Synergy develops tomato saving natural flavours
Developed in reaction to the fluctuating cost of spray dried tomato powder – the price of which rose 50 per cent in 2009 – Synergy says the food flavourings will stabilise or cut manufacturing time and costs. The company says this is because food manufacturers can use the new ingredients to help reduce the tomato powder content of finished products.
“So by using our flavourings we can ensure consistent flavour, supply and stable pricing is achieved for food manufacturers,” said Synergy.
Designed for products such as soups, savoury snacks, juices and breads, the six flavours in the range are salad, sun-kissed, sun dried, ketchup, puree and soup.
In developing these flavours, Synergy said the challenge was to enable end product makers to reduce tomato use without affecting texture or taste.
Sensory study
To work on the flavour side of the flavourings, Synergy conducted a sensory study of the tomato.
“Our tomato study revealed 8 different sensory notes that make up tomato,” said Donna Rose, customer marketing manager. Using the information gathered in this study and a palette of independently sourced raw materials, Synergy then went about creating the new flavourings.
“For each flavour type created, these differed on a scale of 0-5 with 5 being the strongest," said Rose. "For example, sun-dried tomato has a high amount of ripe, sweet caramelised and earthy notes balanced with fruity and seedy overtones.”
The company claims that the resulting ingredients can recreate authentic tomato tastes, and can be used to add depth to sauces and dips, liven up ready meals and give pastries a tangy twist.
Regarding the challenge of creating the right texture in finished products, Synergy recommends using the natural tomato flavours with its Saporesse yeast extracts in order to help build back depth and improve mouth feel.
The new flavourings are available in water soluble or oil soluble formats with a 12 month and 6 month shelf life respectively.
