Q&A: IFF revolutionizes the flavor of plant-based foods
The growing demand for plant-based foods has led to the need for innovation in creating products that are not only healthy but also flavorful. From modulation expertise to plant-based application know-how, https://www.iff.com/ is creating a more enjoyable and appealing eating experience for consumers. Join IFF senior flavorist Sylvaine Declerck at Summit Europe, on June 7 in The Hague, to learn more about how flavors can revolutionize plant-based products. In advance of her presentation, she answers a few questions:
Being a flavorist sounds so interesting, can you tell us about what you do?
Being a flavorist is indeed very exciting. In a nutshell, we create flavors, combining raw materials from our portfolio that will deliver the desired taste experience once applied to a specific product. It’s essential to have a good understanding of the effect of the raw materials on a favor profile; the interactions between the flavor substances and the food matrices; and market and consumer needs. Sharp tasting skills and the ability to describe flavor profiles so you can communicate internally and externally are also important. All this can only be achieved by working in collaboration with food designers, analysts, consumer insight experts, account managers, procurement, operations, and marketing—and working with all these teams adds to the excitement.
How do flavors play an important role in enhancing the sensory experience of food?
In many cases, the flavor is the key element of the flavor perception, if you think about flavored water, candies, or flavored potato chips as an example. In other cases, it can bring a specific signature like in yogurt with fruit. It may also be used to standardize a product that might have lost some of its volatile compounds through industrial processes.
With plant-based products, how do flavors help overcome any challenges linked to protein sources and processes?
There are some flavors, called “flavorings with modifying properties,” that can help mask undesirable notes, bring mouthfeel and body, rebalance the sweetness and sourness perception, and give the impression that a product is saltier. Those flavors are great tools for improving many challenging products, like plant-based items. On top of that, regular flavors, such as creamy or milky flavors, can also help adjust the profile and move it in the dairy direction.
What is flavor modulation and how does it work?
Flavor modulators are actually those flavorings I mentioned before with modifying properties. They contain non-volatile components that interact with our taste receptors and then modify our perception. Not only do they affect the flavor profile, but they can also impact basic taste and the total experience.
Are expectations for flavor different with plant-based products than with traditional dairy?
Yes indeed—this is what comes out of the consumer research done by our product experience team. Expectations are different, not only in terms of profile but also in tonalities.
What is the role of the consumer in your work?
Our ultimate goal is always to please consumers, so in some cases, it’s key to involve them in the validation step. Whether a new product is being launched, an existing product is being reworked or we’re working proactively on our collection, we involve consumers to understand what’s driving their liking.
Join Sylvaine and the IFF team at Summit Europe June 7-8 for what will be an insightful presentation “From Bland to Bold: How Flavors Can Revolutionize Plant-Based Products.” Find more details and register here.