IFF announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its Flavour Specialty Ingredients (FSI) business to Exponent, a leading UK-based private equity firm, for USD 220 million in cash proceeds. FSI reports through IFF’s Scent division and is a leading manufacturer of synthetic and natural base aroma chemicals used in the flavour market. Cash proceeds from the transaction, net of taxes and expenses, will be used to reduce outstanding debt.
“Aligned with our strategy, we’re continuously evaluating our portfolio to identify opportunities to strengthen our financial profile,” said IFF CEO Frank Clyburn. “The sale of FSI will improve our capital structure while allowing us to focus on our core businesses to enhance growth and returns. We appreciate the contributions of our FSI colleagues, who have shared our commitment to quality and customer service. We will work closely with Exponent to have a successful transition and look forward to FSI’s bright future.”
IFF’s FSI is a leading manufacturer of specialty base aromas with a broad range of more than 1,000 aroma chemicals and natural extracts, which provide inputs primarily to the flavour market. FSI includes four dedicated manufacturing and distribution facilities at Teesside and Hartlepool, United Kingdom; Cincinnati, United States; and Pucheng, China, with additional points of distribution in Mexico, Brazil and Hong Kong. With approximately 340 employees, IFF’s FSI business serves more than 970 customers and generated more than USD 100 million in revenue over the last 12 months.
IFF and Exponent expect to close the transaction by the end of Q3 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. Centerview Partners LLC acted as financial advisor to IFF, and Cravath, Swain & Moore LLP provided legal support.
Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, is excited to announce its 2023 flavour of the year, dragon fruit, celebrating consumers’ desire for exciting new ingredients and bold, adventurous flavour creation.
“This marks our 11th flavour of the year, which is something our customers have come to look forward to each year. Dragon fruit’s bold vibrancy is a perfect choice as we embark an exciting year of change,” said Maurizio Clementi, ad interim President, Firmenich’s Taste & Beyond division. “Our in-depth Human Insights have identified the strong shift towards wellbeing and sustainability in people’s food and beverage choices, as well as newly-emerging elevated expectations in terms of taste. As everything we do is rooted in nature and deep consumer understanding, this inspired us to choose a flavour of the year which captures both.”
Drawing inspiration from colour & Trenz™
This is the second consecutive year of a sensory partnership between Firmenich and Pantone®. The global colour authority has just launched its 2023 colour of the year, PANTONE® 18-1750 Viva Magenta™, which it describes as a “brave and fearless, a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes optimism and joy.” Mikel Cirkus, Global Creative Director for Taste & Beyond said: “In the same way that Pantone’s colour of the year captures the emerging themes seen in the world around us, our choice for flavour of the year does so by translating new signals into positive sensory experiences. Our 2023 choice of dragon fruit reflects the global consumer’s increasingly adventurous palate and desire for the new or exotic when it comes to ingredients and taste.”
Jeff Schmoyer, Firmenich Global Head of Human Insights, said: “Dragon fruit’s subtle flavour creates a wonderful opportunity to bring the exceptional creativity and expertise of Firmenich’s flavourists to the fore, providing the perfect canvas for them to dare to imagine bold, exciting and delicious new taste combinations.”
A fruit by any other name
Native to Central America, where it is known as pitahaya, and thriving in tropical and subtropical climates across the world, dragon fruit’s flesh is rich in antioxidants and high in calcium. Dragon fruit grows from a climbing cactus, making it a drought-resistant and naturally low water-use crop, requiring only a quarter of the water to grow compared to that of an avocado.
Much like the mystical creature that inspired its name, dragon fruit is fierce in appearance, with a scale-like skin in bold hues ranging from fiery yellow to bold magenta. However, its delicate flavour belies its imposing armor. With several different types varying in both colour and taste, dragon fruit ranges in flavour from milder melon and kiwi-like to slightly sweeter berry profiles with notes of beetroot.
Enter the dragon fruit
Part of its industry-leading Human Insights capability, Firmenich’s Trenz™ forecasting team spotted a post-Covid rise in dragon fruit across almost every major city in the world. While always popular within niche segments, the exotic fruit began showing up more universally across diverse markets and food service venues, as well as product applications, from the more intuitive juices and smoothies to less traditional formats like tea and cooked savory dishes.
