Wild gives an exotic twist to citrus flavours
addition of three exotic fruits to its range: dalandan, kalmansi
and yuzu.
The German company's existing citrus operations revolve around oranges and lemons cultivated and processed at its facility in Valencia, Spain. It also sources raw materials from the world citrus hubs of Brazil and Florida, USA, in order to guarantee consistent supply should harvests fluctuate. Now it is offering three new exotic citrus flavours, which are intended to meet the desire for new, innovative flavours. Coming up with something new and original is a constant challenge for manufacturers, especially when global travel means consumers are exposed to foods from other countries and cultures. "We try to make a road track to new taste sensations," said a spokesperson for Wild. "From a marketing point of view we offer them as options for new or innovative products, or to give a new touch to existing products." The dalandan and kalamansi both originate from The Philippines. Dalandan is described as "similar to the tangerine"; kalamansi, meanwhile, also known as calamondin orange, is a naturally-occurring hybrid between a type of tangerine and a type of kumquat. Its taste is said to be "somewhere between a lime and a tangerine". Yuzu, which originates from Japan, is a small citrus fruit with a tart, refreshing flavour. It is also popular in its home country as a fragrance. The primary target of the flavours is in beverages, where water-soluble versions are used. But oil soluble versions are also available, and these can be used in other applications such as confectionery and dairy products. The company says the raw materials for the new flavours are subject to the same rigorous quality standards as all the fruits it uses. "There is a long chain of quality assurance," said the spokesperson. "Before we source, we know the people dealing with the fruits or the products." Quality control is said to be continuous from crop through to finished product, and analytical parameters are in place to ensure the quality, taste and flavour profile are always constant. The spokesperson said that the first step of the processing normally takes place in the fruits' country of origin. The juice concentrate, peel oil, water base and essential oil are then shipped to Wild's facilities in Valensia or in Berlin, Germany, for further steps. The company did not need to develop new processes for the exotic citrus fruits, but it has used its know how to optimise and adapt the different processes to the different fruits and the flavour requirements. The processes used include vacuum distillation, rectification, extraction, absorption and desorption. All of the flavours are sold through Wild's head office in Heidelberg, Germany. They are available as single flavour ingredients or as part of Wild's blends for which the manufacturer need only complete the final production steps.
