Category: I.T.S. news

The Ultimate Extracted Pure Vanilla Flavour

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Make your ice cream and cakes look and taste authentic with our new extracted pure Bourbon Vanilla powder.

Looking to boost a vanilla flavour with all-natural and pure ingredients? Do you want the authentic look of vanilla? Look no further than our extracted ground Bourbon Vanilla powder. A cost-effective vanilla powder that delivers visually and compliments the existing vanilla flavour.

This vanilla powder is made from vanilla pods that have been used to produce vanilla extract. The extracted natural and pure vanilla powder has a distinctive mild Bourbon Vanilla flavour that remains after the single extraction process. 

Extracting vanilla flavour to make pure Bourbon Vanilla powder.

The used vanilla pods are dried and finely milled to obtain a fine homogeneous powder. The vanilla powder has a mild vanilla and fruit flavour and aroma. It is perfect for adding to sauces, desserts and ice cream, to compliment the sensory and visual appeal.

Request a Bourbon Vanilla powder sample.

The extracted Bourbon Vanilla ground is:

  • Kosher Certified
  • Vegetarian Suitable
  • Vegan Suitable
  • Allergen-free

Get in touch to request a sample to see how it can work for you.


REQUEST A SAMPLE

Bravest Flavour Trends for Food and Drink 2024

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FLAVOUR TREND FORECAST FOR 2024

Take a journey into the future of flavour. Our team of natural flavour experts have connected the dots to pull together the bravest flavour trends for the year ahead.

We’ve tracked down countless online research platforms, trawled the supermarkets, not to mention eating and drinking our way through countless cafes, bars and restaurants across the globe. 

Explore our top flavour tips below:

NEWFOUND NOSTALGIA

Consumers love a trip down memory lane. Make sure you revisit popular flavours from the past, but with an added newfound twist. Nostalgic dessert flavours are big, but now it’s time to get braver with a new spin. Bring old flavours into 2024.

Put your own spin on: Marzipan, Custard, Sherbet, Gingerbread & Candy Floss.

Request a sample.

FOREVER FLORAL

Floral has officially hit the mainstream. Floral and botanicals have been around for a while, but mainly in the premium sectors. It’s now being seen with much wider distribution. These floral flavours can be a little different, so make sure you pair with something fruity. 

Start blossoming with: Elderflower, Rose, Orange Blossom, Hibiscus & Geranium.

Request a sample.

CREATIVE CARAMEL

Salted caramel, and now caramelised biscuit. There is simply no stopping the popularity of caramel based flavours. Anything with caramel seems to be going down a storm. Make sure you are being creative with caramel.

Sweeten up with: Salted Caramel Latte, Caramelised Apple, Blonde Chocolate, Caramelised Biscuit & Dulce De Leche.

Request a sample.

creative caramel flavour trend

BARBIE WORLD

Hear us out on this one. This isn’t just about Barbie. It’s about joining in with pop culture and mainstream trends. Create a flavour to join in with the conversation – just make sure it’s the right one. Timing is everything with this trend. 

Start creating your own with: Smokey Caramel, Neopolitan, Toasted Popcorn, Jalapeno & Spiced Apple.

Request a sample.

FOR REAL FRUITS

Consumers are increasingly looking for natural flavour profiles and moving away from the sweeter confectionery styles. Authenticity is a big deal in food and drink in 2024. Make sure your flavours taste just like the real thing.

Keep it real with: Pineapple Puree, Blueberry Puree, Passion Fruit Puree, Raspberry Puree & Apricot Puree. 

Request a sample.

peach flavour trend

A BRAVER FLAVOUR

Our favourite trend and one that is relevant every year. There is never a time when it’s ok to be boring. Make sure you are keeping things fresh. A top tip is to pair a braver flavour with a more established flavour profile to make sure your product has maximum appeal. 

Dare to be different with: Katsu Curry, Mangosteen, Smokey Strawberry, Tigers Blood & Manao.

