FLAVOURS & FRAGRANCES challenge for nutrition manufacturers as the variety and source of plantproteins , together with manufacturing processes , all bring unpleasant off-notes to the final product . Additionally , to create a balanced formulation , manufacturers often have to mix different sources of plantbased proteins .
This flavour challenge is further complicated by the fact that each plant protein is unique in taste and texture meaning each one must be addressed differently . Therefore , manufacturers need to focus on multiple aspects to produce good tasting products such as bitterness , astringency and earthy or vegetal notes . Masking protein bitterness and off-notes is today ’ s major flavour challenge .
Inhibiting bitter molecules
Vanilla is one of the best known and loved universal tastes and vanillin , the main organoleptic component of vanilla , is at the heart of its unique taste . Vanillin not only provides a sweet , creamy scent of vanilla but also has the unique capacity to neutralise bitterness and off-notes by acting as a bitter-blocker in food products . Chocolate is a very good example where vanillin has been historically used to mask the bitterness of cocoa ..
Syensqo ( which was then part of Solvay Group ) collaborated with the French National Research Institute
I
Oat drink ( Unflavoured & unsweetened )
.,
Oat drink with
Rhovanil Natural
• Fewer vegetable off-notes
• More roundness and creamy perception
Vanilla
for Agriculture , Food & Environment ( INRAE ) in 2018 in a study to understand the scientific mechanism behind the masking properties of vanillin . This demonstrated the interaction between vanillin and the receptors of bitterness in general and receptors of bitterness activated by proteins in particular .
Vanillin activates a large number of bitter receptors ( 11 of the 25 known TAS2R bitter taste receptors ). Of these 11 bitter taste receptors , vanillin can inhibit at least four that are activated either by peptides , amino acids or known bitter agonists .
Applications of natural vanillin
Although it is mainly known for its flavouring capacity , natural vanillin has a much wider potential . Depending on the dosage it can also be used to mask bitterness and off-notes . Indeed , it is a single ingredient with a range of functions that can be achieved by modifying the dosage in the final product ( Figure 1 ).
In order to find the most effective natural vanillin solution to mask offnotes in protein enriched products , many different aspects need to be addressed ( Figure 2 ):
• Product type : ready to drink , powder , bar , etc .
• Source of protein : soy , pea , milk , etc .
Mouthfeel
Rounded
Cereal
Source : Syensqo R & I Lyon Center , France
After taste
Figure 3 – Comparison of taste profiles of oat drinks with ( dark colour ) & without ( light colour ) Rhovanil Natural
Nut
Sweet
• Nature of protein : concentrate , isolate or hydrolysate
• Dosage level
• Formulation complexity
A natural alternative to synthetic vanillin
Syensqo has a vast historical knowledge of this important ingredient . This has led to the development of a circular natural vanillin : Rhovanil * Natural , made from GMO-free raw materials , which is obtained from the fermentation of ferulic acid , a by-product of the rice bran oil process .
Rhovanil Natural is fully compliant with EU Regulation 1334 / 2008 on flavourings ( Article 16 ) and the US FDA 21CFR101.22 ( a )( 3 ) natural labelling regulations . It meets the highest standards in purity and traceability while guaranteeing clean labelling . It can enhance the flavour of food and beverages by balancing taste and roundness , increasing sweetness and improving mouthfeel by reducing watery sensations .
Rhovanil Natural can also overcome the common challenges of reducing bitter taste , decreasing astringency and masking off-notes of plant-based proteins , such as hay , beany , earthy and chalky notes , depending on the proteins used .
In a test case , Syensqo evaluated a commercial oat drink against one with 125 ppm Rhovanil Natural added . The addition of Rhovanil Natural masks the vegetal off-notes in the drink and reduces the toasted and cereal notes ( Figure 3 ). It also increases the roundness and creamy notes , and reinforced the sweet perception without adding sugar and calories . ●
Note : * - Rhovanil is a registered trade mark of SYENSQO
Caroline Calin
TECHNICAL MARKETING MANAGER
SYENSQO k + 33 6 3034 3741 J caroline . calin @ syensqo . com j www . syensqo . com
MAR / APR 2024 SPECCHEMONLINE . COM
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