Global flavor and ingredient supplier Flavorchem has launched Taste Mod for Protein, a clean label solution to masking plant-based protein off-notes. 

The innovation is the first in a line of “high-performance” taste modulators created to enhance the sensory experience of functional foods and beverages, which have seen soaring demand in the pandemic’s wake.

“We see taste modulation as the future for responding to consumer’s changing preferences and attitudes about nutrition,” Laura Dembitzer, director of marketing and communications at Flavorchem, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Taste Mod for Protein works across a variety of product applications, such as snack and performance bars, ready-to-drink nutritional beverages, and functional blends and mixes to enhance taste. 

Flavorchem estimates that 57% of households now purchase plant-based foods, up from 53% in 2019.Drive for functional foods 
Flavorchem notes that COVID-19 has fueled interest in functional food and beverages, as consumers turn more to products that support their overall well-being. 

Seventy-one percent of respondents in Innova’s 2020 Health & Nutrition Survey agreed that it was “important” or “very important” to choose F&B products that positively boost nutrition or benefit how the body functions. 

However, functional foods that deliver added nutrients typically contribute unwanted attributes such as off-flavors, textures and aromas in the finished products. 

“Rice, pea, soy, hemp, chickpea and other plant-based proteins may contribute vegetative, beany or cardboard aromas, as well as bitter or astringent tastes,” Dembitzer explains.  

“These off-flavors create hurdles for any application. The protein source, the composition of the base, processing parameters and sweeteners all influence perception.”

Taste Mod for Protein masks undesirable attributes without imparting a distinct flavor of its own. “This gives product developers the freedom to use Taste Mod for Protein in conjunction with any flavor profile,” explains Dembitzer. 

Taste Mod for Protein masks undesirable attributes without imparting a distinct flavor of its own.Boon for protein
Flavorchem reports a rise in demand for protein in general, with half of all consumers trying to eat more at each meal, whether from animal or plant sources. However, plant-based protein is specifically poised for significant growth, with one in four consumers eating more protein from plant sources versus a year ago.

“The plant-based protein market is absolutely exploding. Last year, plant-based products grew almost twice as fast as the total US retail food market, as sales surged 27% to reach US$7 billion,” says Dembitzer. 

She also reveals that the value of the global plant protein market could surpass US$162 billion by 2030. This figure is more than fivefold the estimated plant protein market value in 2020 – US$29.4 billion. 

“We developed Taste Mod for Protein to help our clients distinguish their products in the marketplace by developing plant-based protein products with the absolute best taste profile possible,” she explains. 

Clean label and vegan solution 
Taste Mod for Protein provides a comprehensive solution for plant protein sources and applications,” adds Ashley Rizzo, Flavorchem’s R&D manager and senior flavorist. 

The plant protein modulators are also vegan, kosher, non-GMO and declared as “natural flavor” in the US only. However, Flavorchem already has custom solutions in the works “to satisfy any label or regulatory restrictions.”

Taste Mod for Protein is currently available for sampling in the US and will be available in Europe soon.

Flavorchem plans to extend the Taste Mod line in 2022 to include more specialized ingredients to optimize taste profile and mouthfeel.