Adding Value with Extracts

Extracts are the go-to ingredients for food and beverage product developers intent on formulating products with a clean, clear or natural marketing approach. As the ingredients panel on packages foods is scrutinized by some consumers for so-called no-no ingredients, extracts offer formulators an opportunity to preserve a formulation seen as appealing.

Mitin Rathod, global segment lead at Sensient Flavors, Hoffman Estates, Ill., said clean label is a part of the equation, but it can be oversimplified and, at times, even misrepresented.

“There are underlying trends related to extracts, one of them being ease of communication; it’s something people can read and pronounce,” he said. “The other part of it that is not getting enough attention is how it relates to sustainability. It may not be top of mind regarding food ingredients, but sustainability is top of mind for many people in their day-to-day lives. Extracts are more in tune with these consumers’ shopping behavior.”

Citing 2019 data from the market research company Information Resources, Inc., Mr. Rathod said recycling and biodegradable are topics consumers rank high when they consider sustainability.

“But at No. 6 and No. 7 on the list is natural and organic,” he said. “Below them is ethnically sourced. These aren’t the leaders, but they are all in the top 10 topics consumers think about related to sustainability.”

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