Request a sample.

Not enough for you? In need of some more detail? A stickler for facts and figures? Get in touch to request our full Flavour Trends 2024 report to take a deep dive into the world of flavour. 


DOWNLOAD FLAVOUR REPORT

What’s Hot this Christmas in UK Supermarkets

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Food and Drink Trends this Christmas.

Now the dust has settled and supermarkets are stuffed to capacity with glitz and glamour, we jumped head first into the sparkliest aisle in the supermarket. 

Discover what’s hot this Christmas with food and drink in UK supermarkets.

Mince Pies, but not as we know them.

Finally! Mince Pies are getting a little more exciting. We’ve got nothing against a good old mince pie, it’s just that we felt they could do with a facelift. 

Luckily, our prayers were answered. Taking inspiration from the Hot Cross Bun category we’ve started to see a rise in premium flavoured mince pies.

A special shout out to the chocolate and cherry mince pies at Asda. 

i.t.s. flavour trends chocolate and cherry mince pies

Chocolate, any way you want it. 

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Chocolate isn’t going anywhere. 

But, in true braver flavour spirit – it’s chocolate ramped up. Mint chocolate, salted chocolate, blonde chocolate, orange chocolate. Make sure you are doing something interesting with it.  

Our special shout-out goes to Tesco with their White Forest flavoured ice cream – yum. 

I.T.S. flavour trends white forest flavour ice cream

Berries, with a little bit of Christmas spice.

We’ve been tracking this one for a while. We first spotted it launched in Harrods when we indulged in their mulled berry-filled doughnuts. 

Since then we’ve been singing its praises to anyone that will listen – hoping it will catch on this Christmas. And, guess what – it’s here. 

Our shout-out goes to Aldi’s Mixed Berry Cider which even has the excitement of glitter – and who doesn’t love a little shimmer at Christmas? 

I.T.S. flavour trends mulled berry

Caramel, you can’t escape it, but why would you want to?

We set you the challenge of trying to avoid caramel this Christmas. Impossible. Everywhere you look another flavour pairing boasts the caramel label.

Leading the way is Caramelised Biscuit. We are pretty sure almost every brand has its own offering at the moment. 

Special shout-out? We couldn’t choose just one. Just get out there and fill your basket with this indulgent flavour. 

 

I.T.S. christmas trends caramelised biscuit

Christmas, the perfect time for flavour. 

There are so many other exciting flavours we’ve seen rising in popularity this Christmas.

Flavours like spiced apple, brown butter, candy cane, marmalade, spiced rum, and almond are some of the tasty flavours to make sure you try this Christmas. 

Don’t forget – if you’re looking ahead to next year, get in touch to request some natural flavour samples to get your development started early.  

I.T.S. christmas flavour trends

REQUEST CHRISTMAS FLAVOUR SAMPLES

I.T.S. Supports West Berkshire Christmas Toy Appeal

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Giving something back this Christmas.

The I.T.S. team will once again be supporting the West Berkshire Toy Appeal this Christmas. The special cause is an important charity that helps ensure underprivileged children receive gifts at Christmas. 

Last year we were introduced to the charity by our very own, Sam Tucker, who works in our Technical and Quality teams. Sam was alerted to the fact that donations were down and asked I.T.S. Founder, Mike Bagshaw, if I.T.S. could step in. 

After seeing the help and joy the donations spread last year, we committed to continuing donations to the West Berkshire Toy Appeal. 

Click here to find out more and find out how can get involved with the West Berkshire Toy Appeal. 

A Day in the Life of Natural Flavour Manufacturing

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Understanding Natural Flavours.

In September 2023, leading food and drink publisher, Food Manufacture, came to visit I.T.S. HQ for a quick tour of what life is like in the world of flavour making. 

A day in the life of I.T.S and natural flavour manufacturing.

