A natural solution to mask off-notes in nutrition products
The nutrition segment, consisting of specialized food products such as sports or wellness-oriented nutrition, is growing rapidly. As consumers become more health-conscious, they are increasingly looking for protein-rich foods that are low in fat and sugar, and as natural as possible.
As a result, snacks, beverages, biscuits and chocolates increasingly employ plant-based proteins derived from soy, pea, hemp and seaweed. These ingredients provide the human diet with essential amino acids and reliable supply availability, ensuring long-term availability and quality that manufacturers can rely on.
However, these proteins often come with unpleasant off-notes and bitterness that manufacturers need to find a way of masking. Managing these sensory issues is a key element in creating successful nutrition products. This is a health-conscious market segment so masking off-notes with sugar is not an option and artificial ingredients can undermine clean label positioning. Syensqo Vanillin, however, can provide a solution.
“Natural vanillin is a magical ingredient,” enthuses Caroline Calin, Business Development Manager for Syensqo’s Aroma Performance business. “Most people think it’s just an aromatic ingredient, but it actually goes way beyond that. It can play different roles in a food application, such as boosting flavors, masking off-notes and providing a sweet taste. Vanillin is key to achieving the balanced taste consumers are looking for.”
Natural vanillin is a magical ingredient. Most people think it’s just an aromatic ingredient, but it actually goes way beyond that. It can play different roles in a food application, such as boosting flavors, masking off-notes and providing a sweet taste.
The clean label challenge
With consumers paying closer attention to food labels than ever before, clean labels have evolved from a trend into an expectation, for which many customers are willing to pay more. Consumers are also now looking beyond health benefits alone. They are becoming more selective and seek added value that creates a more complete nutritional experience.
One of the reasons the global sports nutrition market is growing so rapidly, with projections reaching $80.2 billion by 2028, is the broadening consumer base. Traditional sports enthusiasts are now joined by health-conscious individuals at different life stages, from aspirational millennials to an active senior generation. This wider lifestyle nutrition market is helping to drive the popularity of plant-based proteins.
Plant-based protein sources, such as pea, hemp and seaweed, each have distinct taste and texture profiles. This means they must be addressed individually with a deep understanding of formulation interactions, which requires technical expertise and mastery of ingredient innovation and processing techniques.
“Plant-based food products have been a niche segment for sports enthusiasts for a long time,” says Caroline. “But now that the trend has become more mainstream, product developers realize that consumers are not willing to compromise on texture or taste. In this fast-moving environment, brands need to get ahead of the curve with effective, natural ingredients that work at many different levels.”
With an increasingly wide consumer base demanding more clean label, natural and plant-based products, manufacturers are seeking solutions. And with a versatile range of natural products and solutions, including natural vanillin, Syensqo is a reliable choice.
Vanillin: one molecule, multiple capacities
Natural vanillin solutions have the ability to mask off-notes, support clean label claims, improve sensory experience and contribute to healthier formulations. Best known for its flavoring properties, vanillin can help mask off-notes and bitterness, and reduce astringency in protein-enriched products, but achieving these effects requires precision.
Selecting the most effective natural vanillin solution depends on multiple factors, including product type, protein source, dosage level and formulation complexity, all of which influence sensory performance. Manufacturers also value technical advice in this area — something which Syensqo has been providing to its customers for over a century.
Regulatory restrictions are another consideration. In the EU or the US, for example, for a flavor to be marketed as natural, it must respect several guidelines. Syensqo’s natural vanillin solutions comply with these demanding natural flavoring regulations, making them a reliable choice for manufacturers.
Many essential amino acids are naturally perceived as bitter. Vanillin can help modulate bitterness perception and enhance roundness, sweetness and mouthfeel. By reducing watery or chalky sensations, vanillin can attenuate unpleasant sensory attributes while enhancing the overall flavor of foods and beverages.
“At Syensqo, we have developed a natural alternative to our historical synthetic vanillin, based on a fermentation process and a circular approach through the valorization of a byproduct from rice production,” explains Caroline. “Rhovanil® Natural, our natural vanillin range, can fully answer the needs of our customers in the Food & Beverage market looking to develop healthy, sustainable and tasty food products.”
Read our whitepaper about the benefits of natural vanillin for nutrition production
