Nestle markets first Senomyx savory food products
first commercial food products containing savory flavor ingredients
made by Senomyx.
The San Diego based flavor enhancer group said the product would be launched initially in a yet-to-be-named Pacific Rim country and that orders were being taken for July.
"This is the first commercial launch of foods that incorporate a Senomyx flavor ingredient and it represents a significant achievement for us and a validation of the company's technology and products," said Kent Snyder, the company's president and chief executive officer.
The first product to be sold with the savory flavor enhancer will be a bouillon used as a base to make soups and stews.
Senomyx said it anticipates that up to eight different products in the dehydrated, culinary and bouillon food categories would be launched during 2007 with the ingredient.
Countries in the Pacific Rim, Central West Africa and Latin America, including Brazil, are likely to see the product on their shelves in the coming months.
Under the terms of its agreement with Nestlé, Senomyx will receive royalty payments based on sales of the products containing its flavor ingredients.
Two years ago Senomyx extended its research contract with Nestle for a futher three years.
The contract is focused on the discovery and commercialization of novel flavors and flavor enhancers, particularly in the dehydrated and culinary food and frozen food fields.
Nestle agreed via the contract to pay Senomyx incremental discovery and development funding of up to $6.6 million over a period of up to an additional three years.
Senomyx also has a second collaboration with Nestle, which was entered into in 2004, for the discovery and commercialization of novel flavor ingredients in the coffee and coffee whitener fields.
In addition to Nestle, the company currently has product discovery and development collaborations with six other packaged food and beverage companies including Ajinomoto, Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and Solae.