Category: Industry news

Don’t miss the top 5 trending beverage flavours.

In uncertain times it’s always important to get ahead of the game. As product developers and purchasing teams scramble to cost engineer their products for changing times, make sure you keep an eye on flavour development.

That’s why we’ve made life easier for you and highlighted the top 5 flavours you should be using in beverages.

Bramble

A classic cocktail flavour that has really started to breakthrough. This one ticks lots of boxes so is a sure-fire winner, especially in the alcoholic and lo and no categories.
It plays nicely into the foraging flavour trend that we highlighted in our flavour trend report this year. It also ticks the nostalgic box and uses the traditional core flavour of blackberry, but makes it more interesting.
Whether you go straight forward blackberry or decide to put a twist on it by adding raspberry or lemon notes, it’s a delicious and powerful flavour that stands out well.

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Lemon

Come on, this one is no surprise. Lemon is always big in beverages, but this year something is going to make it extra special. Lemon has been selected as one of the key flavours to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. So, you know what that means – it’ll be everywhere.
You don’t have to bore people though, make things interesting. Try out different styles of lemon. Why not try something like burnt lemon, charred lemon zest, lemongrass or Meyer lemon. These tasty flavours help to make things braver.

Request a flavour sample.

Pomelo

By now we’ve all enjoyed the growing trend of grapefruit and pink grapefruit flavoured drinks. So much so, that we feel the grapefruit flavour has found its way into many core beverage flavour ranges. But, there is a new little tasty flavour that is creeping up behind.

If you’re after a similar taste to grapefruit, but want something a little more interesting, look no further than pomelo.

Pomelo is making real strides as it offers a unique flavour, somewhat similar to grapefruit, and also works perfectly in gin and tonic based drinks.

Request a flavour sample.

Wild Strawberry

Here we have another classic core flavour with a new unique twist. Everyone loves strawberries, so we thought the perfect pairing to bring it into 2022 was to match it with the foraging flavour trend.
The wild strawberry flavour gives off the wild connotations of freshly picked strawberries that people know and love.
What more could you want from a refreshing summer beverage than the taste of wild strawberry?

Request a flavour sample.

Crushed Mint

The ultimate pairing flavour. Looking for a way to add a refreshing boost to your flavour? Here is the solution.
Crushed mint adds that refreshing profile to just about any flavour. Works perfectly with summer fruits and floral flavours.
Crushed mint has already been turning a few people’s heads and is going down very well. Make sure you join the party.

Request a flavour sample.

Here are the flavours you need to be trying in 2022.

Welcome to our Flavour Trend overview for 2022 and beyond. We’ve made your life easier and done the hard work for you.

Are you tired of overcomplicated and bloated flavour trend reports that say so much, but leave you a little uninspired?

We’ve drowned out the noise and kept things simple with 6 key flavour trends to take note of this year.  

Flavour Trend 1 ) Exotic Flavours

Everyone loves an exotic holiday that is filled with exotic fruits and refreshing cocktails. There is no reason why these flavours can’t be enjoyed all year round and at home.
In 2022 consumers will be reaching for bright and refreshing flavours to get them excited. “Exotic” has risen by over 10% in social media discussions over the past year, proving the desire for something a little more exotic.
Take consumers on a flavour adventure.
Get brave with: Mangosteen, Horned Melon, Dragon Fruit

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Flavour Trend 2 ) Foraging Flavours

The focus on sustainability is driving improvements in all areas of food and drink. A growing focus is on local and seasonal produce and ingredients.
This is driving change in flavour, with a focus on flavours that can be associated with foraging and found out in the wild.
“Wild Food” has grown by 7.78% in social discussion in 2021. Make sure you focus on natural and wild flavours. A popular flavour already cutting through is “wild strawberry”.
Don’t be afraid to get a little wild with flavour.
Get brave with: Mulberry, Cloudberry, Elderberry

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Flavour Trend 3 ) Citrus Flavours

Sound familiar? Probably because we highlight citrus flavours pretty much every year. You love it, we love it, just about everyone loves it.
Just when you think you’ve conquered every citrus flavour combo, something new comes along. A flavour profile that works perfectly in pretty much all applications.
We’re looking at our friends in bakery to really get interesting this year. Sure, bakers do lemon flavours well, but there’s so much out there for them to explore.
Just look over at the beverage sector for inspiration, but more on that later…
Get brave with: Calamansi, Dekopon, Yuzu Koshō