According to Mikel Cirkus, this is all part of a decade-long trend for boldness and discovery in food and drink. The pandemic increased the pace of this trend, with huge spikes in consumers broadening their palates for new seasoning. Notably, expenditures on spices & seasonings at home grew 27 % CAGR1, Trenz™ found. New product innovation has followed, with on-pack claims such as “bold” and “exotic” up by 38 % since 2017, and the use of three- and four-way flavour combinations in products now cresting over 25 % of all food & beverage launches.
Firmenich’s renowned Emotions360 consumer research offered a second clue. This proprietary in-depth study of natural ingredients identified that people are very excited about dragon fruit. In fact, Emotions360’s latest wave, which surveyed 18,670 consumers across eight countries around the world, indicated that 88 % of consumers have heard of dragon fruit, and 56 % have tasted it. In terms of consumer perceptions, dragon fruit triggers associations with adjectives like bold, exotic, exciting, impressive and fun. Given this positive association, it’s not surprising that the same consumers ranked dragon fruit in the 90 % percentile among all ingredients with a high likelihood to rise in popularity in the future.
A fiery future
As much as dragon fruit is on fire in juice bars, markets, and street vendors around the world, the packaged food & beverage world was initially slow to innovate around this trend. However, this trend is changing, with product launches containing dragon fruit callouts now accelerating in all regions. In fact, dragon fruit use in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) is growing more quickly in foods than beverages, where innovations typically appear first.
Jeff Schmoyer, Firmenich Global Head of Human Insights, commented: “Dragon fruit may be still a ‘rare’ fruit flavour for CPG food & beverage brands, but it is no longer rare to consumers. And in fact, this has translated to one of the fastest growth rates of any ingredient we’ve tracked in recent years. Given the small base and fast growth, it is certainly our boldest Flavour of the Year choice yet from a predictive foresights perspective. It’s possible that the initial lag in new product innovation is in part related to the challenge of realising the flavour of dragon fruit. Our consumer research shows that the fruit can sometimes surprise people by not having the strong flavour to match its visual appearance. Instead, the taste is light, refreshing, sweet, and delicious.”
“For this reason, Firmenich believes that its flavour creativity will play a key role in amplifying the taste and celebrating combinations of dragon fruit with other flavours,” Schmoyer concluded.
1Compound Annual Growth Rate (Source : Global Data LLC and Firmenich analytics)
The limited-edition flavour, inspired by the Minions’ love for bananas, is being marketed as “a work of evil genius” and shows how the three-year-old brand is working creatively to go toe-to-toe with the leaders of the USD 38B traditional soda industry.
Functional soda brand OLIPOP announced a partnership with Illumination and Universal Pictures to create a limited-edition Banana Cream flavour, timed to the global theatrical release of the new Illumination film, Minions: The Rise of Gru, on July 1, 2022. The new flavour is now available online at www.drinkolipop.com. Gopuff, the go-to platform for immediate delivery of consumers’ everyday needs, will also be selling single cans in select markets starting June 16, 2022 in the US. The limited-edition flavour will be available for purchase until July 15, 2022.*
This advertising campaign marks a huge milestone for OLIPOP’s better-for-you brand, as they join forces with the biggest global animated film franchise in history. The partnership exemplifies OLIPOP’s growth within the industry as they prove they can compete with the traditional soda companies, not only in terms of elevating taste and nutritionals, but in relevance to mainstream pop culture.
OLIPOP’s delicious product offerings, health benefits, and consistent out-of-the-box marketing tactics have not only attracted powerhouse companies such as Illumination and Universal Pictures, but also celebrity investors including Camila Cabello, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Mindy Kaling, Logic, Gwyneth Paltrow and more.
After launching in 2018, OLIPOP has already achieved a striking valuation of USD 200 million, with an anticipated USD 100 million run-rate by the end of 2022. The brand was started by beverage entrepreneurs Ben Goodwin and David Lester who set out to create a functional soda – one with a familiar and delicious taste but with the added benefits of microbiome and digestive health support. In just three years, the brand has disrupted the traditional soda industry and amassed widespread appeal for its tasty, nostalgia-infused flavours, and proprietary gut-friendly formulation. While traditional soda is loaded with sugar and additives, each can of OLIPOP has 35 – 45 calories, contains two to five grams of natural sugars, and provides nine grams of prebiotic plant fiber, which is one-third of the daily recommended amount. The product is eliminating the consequences of the traditional soda category, and making way for a new functional soda with benefits, changing the trajectory of health outcomes for many consumers.
