Why taste matters in the botanical revolution

The natural shift

Increasingly conscious of the holistic benefits of nutrients derived from natural foods, today’s consumers would like to eat more fruit and vegetables.[1] But modern lifestyles make this challenging. Botanical food supplements offer consumers a convenient way to support their health with familiar ingredients.

The nutraceutical market is also experiencing a surge in experience-led formats. The global gummy supplement market is valued at US$7.3 billion,[2] with a predicted CAGR of 12.6% from 2020-2028. Powders are also popular, accounting for 30% of new product launches in 2023.[3]

But flavour is king. Consumers will take a chance on an effective non-pill product, but they'll only buy it again if it has an enjoyable taste, texture, mouthfeel, sweetness, aftertaste, and smell. Companies that offer a great taste experience will be better able to differentiate their offering and turn consumers into repeat customers.

Taste matters in nutraceuticals

Although vital to non-pill success, crafting the perfect flavour while maintaining efficacy is no simple task.

Powerful supplements need a high dosage of active ingredients to be effective and — in some cases — validate claims. We also know from our own sensory research that consumers want to taste botanicals and that this impacts the health perception of the supplement.

Despite this, some botanicals have off-notes that can harm the experience. Common taste challenges include:

Flowers of Valeriana Officinalis or Valerian plant.

Crafting enjoyable wellness experiences

Our flavourists, application scientists, and sensory insights professionals use the following solutions to formulate effective, tasty botanical wellness experiences:

We often combine our masking capabilities and intuitive matching to create a holistic solution that addresses all aspects of the supplement-taking experience.

Experience our delicious valerian and American ginseng gummies at Stand G110

Predicting product success

During the creation phase, we test potential botanical flavour solutions with our sensory panels. Since sensory experiences vary greatly, panels help us assess flavour solutions objectively to predict final product success.

We profile base products, define taste challenges, and validate solutions. We also test different formats and ingredients to alter taste and mouthfeel.

Discrimination testing helps us understand whether a new recipe matches the taste profile of a previous one.

Descriptive testing helps us get a complete description of a product’s taste profile by translating flavour jargon into understandable language. Our tool SenseIt® contains a list of over 400 descriptive terms for herby, spicy, nutty, meaty, and fruity flavours and off-notes.

Our flavourists pair sensory panel data with their own perceptions, the customer brief and market trends to tailor the most enjoyable, well-balanced botanical solution for our customers.

A tailored approach

Our extensive botanical portfolio, formulation expertise and sensory tools can help you co-create unique, effective wellbeing experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind, and planet.

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Disclaimer:

This page is intended to provide business-to-business information. It is not for communication to end consumers.

The information provided and its uses must be checked for compliance under appropriate local regulations.

There is currently no harmonised legal definition for naturalness of food ingredients.

Any communication to end consumers must be done according to the appropriate local regulations/guidances.

References: 

[1] FMCG Gurus (2022) Health and Wellness: Positive Nutrition in 2022. Available at: https://fmcggurus.com/reports/fmcg-gurus-health-and-wellness-positive-nutrition-global-report-2022/. Accessed 14 March 2024).

[2] Nutrition Business Journal (2023) Global Supplement Business Report 2024. Available at: https://store.newhope.com/collections/reports/products/global-supplement-business-report-2023.

[3] Innova Market Insights. Global Trends in Supplements.  

[4] Abourashed, E. et al. (2004) ‘In vitro binding experiments with a Valerian, Hops and their fixed combination extract (Ze91019) to selected central nervous system receptors’, Phytomedicine, 11(7-8):633-638..

[5] Taavoni, S. et al. (2011) ‘Effect of valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial’, Menopause, 18(9):951-955.

[6] Sun, J. et al. (2004) ‘Morning/Evening Menopausal Formula Relieves Menopausal Symptoms: A Pilot Study‘, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 9(3).

[7] Donath, F. et al. (2000) ‘Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality’, Pharmacopsychiatry, 33(2):47-53.

[8] Trevena, L. (2004) ‘Practice Corner: Sleepless in Sydney—Is valerian an effective alternative to benzodiazepines in the treatment of insomnia?’, ACP Journal Club,141(1):A14.

[9] US 8,968,800. Granted 4 November 2010.

[10] Scholey A. et al. (2010) ‘Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on neurocognitive function: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study’, Psychopharmacology, 212(3):345-56.

[11] Bell L, et al. (2022) ‘A randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the acute and chronic benefits of American Ginseng (Cereboost^®) on mood and cognition in healthy young adults, including in vitro investigation of gut microbiota changes as a possible mechanism of action’, European Journal of Nutrition, 61(1):413-428.

[12] Ossoukhova A. et al. (2015) ‘Improved working memory performance following administration of a single dose of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) to healthy middle-age adults’, Human Psychopharmacology, Clinical and Experimental, 30(2):108-122.