The European snack industry came together at Snackex 2013 in Gothenburg last week, showcasing the latest innovations and hottest trends for the sector.
Among them were a continued focus on salt and fat reduction, a shift towards authentic ‘local’ flavours and the latest twists and innovations for the ‘hotness’ category.
Givaudan’s interactive display focused on the ways in which flavour technology can help manufacturers add value to all these trends. The focal point was our Flavour Pyramid, accompanied by samples for visitors to see, taste and experience how our technology contributes to the whole taste experience.
We start with the unseasoned snack product (for example, a fried potato chip) and the first stage of building the flavour is to add salt, sweetness and acid aspects, to create a timed release from the beginning through body, mouthfeel and succulence, to a pleasant aftertaste.
In the last decade, the industry has made great strides towards reducing salt levels. Savoury snacks often contain less salt than everyday foods such as bread, meats and cheese, but of course more can be done. The link between excessive salt and health issues such as hypertension and heart disease are well documented, leading to regulators considering regulatory strategies to help reduce salt consumption.
However, further salt reductions present manufacturers with many challenges. When salt is reduced by more than 20-25%, the ‘salt cliff’ is encountered, where the impact of salt almost completely disappears, leaving a flat product with no body or lingering character, requiring flavour to be added to restore the taste profile.
Similarly the move to lower-fat snacks and the introduction of more baked snacks poses its own challenges to manufacturers. Reducing the levels of fat or salt in a product affects not only its taste but also its aroma and mouthfeel.
Consequently, the inclusion of TasteSolutions in the next step of our flavour pyramid shows how our taste toolbox enables us to create tailor-made flavours that address these challenges. By building back the salt attributes in reduced sodium products and the indulgent mouthfeel of a full-fat product in a low-fat application, we can drive consumer choice towards healthier snacks.
We next look at adding culinary cues by adding process flavour. Our TasteEssentials signature range of flavours is constantly updated through extensive sensory research. Focusing on the most significant snack flavours, our expert application teams work with chefs and flavourists to make truly authentic flavours, such as roast chicken and barbeque beef, with distinct and complex flavour profiles.
We look at authentic local tastes at source and capture the best in taste in the way food is prepared or cooked within a culinary culture through our CulinaryTrek programme. Working with chefs around the world, we explore new trends and capture the essence of culinary flavours. We then translate this knowledge into authentic and novel taste experiences for the consumer.
Authenticity and very local flavours is a growing trend that was much in evidence at Snackex. We are also seeing increasing demand for traditional flavours. Consumers are choosing snacks with the taste of recognisable foods such as mature Cheddar cheese and red onion, or roast chicken with thyme, rather than flavours that are not familiar to them.
The pinnacle of our flavour pyramid shows how we create a sensational taste experience by adding authentic top notes at the final stage of the process. This adds that extra ‘zing’ when the packet is opened. Aroma and taste top notes add to the authentic taste experience, and our flavour delivery technology PureDelivery is designed to ensure that flavours perform optimally throughout the production process, and release the flavour at just the right time.
Consumers love the snacks products they are familiar with and continue to return to them time and time again, but we also see consumers trying new innovations that they then add to their shopping lists.
‘Hot and spicy’ continues to be a strong flavour trend across Europe, with distinct regional preferences within this category. For example, in Germany the most popular flavours will focus on paprika and hotness, whereas in the UK an Indian-style flavour is preferred. One flavour which is universally popular is Thai Sweet Chilli, which seems to have found stable shelf space in almost every market.
Most of the current hot and spicy flavours are based on chilli peppers (capsicum). To be able to differentiate ‘hot’ snacks in this increasingly busy space, we have developed a flavour collection that provides different heat sensations when consumed. For this FlavourVision collection, we have investigated ingredients that give different heat sensations in your mouth and throat. We have selected a range of hotness ingredients that are suitable for snacks, each giving a different hotness sensation:
During the year, we work closely together with our customers to develop tailor-made creations for their brands and snacks products. We aim to provide a continuous stream of ideas and snacks concepts tailored to their needs, to fill their new product pipeline.
Snacks, more than any other food category, are eaten for enjoyment; consumers choose based on what they expect their taste experience to be, so living up to that experience is vital.
With our TasteSolutions toolbox, combined with our capability to create flavours that are familiar and appealing to consumers, we support the development of great-tasting snacks that don’t have to be high in salt or fat, providing consumers with the enjoyable snacking experience they’re looking for.
Martin Mei is marketing director snacks EAME at Givaudan.
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