*Actual length of availability will be based on sell-through.
About OLIPOP
OLIPOP is a functional soda that offers the experience of enjoying cola without the guilt. OLIPOP was formulated alongside a team of leading scientists who developed a tonic that combines the classic soda taste with the benefits of plant-based fiber, prebiotics, and other botanical ingredients to help balance out the body’s microbiome and promote overall well-being. OLIPOP is available in a variety of flavours including Vintage Cola, Orange Squeeze, Strawberry Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Ginger, Classic Root Beer, Orange Cream, Blackberry Vanilla, Classic Grape, and Tropical Punch. OLIPOP is Non-GMO, paleo, vegan, and gluten-free and is available online at www.drinkolipop.com as well as more than 10,000 grocers in the US including Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, and Wegmans.
Citrus-based flavours are a top consumer taste preference and will be a driving force of market-leading innovation in the years ahead. The Flavorchem team developed an exclusive collection of six true-to-fruit citrus flavours inspired by their associated health halo, global appeal, and consumer demand for authenticity.
Fresh calamansi lime
The fruit itself is very sour, while the peel is sweet. Our calamansi lime type flavour has a familiar juicy lime profile with elements of tangerine and orange.
Fruity kumquat
Kumquat has a sweet, tangy taste that is reminiscent of a cross between an orange and grapefruit. Our kumquat type flavour has notes of orange and grapefruit with fruity and floral undertones.
Juicy blood orange
Blood orange has a complex flavour that’s reminiscent of navel oranges, but is more floral and tart. Our extract is sweet and juicy, fresh and pulpy, and has a fruity aroma similar to tangerine.
Sweet tangerine
Characterized by its coarse peel and tangy flesh, tangerines are typically sweeter and less tart than oranges. Our tangerine extract has a sweet and fresh aroma with a zesty and refreshing taste.
Yuzu citrus
Yuzu’s sophisticated flavour profile is often considered an exotic hybrid of the citrus family. Our yuzu type flavour has notes of grapefruit, lemon, and mandarin.
Zesty key lime
Valued for its characteristic flavour, Key limes are smaller, seedier, and have a stronger aroma than the Persian limes. Our key lime extract, reminiscent of fresh limes, features a sweet, juicy, tangy, and aldehydic top note.
Flavorchem’s citrus varietals can be optimised for any food or beverage application.
Functional beverage company, LIFEAID debuts refreshing new flavour FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint to add to its growing family of functional performance beverages.
LIFEAID, The Performance Beverage Company, brought the first flavour variation of one of its most popular blends, FOCUSAID, to market in the US. Getting the sustained and clean energy you need is easier when drinking a product free from chemical sweeteners, such as sucralose, and fillers, such as taurine. FOCUSAID delivers the natural flavours of bright crisp watermelon coupled with the cooling effect of mint.
Nootropics are brain-boosting vitamins and supplements, whose recent inclusion in the functional beverage space continue to grow in popularity in the market. As one of the leading nootropic beverages on the market, FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint, remains sodium and artificial sweetener free as well as vegan, non-gmo and gluten-free.
“FOCUSAID was one of the first nootropic beverages to hit the wider retail market and has remained a staple in our portfolio with retailers and online consumers. It only made sense to do a line extension to a fan-favourite with an additional refreshing crisp flavour,” says LIFEAID Co-Founder and President Aaron Hinde.
FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint is packed with brain-boosting super nootropics and 100 mg of clean crash-free caffeine from green tea and yerba maté. Whether you need a little focus before you kick off the day, or an afternoon energy boost, FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint will be your go to choice! Naturally sweetened with raw, cold-filtered agave, and never with any artificial colours or gut-wrecking artificial sweeteners, FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint has the premium nutrients and vitamins to keep you focused and on point.
FOCUSAID Watermelon Mint will be available to purchase online at lifeaidbevco.com and at select retailers such as Harris Teeter, Albertsons, and Circle K in the US.