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Flavour Trend 4 ) Mood Flavours

Are you getting your customers in the mood? Mood boosting food and drink is big business in 2022. Food and drink products are blending into the wellbeing market to help bring functional ingredients and flavours.
Energising, sleep improvement, relaxation are all key moods found in food and drinks. Find ingredients and flavours that relate to these moods to help bring the product to life.
Get brave with: CBD, Tahini, Huckleberry

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Flavour Trend 5 ) Crossover Flavours

Spotted a winning flavour in a different sector? Give it a go in your application – often a sure thing for success.
A perfect example would be something like an Espresso Martini. A drink that has long been a staple in just about every cocktail menu.
This type of flavour would be perfect to try out in a bakery or dairy application. What’s more, it’s grown by 91.31% in social media discussions over the past year. What are you waiting for?
Get brave with: Maple and Bacon, Katsu Curry, Yuzu Koshō

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Flavour Trend 6) A Braver Flavour

What would a flavour trend report be from I.T.S. without a focus on braver flavours? The most important thing to focus on with your product development in 2022 is bravery.
Be bold, be big, be brave. Make sure your products stand out and grab people’s attention.
Categories are very crowded and often full of similar products, which makes it difficult for customers to navigate at retail outlets.

Feeling inspired and fancy trying some new flavours? Get in touch to request samples of our flavour trends.

GET FLAVOUR SAMPLES

Exploring how flavourings can help solve one of food and drink manufacturers biggest headaches.

Allergens are one of the biggest nightmares for food and drink manufacturers. However, it’s a bigger nightmare if you suffer from one of these allergens. You may have heard about the large companies who have been caught out with it before and it can easily lead to devastating consequences if you get it wrong.

Allergens are a bigger problem than you think

Allergens are estimated to affect 1 in 25 of the UK population. Although 20-30% of people perceive themselves to have an intolerance or an allergy. That’s a big deal. For starters you don’t want to isolate a large number of the population from your products, and also this group of people don’t want to miss out on some of the tasty flavours that allergens might have.

Now then, what are these allergens we’re talking about? You’re probably aware of most of the big ones – nuts, milk, wheat and egg. There are also things like sesame, celery and mustard that are also incredibly dangerous to people with allergies.

Allergen-free food and drink is simple to achieve

So, how can you have an allergen-free site and produce products that still taste of nuts or milk? It’s easy, the answer is flavours.

Our team of flavourists have worked hard to develop a range of allergen-free natural flavourings that can make sure no one misses out on the tasty flavours that allergens would normally bring.

Flavours are the perfect option for use in development. Certain cuisines rely heavily on some of these allergens, for example, a lot of Asian cooking relies on sesame seeds or sesame oil to give the amazing taste that their cuisine is known for. If you have a sesame allergy you have to be careful with this cuisine.

NPD teams are always given projects to create allergen-free products but asked to still deliver that recognisable taste that the allergen provides. However, they never taste quite the same – we can say that from experience.

Make your life easier with flavours instead of allergens

Not only is it a pain for development but also for manufacturing. Manufacturers need to have different lines/sites for allergen containing products and allergen-free products, all of which cost a great deal of time and money to set up and maintain.

A great way to simplify your existing manufacturing process is to use flavours, which eliminates this hurdle. No designated allergen storage, intense deep cleaning after each run or extra lines are needed. You’ll also be opening up your products to a much wider audience and keeping everyone happy – what’s not to like?

If you’ve come across any of the problems above then why not try some of our flavours. You never know, it could be the answer you’ve been waiting for all this time.

Take a look below and request a sample of our favourite natural allergen-free flavours:

• Peanut Flavouring
• Hazelnut Flavouring
• Almond Flavouring
• Pistachio Flavouring
• Walnut Flavouring
• Celery Flavouring
• Sesame Flavouring
• Milk Flavouring
• Cream Flavouring
• Butter Flavouring

Get in touch to request a sample or to find out our full range of allergen-free flavours.

How to naturally reduce sugar in RTD milk and plant-based drinks with no impact on taste or texture.