We love it when friends come to visit at I.T.S. – that is why our door is always open to customers and suppliers to pop by and say hello whenever they are in town. Our good friends from Food Manufacture (Bethan Grylls, Editor, and William Dodds Deputy Editor) approached us to ask if they could come and shoot a short video highlighting what goes on in the day of a natural flavour manufacturer.  Never one to pass up an opportunity, we obliged and welcomed the team on-site. 

Natural flavours don’t have to be so secretive

Why is it that most natural flavour companies are so secretive about their work? We love sharing how we do things and are happy to shout it from the rooftops. 

That’s why we gave a special tour to Food Manufacture to show them all about what we do. We gave a complete tour of our facilities- test bakery, flavour library, flavour production facility, and beverage development suite – even our very own bar! 

Step inside I.T.S. flavours

Click here to watch the video and find out more about what Food Manufacture had to say about their day exploring I.T.S. 

I.T.S. at IBA 2023 – World’s Leading Trade Fair for Bakery

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We are ready to unleash our natural flavours at the world’s largest trade fair for bakery and confectionery.

The I.T.S. team are dusting off their lederhosen and heading to Munich for the IBA 2023 trade show. We’ll be ready and waiting at booth B4 / 344 with heaps of tasty flavours for visitors to taste.

The IBA trade show will take place from October 22 to 26, 2023 at the Fairground Munich.

We’re baking something special ready for IBA 2023

You aren’t going to want to miss us. Our team has been busy prepping in our test bakery some tasty baked treats that are packed with flavour. 

That’s not all. If you need a break from all the bread and cake on show – we’ll have some other refreshments to keep you going (all infused with our natural flavours of course). 

Natural flavours will be on show at the place to be for the bakery industry.

IBA is the world’s leading trade fair for bakery, confectionery and snacks and offers a unique platform where the latest trends and innovations in the industry are presented.

The leading trade fair not only impresses international exhibitors, who can present themselves and make new contacts by means of innovative participation opportunities. IBA also provides the trade fair audience with a unique cross-section of the entire trade, thanks to the wide-ranging portfolio from raw materials manufacturers and packaging technology to traditional crafts and digitalization.

Selected focus topics bring current issues and developments to the fore and offer a additional information.

Click here to find out more info and register to attend. Or, if you’d like to get in touch to arrange a meeting at the show to discuss natural flavours – drop us a message. 

Bakery Flavours of The Future

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Bakery flavour trends to keep an eye on in 2024.

The baking industry has never been more progressive and forward-thinking. Artisan and craft bakeries are inspiring change and driving new trends. 

The mixture of social media and customer demand for exciting new flavours has kept the baking industry on its toes. Read our Bakery Flavour Trends report to get the lowdown. 

We’ve analysed product launch data to highlight the fastest-growing flavours across all categories in bakery. 

Fastest growing bakery flavours across the UK and USA.

We’ve looked at data across key markets that influence trends like the USA and UK. We’ve studied data across all sectors like baked snacking, cakes, muffins, doughnuts, pastries – you name it, we looked. 

Milk chocolate will always be the most popular flavour in the baking industry.

An obvious choice for top spot for bakery flavours in 2022 and one we don’t think will be toppled anytime soon. Milk chocolate is pretty much the first flavour on any bakeries product list.

Now the challenge is how to do you keep it interesting?

Pear, the traditional flavour is beginning to come back into fashion.

A classic flavour that is making waves in grown-up and premium baked products. From up-market pastries, to fancy biscuits – pear launches are really stepping up the game.

Pear is also a great flavour to pair with other tasty flavours.

Do you want to know more about flavours are trending in bakery? Make sure you check out our Bakery Flavour Trends report. 


BAKERY FLAVOUR TRENDS REPORT

UHT Proof Natural Flavours for Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

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Natural Flavours Ready for UHT Production

UHT-Proof Natural Flavours for Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

Struggling to get flavour to deliver after UHT processing? Flavouring UHT milk can be tricky. UHT treatment by definition presents barriers for flavour delivery. The ultra-heat treatment involved in the process can dramatically impact on flavour characteristics and profiles. That’s why it is important to run trials and test flavour ingredients to make sure your flavour is really delivering.

