Beverage Flavors

Consumer tastes and desires have become increasingly complex. This is especially true in the beverage industry. Much needs to be taken into consideration when developing a new beverage flavor. 

Research and development teams work diligently to stay on top of consumer trends and needs. The ultimate goal, when developing a new formulation, is to develop beverage products with flavors that cater to consumer preferences and demands. Beverage industry experts have library of flavors that fit into cultural likes and dislikes. A beverage flavor that is very popular in Japan may never make it to the US marketplace. Being aware of cultural differences is crucial to developing a successful beverage.

Beverage industry experts have teams of scientists and food specialists and taste testers who experiment with beverage flavors to find those best suited to meet the needs and wants of varying demographics. They rely strongly on quality sensory research to help them achieve the desired sensory experience. This encapsulates the areas of taste (will the consumer like it and crave more?), smell (does it smell great?) and finally, the way the beverage feels in the mouth.  These specialists are keenly aware of how tastes and smells relate to beverage flavors and can help you avoid problems. They also possess a strong understanding of the market in conjunction with knowing how beverage flavors vary across demographics. These factors will all be considered to influence beverage flavor choice and selection.

All ingredients in beverage flavors and formulations must meet FDA guidelines and regulations. Beverage industry experts who regularly develop beverage flavors will be aware of these conditions and make sure that your product meets them. Qualified beverage experts will also be aware of international regulations to make sure your product can be marketed outside of the US if you wish.

When working with beverage flavors, modifiers can be used to enhance the taste of a beverage while other agents are used to mask unsatisfactory or offensive tastes. Beverages with health benefits may contain vitamins or herbs that do not meet sensory criteria (they taste bad). A balance can be achieved between taste and benefit function by using the right complement of beverage flavors. 

Natural and artificial flavorings can be used alone or in combination to achieve desirable beverage flavors. Natural ingredients are those whose flavoring originated from a natural source such as a vegetable, fruit or animal raw materials. Artificial flavorings are developed synthetically, in a laboratory.

Variables such as shelf life expectancy need to be considered when formulating beverage flavors. Depending on what type of beverage is being developed, beverage flavors can be affected. A shelf stable beverage does not require refrigeration but will have a longer or shorter shelf life based on its ingredients.  The selection of beverage flavors are also influenced by refrigeration needs of some drinks. 

Beverage flavors can be complex with many ingredients combining to achieve the desired effect. The successful result of combining the right beverage flavors with the perfect formulation will be a beverage product that meets all sensory perceptions attractively.