Plant-based drinks are really taking on the mainstream. Over the last couple of years the quality of the products has increased massively – with an extensive choice now presented to consumers.

Take a look down supermarket aisles and you’ll see a whole selection of options: oat, soy, almond and coconut to name a few of the most popular. Then within each of these categories there is a further selection of eye-catching brands and flavours to try.

Traditional milk products shelf space is now being reduced as the alternative plant-based drinks grow in popularity.

What’s the issue with sugar in milk and plant-based drinks?

Many of the big brands in the plant-based sector like Oatly and Minor Figures do great work presenting no added sugar options in their core milk range. The main issue comes with the flavoured drinks and the plant-based milk options presented in coffee shops. Most of these products often have heaps of added sugar.

The issue looks to become a bigger headache with the rise of premium RTD products hitting the market. This area is spearheaded by the RTD coffee market that has grown 20% over 2020. With RTD premium drinks comes the need for powerful flavours and indulgence, all of which sugar is the go-to ingredient.

The issue isn’t just exclusive to plant-based drinks, as traditional RTD milk beverages also suffer from the same high sugar levels.

Consumers demand a healthier option

Milk and plant-based drink manufacturers can’t ignore the calls for lowering sugar content. Nearly half (46%) of consumers are concerned about the level of sugar in food and drink as an FSA survey found.

This is especially true in the plant-based sector, where a major appeal of the products is their added health benefits.

Natural flavourings can boost sweetness

The team at I.T.S. has developed a solution that will help dramatically reduce sugar in not just plant-based drinks, but also traditional milk drinks. We use natural flavourings to boost and enhance the sweetness in the applications.

Our new product, SweetLITE Body not only boosts sweetness but also enhances mouthfeel to make up for the lack of depth sugar provides to the mouthfeel of a drink.

We’ve proven to reduce sugar content by up to 50% in milk and plant-based drinks. The best part is the ingredient is 100% natural and declared as a natural flavouring on the packaging.

Get in touch to request a sample of our sugar reduction solutions.

Take a look at the savoury flavour trends you just won’t be able to ignore.

Food has become much more than just part of your daily routine. Food is now a journey, a destination, an experience. People’s love of food starts at the most essential part – flavour. Taste is quite simply, everything.
 
Flavour trends move quicker than ever. Brands and consumers are constantly on the lookout for the next big flavour experience. Well, have no fear, we’ve done the hard work for you.
 
Our team of technologists have put together a new Savoury Flavour Trends Presentation that will give you all the knowledge of what flavours you need to be experimenting with as we head towards 2022.
 
Whether you’re looking for flavours in meat replacements, savoury snacks, meat and seafood products, or sauces and condiments – we’ve got the top flavour tip for you.
 
The booming plant-based market has excelled the demand and innovation of savoury natural flavourings. We supply and manufacture a wide range of savoury natural flavourings and seasonings to meet all requirements.
 
Get in touch today to request free samples of our Savoury Trends and a copy of the Savoury Trends Presentation.

NATURAL FLAVOURS THAT TRANSFORM LO & NO DRINKS

With over 10 million UK adults now teetotal, the beverage industry is moving quickly to develop new premium low and no products.

With the rise in low and no alcoholic drinks, developers are looking for ways to keep that extra something special in the drink, even without alcohol. If consumers are going to give up their alcohol, they are going to want more than a glass of fizzy orange. This is where sensations come in. Adding sensations works to help give products that extra bit of sophistication and depth to keep that “grown-up” feel to your evening drink.

LOW AND NO BEVERAGES ON THE RISE

Recent stats have shown that 19% of the UK adult population are now teetotal – that’s over a whopping 10 million people. Leading spirit brand, Bombay Sapphire is preparing for this growing trend and have estimated the sector to grow a dramatic 400% over the next 4 years. That is a lot of people looking for new and interesting alternatives to their gin and tonic.

For a sector that is based around social occasions and celebrations, it’s crucial beverage brands adapt quickly, and keep their low and no products on-trend.

SENSATION FLAVOURS KEEP LO & NO BEVERAGE INTERESTING

Our team of Flavourists have been quick to address this shift in consumer behaviour and have been working with brands on ways to help add that sophistication and something special to their beverage products.

