The flavour firm installed a pilot CapLock line in Haverhill last year, and also has lines in other locations (mainly in the US), which have served European customers until now.
But Jesse Wolff, global vice president, creation, application and innovation for flavours, told FoodNavigator.com that the natural next step was a facility in Europe. He called it a “fantastic addition to the European arsenal of flavour delivery and encapsulation systems”. It gives new scope for customers to work with IFF directly, participating in product development from conception, through the pilot stage, and to the final product.
CapLock is an enhanced carbohydrate encapsulation system that can be used for a range of products, including instant tea powders and tea leaves, instant beverage powders, dry savoury mixes, confectionery products, chewing gum and baked goods.
“It allows us to fully encapsulate to extend shelf-life for a prolonged period,” said Wolff, as it controls the particle’s moisture pick-up. Wolff added that shelf-life usually refers to a product’s time in storage and on the supermarket shelf, but certain products – such as tea bags – may be stored for long periods by the consumer, too. Suitable encapsulation means that the flavour remains the same, even if the product sits in the store cupboard for a long time.
Wolff did not disclose the capacity of the new production line. He did say, however, that the European encapsulated flavour market has seen “terrific growth”, largely due to specialty applications where technological advances can add value.
Pipeline
Other delivery and encapsulation systems offered by IFF include proprietary enhanced spray drying and agglomeration. Wolff explained that this latter technique helps deliver a particle size that is better suited to certain applications, such as for flavours for tea that stay inside the bag.
IFF also has a number of new delivery and encapsulation systems in the pipelines, which are expected to emerge in the latter part of this year.
The company aims to identify specific consumer needs, and come up with solutions to meet them.