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Holland & Barrett (H&B) with Life Kitchen is a food range designed to help consumers that have experienced changes to their taste or smell due to short- or long-term illnesses, such as cancer treatment or long covid. The “first-of-its-kind" range on the UK high-street features six taste-boosting food products that help to enhance the flavour of mealtimes for those experiencing changes to taste. The retailer created the taste-boosting range by partnering with specialists at Life Kitchen and founder of the Centre for Study of the Senses, Barry Smith, with the aim of helping people find pleasure in food again. The collection has been formulated to enhance the five basic tastes - sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami. Either working to one of these tastes, a mix-and-match approach, or working to enhance all five, each product has been designed to work with the corresponding taste receptor on the tongue to create the ultimate flavour experience, developed through extensive research. The six-strong range was created to provide simple cooking hacks that are quick, easy additions to supercharge the taste and flavour of any dish, and were formulated to be tasty whether or not your taste buds have been affected. H&B says that changes to taste impact 70% of people affected by cancer and 40-50% of those with Covid-19 globally. The line is also designed to aid those experiencing changes to smell, with Holland & Barrett citing recent studies that reveal that over 11 million adults in the UK experience changes to smell at any given time – the equivalent to more than one in five adults. The range includes Sensation Salt, a blend of white pepper, sour citric acid and umami to create a full sensory experience that can be used to replace normal salt – it can be used on chips or popcorn for example. H&B’s Seed, Kale & Wasabi Blend provides a mix of bitter flavours that add depth and intrigue to dishes, working as a taste enhancer for salads or as a garnish for soups. The retailer’s Soy & Honey Umami Paste gives consumers a combination of three umami rich ingredients, soy sauce, honey and dried mushrooms, to create a flavour boost that makes other ingredients more intense, it is recommended for use in marinades and dressings. Miso Honey is a rich umami miso that boosts the honey’s sweetness, providing decadent flavour notes that can be used to enhance both sweet and savoury dishes – the versatile ingredient could be poured over a grilled chicken breast or paired with a bowl of ice cream or yogurt. H&B’s Citrus Sensation Spritz is a blend of vinegar, glucose syrup, yuzu juice, rice koji and natural ginger flavourings – with yuzu selected due to its small scent molecules that reach the nose quickly, working with the koji on the tongue to create a multi-level sensory taste experience. The retailer says the Spritz works well with fish or grilled vegetables. The final product in the range, White Chocolate & Miso Raspberries, features a fusion of umami-rich miso and white chocolate sweet cocoa butter, resulting in a sweet, salt and savoury balance resulting in an intense chocolate bar. April Preston, global product director at Holland & Barrett, said: “Our new Holland & Barrett with Life Kitchen range is our latest example of delicious products that love you back. We’re incredibly proud to launch this brand-new range to help people find their pleasure and joy in food again.” Life Kitchen co-founder, Ryan Riley, added: “Our experience at Life Kitchen – which saw us create the world’s first cancer cookery school – means we know the profound impact that taste and smell has on our physical and mental health. Our aim is to help as many people as possible enjoy food again, whether or not your taste buds have been affected, so we’re thrilled to work with H&B to bring this innovative product range to the high-street.” The new range is available online and in-stores nationwide at Holland & Barrett, for RRPs ranging from £3-£4.