We have developed a unique range of natural flavourings that can ensure beverages continue to add excitement and experience. Our sensation range of natural flavourings can help add much-needed mouthfeel, heat or even coolness to beverage products.

NATURAL FLAVOURS THAT HELP YOU FEEL THE BURN

One of our most successful sensation flavours has got to be our “heating” range. This flavour gives the sensation that something is spiced or provides a strong alcohol feeling, with the burning effect once it’s been swallowed. These work really well in products that are looking to carry through that unique impact of alcohol.

Natural flavours can also help add complex flavours profiles like smokiness or bitterness – two key flavours you’ll find in alcoholic beverages. 

BOOST ALCOHOLIC FLAVOUR NOTES

Along with our non-mint derived cooling flavourings, the heating flavours match perfectly with our alcoholic booster flavourings. You can now develop an alcohol-free beverage with unique alcoholic flavour profiles and also add the extra layer of heat sensation.

From whisky, gin and rum to even more complex cocktail flavours like Negroni – we have a flavour library that covers all basis.

BUILD YOUR FLAVOUR PROFILE

Let’s face it, what would the beverage development world be without natural flavours? From citrus and tropical, to your classic core lemon and lime. Make sure your flavour packs a punch before going to market. 

Get in touch to request a sample of any of our flavourings to talk through in more detail with our team.

We give you the low down on why you should be trying Cherry Blossom.

Now, we know what you’re thinking – Cherry Blossom is the flavour of spring and we’re in August. Well, we are never ones to play by the rules and we think Cherry Blossom is so tasty it works equally well beneath the sun’s rays of summer as it does in blossoming spring.

Widely recognised as Japan’s national flower, Cherry Blossom offers both a floral and fruity scent which works perfectly for refreshing summer products. It’s a subtle flavour profile which still manages to hold its own when paired with other flavours.

Cherry Blossom has one of those unique flavour profiles that brings together many different sectors and applications due to its versatility. Refreshing drinks, light ice creams or innovative bakery – Cherry Blossom is a great flavour no matter what sector you work in.

It’s also a flavour that ticks multiple flavour trend boxes, with both Eastern flavours and the popularity of floral. You’ve probably seen Cherry Blossom in many big brand launches over the last year. Coca Cola, Häagen-Dazs, Nestle and Starbucks have all jumped on board with this appealing, colourful and tasty trend.

It’s certainly a flavour you need to at least try out, so get in touch and request your free sample of our Cherry Blossom natural flavouring. Available in both liquid and powder flavouring.

Natural flavourings can offer much more than just making food and drink taste great. Find out they can also make things healthier.

As experts in natural flavourings, we use them for many different things. The most obvious is of course to make things taste great. We’ve been making just about anything taste great for years. From cakes and biscuits, to ice cream and cheese – not to mention all the delicious beverage flavours we come up with.

But natural flavourings can be used for so much more than just enhancing flavour in food and drink. These clever little flavourings can also do all sorts of wonderful things like improve mouthfeel, prolong freshness, mask nasty tastes, reduce salt content and of course, help with sugar reduction.

Why is reducing sugar so important?

Back in 2016, Public Health England reacted to the public health issue of obesity within the UK. The government took steps to put pressure on just about anyone that was manufacturing food and drink to reduce their sugar content by 20%. This was going to be no easy challenge for the food and drink industry, as sugar not only greatly impacts on flavour, but also impacts issues like shelf life and texture.

How do natural flavourings help with sugar reduction?

Now, enter the flavour industry. The flavour industry quickly realised that flavourings could be part of the answer to the sugar reduction crisis. If a flavouring can make something taste of strawberry, why can’t it also make it taste sweeter?

Natural flavourings would present a much more appealing option to reducing sugar content than traditional artificial sweeteners that have been used for many years. Here is a product that is 100% natural and can help to dramatically reduce sugar content in just about any product.

Presenting the I.T.S. SweetLITE™ solutions

At I.T.S. we are incredibly proud of our range of sugar reduction solutions. Our SweetLITE™ range provides a full scope across bakery, dairy, beverage and just about any application. The solutions help to offer customers sugar reduction claims of up to 50% and can also be declared as “natural flavourings” on pack. Not only do these not impact on taste but they can also improve mouthfeel and texture of products.