California-based company aims to revolutionize how consumers experience food and beverage products with natural modifier that enhances flavour, amplifies taste characteristics and improves “Kokumi” mouthfeel effect.
The U.S. subsidiary of one of the world’s top flavour & fragrance development companies is on a mission to unlock the flavour and taste potential in a broad range of food and beverage products across North America.
T. Hasegawa USA introduced its new natural flavour modifier Boostract™ to the North American market. This innovative new technology aims to revolutionize the way consumers experience food and beverages by adding or enhancing the effect of kokumi (which translates to “rich taste” in Japanese). Kokumi increases the richness of taste while maintaining balance between different flavours for a more satisfying experience in foods and beverages.
Developed over a two-year period as an exclusive technology by T. Hasegawa, Boostract solves a recurring challenge that many of the world’s top food and beverage brands face: delivering a consistent taste experience to consumers. The goal is ensuring the sensations of flavour, taste and characteristics are true to the original product recipe, which often presents a major problem during production.
“The moment a food is harvested or produced, it typically begins declining in taste, so an extra flavour boost is required to better define a delicate flavour note,” explained T. Hasegawa’s VP of research & development, Jim Yang. “Often the nuances of flavour complexity are lost during large scale production, so Boostract enables us to deliver a better flavour and taste experience for our customers and ensure consistency in their products.”
In addition to enhancing the kokumi effect and improving flavour, Boostract is an effective masking agent, eliminating unwanted flavour notes in confectionary products and ‘functional gummies’ while boosting the desired flavors in protein bars, ice cream and more.
Boostract also reinforces T. Hasegawa’s leadership in the sports nutrition and coffee/tea categories because the product can both mask bitter flavours and amplify the mouthfeel inherent in these beverage products. The Boostract flavour modifier can also boost the sweet characteristics of fruit notes, such as making citrus taste fresher, or highlighting the distinct flavour notes of an exotic tropical fruit in beverages.
Boostract is developed through three different mechanisms utilized by T. Hasegawa, including extraction, enzyme and thermal reaction technology. These mechanisms are used alone, or in various combinations, depending on the food or beverage product application. The end result is a clean-labelled natural product that is not yeast-based like other flavour modifiers and can even be organic certifiable in the future.
T. Hasegawa’s Boostract flavour modifier is currently available in dairy and non-dairy versions (in both liquid and powder form), with a tomato-based variation adding to the lineup soon. Additional Boostract varieties are currently in development, including Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee and Tea.
New watermelon flavour is the latest addition to the Dew permanent flavour line-up – delivering a refreshing charge
Mtn Dew® is going pink with Mtn Dew® Major Melon™, a new thirst-quenching offering that takes flavour to the extreme. Made for those who embrace fearlessness and fun times in life, this marquee addition to the brand’s beverage portfolio features the great taste of watermelon with a Dew twist. Mtn Dew Major Melon – also available in a Zero Sugar variety – is the first permanent flavour offering in more than a decade and is available in the US now.
“Watermelon is a truly transportive taste, evoking feelings of freedom and nostalgia,” says Nicole Portwood, vice president, marketing, Mtn Dew. “As a brand, Mtn Dew is always pushing the envelope to bring Dew Nation the next bold taste that they crave in a way only Dew can. We found watermelon to be the number one choice of flavours tested amongst our fans, and Mtn Dew Major Melon is our answer for those who are looking for a refreshing charge to keep them invigorated all day long.”
The introduction of Mtn Dew Major Melon is sure to bring fans the feeling of warm summer days – even in the middle of winter. Both Mtn Dew Major Melon and Mtn Dew Major Melon Zero Sugar are available in the US at retailers and online in 20 oz. bottles, 2 liter bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. cans and a variety of other single and multipack sizes.
Unique floral notes, mellow tartness and bright color offer citrus appeal for beverages
Oregon Fruit Products LLC released Meyer Lemon Puree, an intensely citrusy and brightly-colored Fruit for Fermentation offering that can be incorporated into a variety of beer, wine, cider, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Favored for its unique floral notes and mellow tartness, Meyer lemons are more seasonal and not as widely available as conventional lemons. With Oregon Fruit’s aseptic packaging, beverage makers can take advantage of having shelf-stable Meyer Lemon Puree ready to use any time of year, saving valuable time and money on fruit sourcing and preparation.
