Leveraging Technology to Develop Better Food & Beverage Flavors

Ibrahima Faye – Director, Sweet Technology at T. Hasegawa USA

There’s a lot more science behind food & beverage flavors than most people realize. We’re continually evolving our understanding of how people experience food & beverages and how to leverage the latest technology and elevate products with better-tasting formulations. 

In the past, the primary method that food scientists and sensory experts used to improve the taste of products was flavor compounding – isolating specific molecules responsible for specific flavors and multiplying these in formulations to deliver intensity and consistency. For example, as far back as the early 19^th century, scientists were able to isolate flavor from the plantifolia orchid and establish the taste of vanilla ice cream that we know and love today.

Overall, the science of flavor development has been gaining momentum for hundreds of years but in recent decades, the industry has experienced a revolution that has rapidly advanced the science of flavor development. The discovery of taste receptors and the mapping of the human genome deepened our understanding of how flavors are perceived and processed by the brain, leading to highly specific, bespoke flavors that are created by extracting, modulating and compounding molecules to create the ‘perfect bite.’

Many of the biggest changes in flavor science have been highly technological and are designed around the need to deliver great-tasting food and beverage formulations that cater to a broadening range of consumer preferences, such as reduced sugar, low-fat and functional ingredients. Adding or subtracting ingredients inherently impacts the flavor of a food or beverage, so flavor chemists navigate this challenge through flavor modulation to balance the flavor. 

Flavor modulation can enhance sweeteners, reduce salt, enrich umami, block bitterness and astringency or mask off-notes. Through advanced technology, food chemists develop the right organoleptic profile that balances the flavor and modifies the profile to match what food brands are looking for. More recently, advancements such as T. Hasegawa’s BOOSTRACT^TM have been introduced that uses extraction technology to amplify the effect of kokumi (Japanese for “rich taste”) in formulations, augmenting the flavor profile with intensity and augmented mouthfeel as part of optimizing the taste experience.

"The discovery of taste receptors and the mapping of the human genome deepened our understanding of how flavors are perceived and processed by the brain, leading to highly specific, bespoke flavors that are created by extracting, modulating and compounding molecules to create the ‘perfect bite."

Consumer demand has never been higher for elevated food and beverage experiences that deliver flavor intensity. New technologies have debuted recently that aim to reproduce the ‘first bite’ sensation of experiencing a food or beverage for the first time, packed with intricacy and nuances of flavor. One such technology is T. Hasegawa’s HASEAROMA^TM, which produces true-to-nature taste profiles in a range of categories such as sweet, savory, vegetable and spice, dairy, proteins and more. 

This technology offers a distinct advantage in developing fruit flavors with high intensity and specificity. As consumers demand more from food and beverage categories, basic fruit flavors like ‘mango’ or ‘peach’ are often not enough, and these emerging technologies allow us to replicate specific varietals such as Alphonso mango, Ataulfo mango or Golden Jubilee peach. These flavor profiles help products stand out in the market and remain true to nature’s essence – delivering on important aspects of what consumers want.

Many recent flavor technologies have resulted from growing consumer demand for healthier food and beverage formulations. Consumers are seeking better-for-you (BFY) products that feature quality natural ingredients with increased transparency.

 The flavor industry is tasked with formulating consistently great-tasting foods and beverages that adapt to consumers’ BFY demands with no compromise. Many categories are still driven by the need to deliver elevated taste experiences and flavor is often the common ground between BFY and indulgence. As food scientists further apply technologies like compounding and extraction to create compelling flavors, they’re proving value to the consumer and helping brands stand out in the market.

Other recent flavor technologies are the result of economic factors. The last few years have been marked by economic turbulence, with high inflation, inconsistencies in the supply chain and escalating costs of raw materials. Several common food ingredients have soared in price, dramatically impacting production costs. A good example of this is edible oils. An estimated 50 percent of all food and beverage products in U.S. supermarkets contain some form of edible oils, such as palm oil, sunflower oil, soybean or rapeseed. These oils are a source of essential fatty acids that help with food preparation, shelf stability, flavoring and especially taste experience, providing a rich mouthfeel consistency. As prices soar on these widely used ingredients, the food industry is turning to flavor science to explore technologies that limit dependence on edible oils. One example is T. Hasegawa’s Emulsitract^TM milk colloid emulsion, a fat mimetic technology that can be added to dairy products such as coffee creamers, ice cream and yogurts to provide a rich creamy profile with minimal use of edible oils. 

As consumer demands, economic factors and other outside influences continue to shape the food and beverage landscape, the role of the flavor industry continues to grow and innovate. Food and beverage flavor science is a fascinating blend of tradition, scientific discovery and technological innovation. From simple blending of herbs and seasonings to the complex manipulation of aromatic compounds and molecules, flavor science has been a process of continuous exploration and refinement. Flavor chemists, food scientists and sensory experts are committed to bettering our understanding of the way we experience foods and beverages and producing innovative new technologies that make life taste better.