Synergy launches 'natural' sauce bases

Savoury ingredients supplier Synergy has developed three new sauce bases that it claims can overcome the common quality and labelling issues faced by traditional complete dry sauce bases.

The company, recently launched as Carbery's savoury ingredients and flavours business, says that the new veloute, demi-glace and bechamel bases are set to transform recipe formulation in the premium sauces and ready meals markets.

Synergy says that its new products overcome the challenges faced by traditional complete dry sauce bases because they are made with only natural ingredients, and are free from artificial additives and preservatives.

In addition, they are low in salt. Carbery says that as a result, manufacturers can successfully balance the demand for clean labels, convenience and quality.

The three new bases are supplied in powder format, which manufacturers can reconstitute and heat to develop sauces. By adding one or two ingredients, such as cream and mustard or red wine and onions, manufacturers can develop many different interesting sauces and gravies.

"Our goal was to produce sauce bases that bridge the gap between the chef's aspiration and industrial reality," said John Godwin, commercial director at Synergy's savoury ingredients facility at Corby.

"The result is premium, natural bases, which perform exceptionally well and offer our customers the complete solution they need."

The launch underlines Synergy's focus on providing taste solutions for manufacturers. Carbery began heading in this direction in 1998 with the acquisition of two flavour houses, Synergy Flavours and US Flavours and Fragrances.

The company also acquired UK savoury ingredients company Customblend. Last year, these added value ingredient-focused companies were brought under the Synergy brand, along with Carbery's brewer's and lactic yeast-based flavour production.

Carbery believes that its new corporate structure will enable the various divisions to fully focus on their specific markets.

"We want to establish ourselves as a creator of taste as well as ingredients," Carbery Food Ingredients marketing director Noel Corcoran told FoodNavigator at the unveiling of the firm's new logo last year in Paris.

"We want to communicate to customers that they can bring a product to us and ask us to make it fruitier, or sweeter. And the establishment of Synergy is a core part of this."