Oregon Fruit Meyer Lemon Puree’s smooth consistency, low viscosity and more rounded malic acid profile makes for easy integration into the fermentation process and has proven to be a successful formula with the company’s other citrus offerings.
“As we saw with the demand for our Key Lime Puree, the consumer is constantly seeking new flavor experiences and is more open to trying new types of citrus than ever before,” says Chris Hodge, director of brewing sales at Oregon Fruit. “We expect the Meyer Lemon Puree will offer a similar point of difference in flavor and sourcing for beverage makers to convey in their own marketing.”
Like all Oregon Fruit Purees, Meyer Lemon Puree has no added sugar or preservatives, and is minimally processed to ensure the best fresh fruit flavor and color. The puree’s aseptic packaging allows for a shelf life of five months in ambient temperature.
Oregon Fruit Meyer Lemon Puree is now available in 42 lb. bag-in-box. The product is certified kosher, made in the U.S.A., non-GMO, gluten-free and vegetarian. Oregon Fruit Products does not use, nor does it allow, any of the eight major allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat) in the products or processing areas.
Oregon Fruit Products LLC
Founded in 1935, Oregon Fruit Products offers a complete line of canned, frozen and shelf-stable premium fruit for consumers, foodservice operators and ingredient sales. The company is located in Salem, Oregon (USA).
Underscoring its position as a technological leader in preservation and sustainable food solutions, Corbion announces today it has been granted a European patent directed to its fruit ferments containing natural organic acids and other flavour compounds. The news means Corbion’s advanced manufacturing technology, and the use of the resulting fruit fermentation ingredients, is patented in Europe as well the USA and Japan, where patents have already been granted. The application of these fruit fermentations in baked goods, meats, sauces and dressings enables manufacturers to adjust flavour profiles and textures naturally and sustainably with fruit-based ingredients, at the same time as robustly protecting their products against quality defects.
“With rocketing interest in fermented foods and the ongoing need for multifunctional, natural solutions throughout the food industry, this is an exciting milestone for us,” comments David Charest, Vice President, Sustainable Food Solutions at Corbion. “Fermentation has been one of our core competencies for nearly a century, and we’re now using nature’s inherent defense mechanisms in new ways to maintain and improve quality in the foods we all enjoy every day. Current market trends like healthier eating, familiar ‘kitchen cupboard’ ingredients and zero waste mean the time is right to be offering new and creative preservation and flavor solutions.”
Corbion’s newly patented process involves the fermentation of liquid fruit preparations (typically citrus or sweet fruits such as melons, pears and apples, or vegetable-like fruits including bell peppers, pumpkin and tomato) with carefully selected food-grade cultures. The resulting metabolites have distinctive roles and can boost or soften various flavor components in addition to controlling microbial growth. In sauces, dressings and condiments, for instance, where reformulation to reduce sugar and / or salt levels can impact not only taste and texture but also shelf life, it is possible to maintain the expected eating experience by using just one or two fruit-derived, naturally fermented ingredients.
“As well as providing high quality ingredients that align with the expectations of today’s consumers,” continues Charest, “this technology is an excellent representation of Corbion’s current strategy, Advance 2025, which seeks to ‘champion preservation in all its forms’. Aligned with the United Nations’ SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), we’re not only helping preserve our customers’ products, but reduce waste from fruit growers too. With Corbion using fruits that aren’t visually perfect enough to be sold fresh at retail, we’re helping ensure a greater proportion of their output becomes a value-added component of the food supply chain.”
Innova Market Insights’ latest report on global flavour trends in the food and beverage industry highlights how it is no longer just about tantalizing the taste buds with a range of adventurous, innovative and reimagined flavours, but increasingly about how flavour use can complement and develop the storytelling behind products and brands. In fact, 56 % of consumers in a global survey agreed that stories around a brand influenced their purchasing decisions.
Consumers are increasingly captivated by the stories behind products and brands, and flavours have a key role to play in this, making Storytelling the first of Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Flavor Trends for 2020. Other important trends include the rise in plant-based alternatives, wellness associations, macronutrient influences and flavours supporting textural developments.