We realise that sugar reduction is never a one size fits all approach, this is why we have put together such a wide range of solutions, which is ever-growing as we develop to meet the needs of our customers.

Don’t believe the hype?

Now, we’re not saying we are the only flavour house that can offer you sugar reduction in your products, but we’re saying we are comfortable that you’d be hard pushed to find more effective solutions.

Our SweetLITE™ range has often been benchmarked against competitor technologies and more often than not comes out on top. It’s just something we’re good at and also incredibly passionate about.

Get in touch to find out more and how your products can benefit from our sugar reduction solutions.

Request a sample of our sugar reduction solutions.

Probably the most important flavour trends forecast you’ll ever read. There has never been a more important time to get updated with flavour trends.

After a turbulent year in the food and drink industry, 2020 has left people looking for hope and growth in 2021. As experts in natural flavourings, we work closely with many sectors in food and beverage to make sure we know what flavours are trending.

Our team have been busy researching which flavours will be big this year and the flavours that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Trend 1) Back to Basics

We aren’t out of the woods yet. Before you go racing ahead looking for the next big thing, review your range and ensure your core flavours are strong. We’re talking all the classics – chocolate, strawberry, lemon, blueberry – you know, the big sellers.

Retailers are still going to be tight on product lines and consumers shopping times will still be reduced, so your core range remains your most important flavours. This doesn’t mean you should stand still, get out there and start benchmarking against other flavours. Make sure yours is the best.

Request flavouring samples

Trend 2) Summer Flavours

We may have lost summer 2020, but we are going to make damn sure summer 2021 isn’t one to forget. Christmas is over, Easter is up in the air, but Summer 2021 is the one to aim for.

By summer, if all goes well, the world should be starting to open up again and it’ll be the time for your new flavours and products to shine. This one isn’t complicated – fruity flavours, refreshing flavours, cocktail flavours, flavours that remind people of their holidays and escapism, you’ve got this.

The key strategy should be to keep your head down and focus on your core flavours, but be busy developing ready for a big summer 2021. Watch out for a whole load of new beverage launches in 2021, we know as we’re being briefed already.

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Trend 3) Sensation Flavours

Now this one’s fun. Not just adding new flavours to your products, but sensations. What’s a sensation you ask? Well, it’s anything that adds an extra bit of ‘zing’ to a product. It could be heat, cooling, tingling, bitterness – anything that can add more depth and excitement.

With Limited Edition products looking to be a big hit this year due to brands still being uncertain and more ability to sell direct to consumer, Sensation Flavours could be the ideal flavour for a limited edition run.

Our top tip is to combine with one of our trends for last year, Fantasy Flavours. Last year Fantasy Flavours really took a hold on the market, now combine that with a Sensation Flavour and you could be onto something.

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Trend 4) Citrus 2.0

One of our favourites and always relevant is Citrus. We’re sure this should just be included in Flavour Trend reports every year as it’s always popular.

This year it takes extra relevance as it will play a big part in the Summer Flavours trend. Also, we’re not talking any old citrus flavours, we’re talking Citrus 2.0 – forget orange, lemon and lime, things are getting interesting in Citrus.

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Trend 5) Asian Aspirations

It’s back! Yes, Asian flavours were on our flavour report last year. Along with just about every other flavour house, we shouted this from the rooftops, why? Because of the Olympics of course, and then it got cancelled. Well, the Olympics will still happen and so will this flavour trend.

So, dust off those old notebooks from last year and start revisiting your Asian flavour ideas and get going.

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Trend 6) A Braver Flavour

Go on, be brave, we dare you. Now is the time to stand out and try something different, something braver.

Yes, you should focus on core flavours. Yes, you should focus on summer – but, there is still time to be brave. Brave flavours will help take consumers on a journey of escapism.

Whilst everyone is focusing on core flavours and retailers begin to get more faith back in experimenting, the opportunity for A Braver Flavour really opens up. What better time to be brave and stand out when everyone else is doing the same thing?

Request flavouring samples

There you have it – that’s what flavour trends will be big this year. To find out more and how these flavours can work with your products get in touch to arrange a flavour trends workshop with our team.