Fragrance and flavour supplier Symrise will unveil its new citrus concepts, which include a ginger and grapefruit flavoured liqueur and two mixed-beer beverages, at Nuremberg’s Brau Beviale trade fair today.
The firm's third quarter (Q3) management statement also states that its flavour and nutrition division recorded sales of €586m in the year to date, up 12.9 per cent on 2009, driven by “high demand in all application areas with a particularly strong development in sweets and beverages”.
The business developed "most dynamically" in Latin America (sales up 15 per cent), whilst Asia-Pacific beverage sales drove growth of 13 per cent. Both the US and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) achieved 9 per cent growth, due to new supplier contacts for vanilla flavours, seasonings in the US and "above average growth" for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages in EMEA.
Citrus success story
Symrise says that while the world beverage market is multi-dimensional, over half of the drinks consumed are citrus beverages, encompassing everything from waters and juices to sodas, beers and liqueurs. Consequently, the firm feels that it is on safe ground with the new launches it describes as, "new interpretations of familiar [citrus] flavours".
Stephan Räker, Symrise category development director of non-alcoholic beverages said: “Citrus gives people freshness and tanginess ― orange and lemon flavors in particular have always had a certain exotic touch. At the same time, though, they are well-established, and they delight a wide audience.”
Despite this mass appeal, Symrise spokeswoman Christina Witter told FoodNavigator.com that although Symrise sell off-the-peg flavours and scents, it also works with beverage manufacturers to develop bespoke concepts, given that “specific tastes for citrus flavours obviously depend upon age and local preferences.”
Extending shelf life
For instance, in its Q3 report, Symrise cites "increasing demand" for mixed-beer alcoholic beverages (just one of the new concepts presented today at Brau Beviale) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Witter explained:“Brau Beviale is primarily a trade show for Europe, although we obviously hope that customers around the world will pick up on our new concepts.”
And with short shelf life a particular problem for citrus flavours – UK-based Leatherhead Food International gives them only six months – Witter said Symrise was “doing research into taste modulation that examines shelf life – which we try to extend for consumers, but we also look at sedimentation, colour and taste problems”.
New beverage concepts
New Symrise beverage concepts launched today include a juice called Agrumes, which blends lemon peel, lime, mandarin, grapefruit and juicy orange and is designed around Italian and French tastes; Citrus Lifeforce is an isotonic sports drink with added caffeine and vitamins.
Tropical Citrus is a zero calorie flavoured water containing vitamins, while Good Value Orange caters for the budget end of the market as “an economical alternative to regular soft drinks”. With only 1 per cent juice it is designed to have the “full fruit orange taste” of a citrus soda.
Alcoholic offerings include a grapefruit-ginger liqueur and a beer-mix beverage 7 Citrus that incorporates seven different citrus fruits; ISO! is a low-alcohol beer with grapefruit lemon flavouring.