Innova Market Insights Top Five Flavour Trends for 2020 are:
1. Storytelling
Increased consumer interest in the origin of their food and beverage products is resulting in ingredient provenance proving its worth as a key element of brand storytelling. Over 40 % of global consumers wanted to know the story around a brand because they wanted to learn where the ingredients were from, according to an Innova Market Insights survey. Storytelling strategies include a focus on authentic tastes, flavours and recipes, as well as uniqueness through ingredient provenance and artisan/small batch processing.
2. The Power of Plants
The use of plant ingredients and plant-based recipes is soaring across a range of food and drinks categories, with an Innova Consumer Survey finding that 3 in 5 global consumers are increasingly incorporating plant ingredients into their diets. Plant ingredients can provide a healthy and colourful touch, with the use of a multitude of vegetable flavours for a healthy halo, including on-trend purple potato as part of the purple vegetables trend.
3. Wellness Flavours
Pursuit of healthier lifestyles is not only driving the plant-based trend, but also the demand for flavours targeting more general wellness, both mental and physical. Botanical flavours are increasingly popular for relaxation, stress reduction and sleep enhancement, featuring ingredients such as lavender, CBD/cannabis and turmeric. Floral flavoured drinks increasingly have mood associations, being seen as potentially relaxing or energizing.
4. Macronutrient Challenge
Consumer perceptions of macronutrients in relation to health are also evolving. There is a need to maintain taste profiles while reducing sugar, calorie and/or fat content, with sugar seen as a particular priority. Active ingredients are also impacting product flavours, with high protein options, such as cheese, seeds and nuts, as well as the association of ‘source of vitamins’ claims with fruity flavours.
5. Tapping into Texture
Consumers are increasingly recognizing the influence of texture on eating and drinking experiences, with 7 out of 10 global consumers agreeing that texture makes food and beverages a more interesting experience. Meanwhile, 6 out of 10 said that texture claims influenced their purchasing decisions. As part of this, there is growing interest in flavours that create a richer texture experience, such as honeycomb and toffee, while the industry continues to experiment with nuts in a wide variety of applications, including crunchy flavors and smooth bases.
The other top trends identified by Innova Market Insights are:
6. Hello Hybrids
7. All Time Favorites
8. Triggering the Taste Buds
9. Brown Flavours
10. Flavours Unlimited
As part of its 2020 strategy to strengthen its naturals capabilities and its presence in the high growth markets of Asia Pacific, Givaudan announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Golden Frog, a Vietnamese flavour company.
Golden Frog manufactures natural flavours, extracts and essential oils for the food and beverage industry. It offers a wide range of natural ingredients including herbs, spices, fruit and vegetable extracts and essential oils from the great biodiversity of Vietnam. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Ho Chi Minh area, Golden Frog employs 156 people and caters to the needs of the ASEAN markets.
While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Golden Frog’s business would have represented approximately CHF 10 million of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2018 on a proforma basis. Givaudan plans to fund the transaction from existing resources and is expected to close in the second half of 2019.
Symrise has announced the company’s investment in and the creation of a strategic partnership with Califormulations, LLC, a unique platform designed to deliver end-to-end beverage innovation to consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and their brands. Califormulations, LLC combines the expertise of Symrise, including its Beverage Innovation Centers in Laguna Beach and Teterboro, with the offering of The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TGOD).
Paul Graham, President, Symrise Flavor North America, stated, “Major packaged goods companies put their focus on agile innovation to help fuel growth around their core brands. Agile venturing and creative innovation sprints will replace the traditional and often time-consuming ‘stage gate’ innovation funnel and are changing innovation sustainably.”
Califormulations, LLC fully embraces this approach. The company is run by an industry experienced management team and built on a business model that is designed for speed, agility, flexibility and focused innovation, with each investor harnessing specialized expertise.
The new platform combines beverage expertise and innovation capabilities with the ability to quickly develop shelf-ready, scalable products. Customers will have access to the expertise located at three locations: the newly formed Califormulations, LLC location in Columbus, Georgia, with 100,000 sq ft for beverage development, multi-purpose production, pilot scale flexible bottling and shelf-ready, scalable packaging; Symrise’s regional headquarters in Teterboro, New Jersey, providing global expertise in flavor solutions, including taste for sugar reduced products; and the specialized Symrise Beverage Center in Laguna Beach, California, to inspire creativity in beverage product concepts.
