoculate any given brand equity against the rigors of widely varying ingredient prices and varying quality of any given flavor.