Category: Industry news

Natural flavours can do a whole lot more than make things tastier.

1) Taste is Everything

An eye-catching brand and good distribution can only get you so far. At I.T.S. we see many products hit the shelves and disappear within a matter of months. If you want repeat sales and to really grow a successful food or drink brand, you need to make sure your flavour delivers.

It’s all well and good tapping into trends like plant-based, gluten free or low alcohol, but you need to make sure that doesn’t impact the flavour.

Natural flavours can help boost the flavour of just about any product.

2) Keep Costs Down with Natural Flavours

Keeping your costs down has never been so important. As a squeeze on customers’ purse strings starts to pinch, the cost becomes more and more crucial. It’s a double edge sword as ingredients such as wheat, butter and fruits are all going up and up in cost.

Flavours offer a straightforward way to reduce such expensive ingredients and replace with natural flavours, which can also help improve the flavour. What’s not to like?

3) Natural Flavours Can Help Reduce Sugar Content

Natural flavours can do a lot more than just deliver flavour. These tasty little things can also help your food and drink products be healthier.

Our SweetLITE flavour range is 100% natural and can reduce sugar content by up to 50% with no impact on flavour.

4) Streamline Food and Drink Production

Are your recipes and formulations full of complex ingredients that come from multiple suppliers? Bring all the flavour components together in one tasty natural flavour.

Our flavourists can merge all your flavour profiles into one flavour for you to both streamline your production and cut costs on ingredients.

5) Keep Ingredient Lead Times Short and Reliable

Say goodbye to long lead times and being at the mercy of multiple supplier delistings. Natural flavours come with rapid turnaround times – as little as 14 working days, with samples even arriving next day. Flavours are also reliable and can be routinely supplied anytime you need them.

In turbulent times like we are currently living, you can’t undervalue the importance of reliability.

If you’re looking for help with any of the above get in touch to speak to a member of the I.T.S. team and request a flavour sample. 

The Dairy and Dairy-Free Category Face HFSS Challenges Ahead.

How HFSS will impact the dairy and dairy-free market?

I.T.S. works closely with a whole host of industry experts to help consult on various projects. One of our most trusted friends is David Northeast.

David has spent the past 8 years developing mainstream products but also focussing largely on plant-based developments. He’s developed products for a number of brands including the Coconut Collaborative and Tom Parker Creamery – and plenty of others that are top secret!

We sat down with David to dig deeper into what the new HFSS regulations mean for the dairy and dairy-free industries.

What actually are the new HFSS regulations?

To put it simply, HFSS stands for “High in Fat, Salt and Sugar.” It is a term the UK government has created to categorise products they feel are adding to the obesity issue in the UK.

The new HFSS regulation is one of the biggest shake-ups facing product developers in the dairy and dairy-free space for a long time. There is no doubt that some impact will be seen – but what actually does it involve?

David explains, “There is a huge amount of confusion about how milkshakes, ice creams etc will be impacted. Supermarkets have already started preparing (I know this as a shop manager told me when I couldn’t find some orange juice and it had been moved in preparation for HFSS). Basically, they should not be able to promote or appear on end of aisles.”

HFSS regulations also bring in new restrictions to online and television advertising to restrict these products from only advertising at restricted times.

This could have a dramatic impact on brands in terms of shelf positioning and space within supermarkets. Products that don’t adhere to guidelines would not be available on promotion, or have priority visibility on special deal aisles. These types of activities are crucial for new product launches in supermarkets.

Are customers bothered about HFSS?

So, we know brands and NPD teams are bothered about the new regulations, but how bothered is your average shopper? David has seen a mixed response, “To be honest it is quite a split in my experience. All parents want their kids to eat what they perceive as healthily. Some are happy about the proposed changes and others do not like being dictated to. The current cost of living crisis and rising food prices are far more important to many families at the moment. BOGOFs are very important to many families.”