Utilizing the expertise located at these three locations, Califormulations, LLC in cooperation with Symrise will deliver a rapid innovation approach composed of four integrated parts: Insights & Design, Prototyping & Evaluation, Development & Production and the Activation Ecosystem.
The Symrise team brings a proven reputation in beverage innovation and incubation, a comprehensive portfolio of consumer insights, a strong footprint in beverage and CPG accounts including core listings with global brands. TGOD adds a new element to the business through their expertise in producing premium organic cannabinoids. Using sustainable growing practices, TGOD offers organic CBD and other organic cannabinoids where allowed by local laws and regulations. The end result is a unique, agile, end-to-end approach to innovation with full project management across every step.
Paul Graham concluded, “The complementary capabilities of Califormulations, LLC will foster innovation and scale new, successful brands quickly.”
In addition to the core range of Fanta Orange, Zero Orange, Grape, Raspberry, Blueberry, Sour Watermelon and Strawberry Sherbet, Fanta has launched multi-sensory products that are as much about touch, sound, sight, and smell as they are about taste.
“People really love the flavours but we wanted to up the ante and bring out something totally unique and different to everything else in the soft drink category, to create new experiences for Kiwis to try when they want the occasional treat,” says Fanta Brand Manager Gina Beck.
“We talk about teens wanting ‘omni sensorial’ experiences, which is where they’re looking for something that’s going to awaken all the different types of senses. Early adopters want to experience something new and this range really delivers on this,” she says.
The first entries into the sensory range are Jelly Fizz which come in both orange and raspberry flavours.
To enjoy the omnisensorial experience of Jelly Fizz, for instance, consumers need to shake the can 10 times to activate an almost indescribable, well, jelly fizziness.
“It’s like a delicious, liquid jelly – a soft drink blended with juicy liquid jelly pieces. You can’t really explain it to someone, they have to try it for themselves,” says Gina.
The original Jelly Fizz concept was launched in Japan and Hong Kong about five years ago (known as Furu Furu Shaker) and the local Coca-Cola team felt they could replicate its incredible popularity here in New Zealand.
“The challenge has been how to Westernise the concept of what is a really cool but very different drinking experience,” says Gina.
“We needed to educate teens that it’s okay to shake the can without it exploding, despite it going against everything they’ve ever known about soft drinks.”
While Fanta will no doubt continue its history of innovation, there’s one thing that won’t change: the iconic taste of Fanta Orange.
“Fanta Orange is a really big part of our portfolio,” says Gina. “It has a loyal fan base and that is incredibly important to us.”
Jelly Fizz is available in both orange and raspberry flavours – for a limited time.
The Beverage Power device enhances the flavour of beverages while drinking. The gadget was developed by Global Ionics LLC a US-based technology, research and marketing company focusing on battery power solutions using voltage booster technology and consumer products with ionic polarization technology.
Global has recently developed a revolutionary beverage ionizing device that combines the patented voltage booster and ionic polarization technology with the human body’s energy into the ultimate drinking vessel.
Fill any cup, glass, or water bottle with a favourite beverage (including juices, sports/energy drinks, flavoured waters, beer & wine). While drinking, your hand touches the metal “acti-strip” on the side of the cup. The human body, combined with the voltage booster circuit and a single AAA battery inside the waterproof case, generate a small, safe electric current. Through electrochemical reactions within the beverage ingredients, the number of negative ions from the ionic emitter are greatly enhanced. Once the beverage touches the lip or mouth, millions of negative ions enter the body.
There has never been a beverage drinking device technology quite like this. The company’s objective is to provide beverage devices and innovations that will speed up recovery due to dehydration, boost energy, flush out toxins, act as an antioxidant, and enhance the body’s immune system. Also, since the human body plays a significant role in the functionality of the device, tastes are altered and enhanced. Therefore, beverage companies can lower sodium and other ingredients to make healthier drinks, while still giving consumers great taste.
The device can attach to any cup, glass, or water bottle. And, similar to Global’s other products, the Beverage Power drinking device allows users to “See the Light”, since the ion polarization process is powered by the human body’s energy. Once the light is glowing, the ions are flowing. There are no on/off switches.
