How is ADM moving the needle when it comes to food flavours?

The food flavours sector is one of the biggest in the food and beverage industry, valued at an estimated $12.4 billion.

With a market of that kind of size and scale, being truly innovative is a huge challenge. Consumers have huge expectations when it comes to flavour, and therefore so do manufacturers and retailers. That pressure travels up the chain and lands with people such as Angela Barnard, Senior Flavourist Citrus, and Sunarie Servais, EMEA Director of Product Marketing, Flavours, both at ADM.

New Food  spoke to Barnard and Servais to understand ADM’s new Corefold™ technology, the changes it has introduced to the flavour sector and the challenges they face in fulfilling often unrealistic demands from their consumers.

What is ADM’s Corefold™ technology?

Angela Barnard (AB): Driven by demand for unique and differentiated citrus profiles, we have engineered Corefold™ citrus flavour technology to deliver refreshing citrus flavours that are captivating European consumers’ attention. Made possible through novel and proprietary separation technologies and concentration methods, Corefold™ focuses on the core part of citrus, emphasising the molecules responsible for impact and mouthfeel while capturing top notes for freshness and aroma.

Ideally suited across a wide range of beverage applications, Corefold™ can solve specific formulation challenges while delivering offerings that burst with crisp citrus flavours. For example, when used in flavoured water formulations, Corefold™ can deliver the needed body and mouthfeel that may be lost without juice or sugar content. Corefold™ also helps ensure citrus notes shine through beer bases, tantalising consumers’ tastebuds.

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Taking citrus as an example, how do you create the classic citrus flavour which consumers think of?

AB: Formulating authentic citrus flavours and ingredients requires the appropriate process technologies adapted to the desired end application. With our innovative citrus flavour systems and decades of flavour creation expertise, we use a combination of tools and strategies to accentuate the molecules that evoke the fresh citrus notes consumers expect.

Our flavourists use raw material strategies and captive technologies to maximise flavour creation flexibility across applications. These raw materials include peel oil, essence oil and water phase, each bringing different flavour characteristics, such as juicy or tangy. Utilising a combination of distillation and non-thermal technologies, such as liquid-liquid chromatography and membrane extraction, we create authentic flavour solutions with superior solubility and stability, including those made with our Corefold™ technology.

How do you translate what consumers say they want into tangible flavours?

Sunarie Servais (SS): Our research into citrus flavour preferences helps guide and support our customers in developing exemplary citrus sensory experiences. Of the six European countries – the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Poland – we surveyed, most European consumers are drawn to citrus’ bright and uplifting qualities¹. They also tend to enjoy familiar citrus flavours within the region, such as Sicilian lemon, Valencia orange and ruby red grapefruit1. However, these consumers are also interested in expanding their horizons, with curiosity in trying more exotic varietals, such as yuzu, Tahiti lime or key lime¹.

Having a deep understanding of where the market is heading and developing a set of tools that can support what’s next is vital. Coupling in-depth regional insights with technologies like Corefold™ can unlock the power of citrus.

Is it difficult to bridge what’s possible in terms of technology to what consumers want?

AB: Our global team of flavourists and food scientists take a collaborative approach to technical development, enabling us to help our customers deliver the true-to-fruit citrus tastes consumers crave. We collaborate with our customers to ideate and develop solutions and products that can overcome potential formulation hurdles.

Specifically, with our Corefold™ technology, we can address the challenges of demanding product bases. Liqueurs, for instance, tend to have bold, powerful flavor experiences. As such, citrus notes must be strong to bring the zing and fruitiness needed. Another example is with functional beverages, which include isotonic products and energy drinks that have functional ingredients that may impact taste. In these applications, citrus flavors must have the right potency to support a delicious flavor profile, helping to also mask off-notes and support overall mouthfeel.