Givaudan TasteSolutions and Sense It Sweet programs

Givaudan is expanding its TasteSolutions health and wellness program by increasing investment and resources in taste technology to address food manufacturers’ sweetness challenges. The company continues to grow its discovery program to develop natural ingredients from botanical sources and biotechnology. Givaudan also has a pipeline of artificial molecules and USA GRAS regulatory approval for a new sweetness modifier to add to its existing flavour ingredients’ palette to help create sweetness and mouthfeel solutions for sugar reduction.

These initiatives are in response to increasing consumer demand for food and beverage products which are perceived as healthier - yet do not compromise on taste. Over the past year, there has been an additional challenge as sugar prices have increased significantly and, in some countries, sugar itself is in short supply.

Consumers desire the sweetness profile of sugar even in low- and zero-calorie products - often preferring this to the taste of high-intensity sweeteners. Investment in sweetness modulation technology has enabled Givaudan to develop its TasteSolutions program, providing sensorially balanced profiles for both naturally and artificially sweetened low- and zero-calorie products, by enhancing their sweetness characteristics while masking undesirable notes and improving the flavour to gain consumer acceptance in the finished application. For consumers who prefer natural ingredients, the challenge of masking the bitter off-notes of Stevia extract Reb-A can be overcome using similar methods.

In addition, the company has developed an in-depth sensory understanding of high-intensity sweeteners designed to replace sugar and sugar-based solutions. Internationally, the company manages panels of trained tasters sensitive to high-intensity sweeteners including Reb-A, sucralose and all major sweeteners to help capture consumer perceptions.

Outputs from these panels have helped Givaudan to develop its own language covering aroma, taste and mouthfeel: Sense It Sweet describes the different tastes imparted by sweeteners in food and beverage applications and helps to guide the company’s flavourists in their creation of new sweetness solutions. With this sensory knowledge, the company has mapped out a proprietary ‘sweet curve’ to visually demonstrate the changes in perceptions of sweetness over time.

Together with its flavour creation, application technology and sensory science capabilities, the company is creating complete sweetness solutions for sugar-reduced applications for beverages, milk drinks, yoghurts, ice-creams, cereals and baked goods.