Dairy Processing - March/April 2024 - 36

FORMULATIONS
Unflavored flavors
W
Non-characterizing extracts bring products to life.
by Donna Berry | donnaberry@dairy-food.com
hat makes one chocolate ice cream less bitter
than another? How do you brighten up strawberry
yogurt or add depth to a cheddar cheese spread?
The answer is non-characterizing flavor extracts, which are
usually not detectable by the human palate, but when omitted,
are missed.
" When we talk about non-characterizing flavor extracts,
we are referring to modulators and aromas with a broad
range of effects. These components aim to improve basic
tastes (bitter, salty, sour, sweet and umami), intensify specific
attributes of a base or aroma, or even mask undesirable off
notes, " said Jamerson Bastos Da Silva, senior flavorist, IFF
Nourish Division, New Century, Kan. " In some instances,
they may contribute to mouthfeel lost during processing or
reductions in sugar, salt or fat. There are even options that
provide cooling or warming sensations. "
Modulators work in the background. Flavorists typically
work within specified parameters to create modulators that
may be declared on ingredient statements as natural flavor,
artificial flavor, or natural and artificial flavors. Non-GMO and
organic compliant options are available.
" Non-characterizing flavor extracts often help to round
out or add dimensions to characterizing flavors, " said Marcia
Petit, sensory director, Tate & Lyle, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
She provided the example of a vanilla-flavored milk made
with vanillin to keep costs down.
36 MAR-APR 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
" The vanillin would not be enough to deliver a balanced
product profile. Consumers might perceive the product as
artificial, off or low quality, " Petit said. " To create a product
that would be closer to being flavored with vanilla extract,
you need to incorporate ingredients that deliver subtle notes
of oak, cream and caramelized sugar to develop a fuller flavor
profile. "
There are also flavors with modifying properties (FMPs).
These ingredients alter the product's flavor without imparting
a specific characteristic flavor on its own.
" The use of an FMP might modify the vanilla profile to
provide a more rounded flavor but the FMP alone would not
have any flavor of its own, " Petit said.
DAIRY IS COMPLICATED
Adding flavor to dairy foods is complicated, which is why
formulators often rely on non-characterizing flavors as part of
their flavor system. That system becomes a " secret recipe, " as
flavors are not specified on ingredient statements.
" Dairy has protein and the fat content varies greatly. Dairy
also comes with inherent sugars, " said Elizabeth Kreger,
innovation and analytical manager, Sensient Flavors &
Extracts, Hoffman Estates, Ill. " Even a cow's diet can impact
the final taste. All of that plays into the complexity of how
dairy will interact with and accept flavors. In short, there is a
lot to consider when adding flavor to dairy products. "
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Dairy Processing - March/April 2024

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