graham cracker to roasted vegetable stew. Each flavor house
employs a few or many flavorists who have a background in
flavor chemistry. Each flavorist has his or her own style and
special take on bringing out certain notes over others. It is
rare to find a flavor with the exact same smell and effect
from different flavor houses.
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“A“As the organic industry is evolving and ever changing, so are the ingredients we have to
choose from.”
Flavor options are endless. The variation and vast sea
from which to choose and formulate with are oftentimes
overwhelming. As the organic industry is evolving and
ever changing, so are the ingredients we have to choose
from.
A product developer must consider many important aspects when developing a product. The developer must balance taste, consistency and cost of the final product.
Ultimately, however, he or she is at the mercy of the quality
of the base ingredients and the processing techniques available. These limitations have created a need for enhancements in food, and flavors allow for just that.
It is up to a product developer to study the library of flavors and communicate with flavorists about specific notes
and nuances available for each desired outcome of a product. It is imperative to explore the vast array of flavor
houses. There are many very highly trained and talented individuals who can assist companies down the path of creating a product from conceptualization, formulation and
onto commercialization.
It can be challenging to bring together the formulator,
flavor house, manufacturer and the many others involved
in creating and managing a successful brand, but this is
often the key to developing a consistent, flavorful product
with a long shelf life. o
Grace Venus is the founder of Venus Research and Development ( www.venusfood.com), which was created
to develop private label and branded products for the
natural food industry. Since its inception, Venus Research and Development has assisted in bringing over
200 beverages, pasta sauces, soups, salsa, and frozen
foods to commercialization. You can reach Grace at
grace.venus@venusfood.com.
