Kerry Releases TasteSense Suitable For Organic
Kerry Group, the ‘taste & nutrition’ company, has released TasteSense Sweet Suitable for Organic into the European food and beverage manufacturing marketplace. This new “suitable for organic” natural X flavouring “modulation” technology will be compliant with the extensive, updated EU regulations for organic foods and beverages set to take effect on January 1, 2021.
The TasteSense Sweet Suitable for Organic product range addresses the evolving consumer and regulatory demand for more natural flavourings and reduced calories in food and beverages, facilitating sugar reduction of up to 30% specifically in beverages (soft and alcoholic) and dairy products, and allowing for an overall taste and profile improvement in low-zero sugar products without compromising taste.
This innovative product line delivers a superior and clean sweetness profile, improves the mouthfeel of sugar- or juice-reduced food and beverage products and can mask acidity and astringency. In addition, some options of the TasteSense Sweet Suitable for Organic portfolio are also stevia derivatives-free, addressing the growing preference in a number of EU markets for natural flavourings with modifying properties (FMP) solutions that are not derived from stevia, but instead use alternative botanical sources as precursors. Labelling of every item of this new range can be described as “Natural X Flavouring”, with variations on the “X” denomination according to the agricultural source (lemon, etc.) that makes up the required 95% of the aromatic part of the flavour formula.
This new range complements and integrates the broad range of “Natural X Flavouring and Extracts” available in Kerry’s Taste portfolio, offering a complete, high-performing, clean-label and cost-effective choice of fruit tonalities, brown flavours and botanicals. All of these features will be now required in organic food and beverages, a large step beyond the previous usage of simply “Natural Flavourings”.
“Kerry is extremely pleased to bring the TasteSense Sweet Suitable for Organic foods and beverages natural flavouring technology to market to address the upcoming EU regulation requiring organic products to reach the new 95/5 standard of ‘naturalness’ in flavourings,” explains Jem Greenwell, General Manager Taste – Europe & Russia. “These incoming regulations will affect all organic and traditional food and beverage manufacturers who want to reduce or remove sugar and use an organic claim without compromising on taste to do so. We are delighted the Kerry Global Taste Innovation team was successful in overcoming the significant challenge presented by the new regulatory requirement by developing this highly performing and cost-effective range of natural flavourings.”
The new EU law, published May 2018 (2018/848), states that flavourings for organic foods and beverages will need to now be at least 95% Natural X Flavourings (95/5 formula structure), with those meeting the new standard able to be described as “suitable for organic”. The new law is a substantial challenge for food and beverage manufacturers who want to declare organic but do not currently have access to an organic-suitable solution for sugar reduction, and likewise for flavour manufacturers who need to design 95/5-type modulators.