In-House UHT Pilot Plant

Tired of running flavoured milk through UHT processing only to find the flavour has changed, or completely disappeared? Sick of the wastage and wasting time? Well, we are here to help. If we were seriously going to make a range of flavours that were made specifically for UHT process, we were going to need to do some testing.

To make sure our testing was spot on, we only went and installed our very own UHT pilot plant. Yes, that’s right, a flavour house has its own UHT pilot plant on-site. But we aren’t just any old flavour house, remember.

With our new state of the art UHT equipment, we were able to run trials with various dairy and dairy alternatives products. This made sure we could check the flavour delivery really came through and that all flavours are fully UHT proofed. Our Flavourists worked closely with our team on the UHT facility to make sure everything was still tasting just as delicious after the UHT treatment.

Our Flavourists could then adapt and make subtle changes to flavour profiles to ensure they could withstand the intense heat of the milk processing.

Natural Flavour Range Tried and Tested for UHT

We’ve now got a tasty little range of unique natural flavours that are ready for your UHT production. We’ve tested and worked these flavours on both dairy and various dairy alternatives milk. So, whatever your preference, we have the flavour.

Take a look at some of our favourites below and request a sample to give it a go.

Banana Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Strawberry Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Toffee Fudge Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Caramel Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Vanilla Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Milk Chocolate Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Dark Chocolate Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Ginger Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Raspberry Ripple Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Black Cherry Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Banoffee Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Coffee Crème Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Gingerbread Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Cookies & Cream Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Honeycomb Natural Flavour (UHT Proof) – Request a sample

Flavour In Dairy & Dairy Alternatives – Roundtable Discussion

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Ingredients and flavour in the dairy and plant-based alternative industry.

I.T.S. attending Dairy Innovation Strategies 2023 conference

It’s back! For the 9th year running, the who’s who of the dairy and dairy alternatives industry will gather to discuss to future of the industry. 

This year the event is based in the heart of Copenhagen and there has never been a more important time to look into innovation in this evolving sector. Spanning two days (19th – 20th April 2023), and two stages, brands like Danone, Oatly, Coca Cola, Arla Foods, and many more will be setting the world to rights on new innovation.

Ingredients, taste & flavour in the dairy and plant-based alternative industry

The most exciting part of the event will be when our very own Mike Bagshaw takes to the stage to share his insight and secrets of getting the most out of flavour in dairy and plant based alternatives. 

We’ve been working closely with customers on both sides of the diary and plant-based fence on how to really deliver with flavour. Recently we have invested in a state of the art UHT trials facility to help customers run trials of new flavour launches. This has also allowed us to develop a unique range of nautal flavours that cope well under the intense UHT treatment. 

Joining Mike on the panel will be Philippe Teissier Phd, R&I Ferments and Fermentation Director of dairy giants, Danone Nutricia Research.

Click here to find out more on the event and sign up to visit. 

 

Natural Puree Flavours for Brewing at Beer X 2023

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Puree Natural Flavours on show at Beer X 2023

Bottoms up! Are you a brewer, or interested in brewing? Then you should head to Livepool on the 15-16th of March for the Beer X exhibition.

Beer X is a yearly event hosted by SIBA that brings together the brewing community to share what has been going on. Beer X isn’t just like any old exhibition, the event also hosts the SIBA awards and plenty of other tasty liquid to sample.

We are returning after a hugely fun and successful 2022 event. We made heaps of new friends and drank a lot of tasty beer. We’ll be pitching up on stand 35 and have some of our very own brewed beer that has been infused with our natural puree flavours.

Come and say hello and share a tipple. The event is situated right on the docks of Liverpool and also hosts some lively after party events throughout the city where brewers can get together after the event.

Drop us a line if you’d like to arrange a meet up, or request some samples prior to the event.

See you there!