David goes on to say “Personally, I think some products are eaten as a treat and should remain that way. It is the hidden fat, salt and sugar in products such as some bread and ready-meals that the consumer is more likely to be unaware of.”

Scary stuff that it’s the hidden sugar that is really the danger – not the obvious products. Consumers are aware they can’t eat a whole tub of ice cream, but that packet of pasta sauce could be just as unhealthy.

What would encourage consumers to be more interested in HFFS??

With the new digital-savvy generation, consumers get their information from many different sources. This generates huge amounts of mixed information from all different areas and encourages a divided opinion. No longer do consumers just soak up the evening news and base judgement on that. Shoppers are constantly approached on various channels with many informed and uninformed views.

David summarises by saying “I think there is no “one size fits all” solution here. Some people respond well to more education, others may need financial incentives. There is a lack of trust in most sources of information these days, with many people believing influencers over qualified professionals when it comes to diet choice.”

What are the key challengers of HFSS for dairy and dairy-free categories?

Things don’t change overnight and old habits die hard. David proposes a slow shift, rather than a drastic change. “The public is used to things tasting in a certain way. So, the transition needs to be slow. If you were to eat some products as they were formulated 20 years ago, they would be too salty. Although, these things carry flavour and enhance the eating experience.

There may be shelf-life issues with some products and in some instances, processes may need to be adapted. Some regional cuisines are also naturally higher in sugar or salt.”

Obviously, there are huge benefits to the HFSS regulations, with the end goal of making people healthier and reducing the pressure on services like the NHS. David doesn’t ignore the long-term benefits – “I think the long-term health of the individuals in this country and the costs of dietary-related issues are always paramount – but it’s not something that can happen overnight.“

Simple solutions for NPD dealing with HFSS regulations

We’re always looking for ways our natural flavours can help our customers solve challenges and make their lives easier. We have natural flavours that can reduce sugar content in products by up to a whopping 50%, with no impact on flavour.

It just so happens David is a fan too, “I have used SweetLITE in numerous products and found it to be an excellent tool for enhancing the naturally occurring sweetness present. The levels of sugar reduction are product specific, however, the results have been excellent”.

If you’d like to find out how our SweetLITE flavours can help you hit new HFSS regulations – just get in touch to request a sample.

For further reading on the HFSS regulations click here.

Request SweetLITE Sample

Butter prices are heating up.

Have you noticed the rising cost of butter putting a strain on production costs? The average European butter price skyrocketed by 28% at the end 2021, and has remained high so far in 2022.
Just a quick look at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which tracks the UK wholesale butter price, is a very depressing read.
The dramatic increase in the price of butter has been linked to many global factors. Issues like the rising costs of farming, with increased costs of fertiliser, feed and fuel is at the top of the list.
This is putting huge pressure on trying to cost-engineer food with butter being such a key ingredient for the unique flavour profile. Our friends in the bakery sector are finding it especially tough. Butter plays such an important role in both the texture and flavour of baked goods.
The forecasts predict that prices aren’t going to slow down anytime soon, so it is important a long-term solution is found to tackle the issue.

Natural butter flavours come to the rescue

Did you know that using butter isn’t the only way to get that delicious buttery taste? We’ve been supplying natural butter flavours to a wide range of products that deliver the same buttery taste profile.

Natural flavours offer a tasty, cost-effective and plant-based alternative to actual butter. They are also all allergen-free. There is simply no better butter alternative.

I.T.S. butter flavour range

If you want to start lowering your reliance on butter and request some butter flavour samples, please get in touch.

Have a look below at some of our tasty butter flavours:

Butter – Request a sample

Butter Caramel – Request a sample

Butter Creamy – Request a sample

Butter Sweet – Request a sample

Buttermilk – Request a sample

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.

Request a flavour sample

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

Request a flavouring sample

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

Request a flavouring sample

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

Request a flavouring sample

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

Request a flavouring sample

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

Request a flavouring sample

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.