Tickling the senses –taste and aroma of consumers

The flavour and fragrance industry has been constantly bustling to keep up with the changing preferences of global consumers. From lemony to fruity, caramel to coconutty, the F&F researchers are constantly on their toes to find out new ways to titillate the senses of consumers.

By Debarati Das

Flavours and fragrances are an integral part of our life- right from the scent of a flower to the aroma of a soap bar, or from the taste of a fruit to a dollop of ice cream. While at times, certain flavour and fragrance becomes a representation of your personality, every season also all brings in a certain scent and taste creating a distinctive environment and atmosphere.

Adding to this, the flavour and fragrance industry also works towards emulsifying various exotic tastes and aroma in our day to day life from soaps, detergent, perfumes, oils, air fresheners, beverages, packaged foods, etc.

Market Status

The flavour and fragrance industry is one of the most important industries in the FMCG market. Although it makes up for just 1 to 5 percent of the total cost of a finished product (according to International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF)), the popularity of the products among consumers completely depends on this segment. For instance, two different lemons flavoured beverage launched by different companies can be accepted by the consumers very differently by boosting the demand of one but blatantly rejecting the other.

This US$25 billion sector has witnessed a steady growth for the last four years. According to figures from Leffingwell and Associates, this sector will have at least a 4 percent annual growth through 2017. The flavours industry can be broadly classified into beverages, dairy products, processed food, confectionary and oral care while the fragrance industry broadly diversifies into soaps and detergents, cosmetics and toiletries and household products.

According to a recent report by Lucintel, in the flavour market, beverage application is likely to remain as the largest segment, while soap & detergents will be the key growth sector for fragrance market. According to the report, the global flavour and fragrance market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2015 to 2020.

Packaged food is yet another segment which has consistently seen a rising trend where dairy products, confectionery, soup, bakery products, ice cream, instant noodles, sweet and savoury snacks are some of the categories which are seeing major upsurge due to the growing demand. On the other hand, fine fragrance, cosmetics & toiletries and soaps & detergents industries are also seeing a positive growth in the fragrances’ gamut. The growth in the sector of flavour and fragrance has undoubtedly been because of the rising number of end use applications, growing urbanisation, changing lifestyle and increase in disposable income.

However, the widespread acceptance of flavors and fragrances in consumer products can also be attributed to the global acceptance of these products which has led to mass production of flavored or scented products such as processed foods and beverages, soap, personal care products, detergents, household cleaners, and oral hygiene products making these products equally affordable to the customers.

While the worldwide consumption of F&F products is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5–6% during the next five years, the demand for F&F products is fairly mature in the developed countries. Globally, North America is expected to remain the largest market due to growth in end-use applications while the growth potential in China, other Asian countries especially India, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe is very high.

Trend Setters

Some flavours like vanilla and chocolate and few flowery scents like rose, lavender etc. have been unbeaten by time and remain a constant favourite with customers. However, with new products entering the market every year, the trends in the fragrance and flavour industry is constantly changing. These trends change with the changing seasons to be in sync with nature’s transformation, or sometimes with the rise of a global vogue. Here are some of the trends in flavours and fragrance industry which will be making a statement through the year 2016.

Trends in flavours

• Interest in health and wellness: With the rise of consciousness in consumers for “healthy food”, most food companies are tuning towards making packaged food with reduced salt, fat or calorie content along with sophisticated flavour systems which do not sacrifice taste.

• Clean-label: Consumers today are much more aware of the ingredients that go into packaged food and hence appreciate companies which use genuine quality ingredients. A clean-label product is one that is wholesome, minimally processed, and free of artificial or chemical sounding ingredients, including artificial flavours.

• Going organic: There is a huge upsurge for natural and organic ingredients in packaged food products which are favoured over artificial or synthetic ingredients by consumers today.

• Convenient food: The overall demand for packaged food is growing leaps and bound. With a paucity of time amidst the busy schedule, consumers are opting for convenience foods which are microwaveable or almost ready to eat. This trend, in markets like India and China is also making way for traditional foods to be converted into convenient food increasing the demand for traditional flavors.

• Spicy and tangy: One of leading supplier of flavors, fragrances, botanical extracts, Bell Flavors & Fragrances, said that it has been tracking the growing global interest in hot and spicy flavors for the last two years and will be exploring avenues to add extra heat, and fresh tangy accent along with an ethnic hint to its products like snacks, sauces, marinades or ready meals. In 2016, Bell will be working with complex chili blends like habanero, chipotle and cayenne pepper. Arabian spice blends like harissa, baharat or ras el hanoutis, tangy varieties from Argentinian and Mexican cuisines will be trending in Bell’s cuisine this year.

• Vegan soft drinks: A simple orange or lemon drink no longer thrills the consumers. To meet up the challenge, flavors company, Bell, has developed the tool of “Sensory Flavor Pairing” to create vegan soft drinks which is not just vegan but also tastes vegan. In this, cucumber is the trendiest vegetable among cocktail ingredients in 2016 along with stone fruit flavors such as plum, mirabelle plum or black cherry inspired from traditional Russian soft drink.

• Coconut: Firmenich, one of the largest flavor and fragrance company, announced that coconut will be the Flavor of the Year for 2016 for them. Traditionally used in Southeast Asian cuisine, coconut was only used in western world as a sugary-sweet cocktail, Pina Coladas. However, between 2005 and 2008, coconut water took the globe into its stride as a natural health drink. Since then, coconut has increased its presence in the food and beverage world.

“This new generation of coconut flavours, in particular, is modern and redefined, adding freshness and giving a different spin to products if compared to the well established ‘classic coconut’ flavours,” said Gerry Van Gerven, Senior Flavorist at Firmenich in Thailand.

Firmenich plans to explore the possibilities of combining flavour profiles. “Coconut with vanilla, coffee and chillies, while fruits like pineapple, lychee, and mango are great blenders for drink concepts. But coconut flavours and fusions can be applied across numerous categories beyond drinks, from bakery and confectionary to dairy and savoury, you name it and we can make coconut work!,” said Van Gerven.

• Spicy desserts: While chocolate, caramel or vanilla flavours have been the hot favourite for ages, sweet and spicy desserts combining toffee and chilli or hot and cold flavours like ginger or hot cinnamon and mint will be trending this year. Tangy dessert, ice-cream and confectionary varieties with passion fruit, lemon meringue or lime will make a statement.

• Citrus flavours: The tangy and fruity citric taste will never be out of fashion. And that’s the reason, leading flavours and fragrance company, Givaudan, launched their Global Citrus flavour collection earlier this year encompassing more than 1,000 different citrus varieties and capturing the diversity and cultural importance of citrus.

• Brazil inspiration:With Rio de Janeiro playing the host to the 2016 Olympics, exotic Brazilian flavours will be also celebrated in the international cuisine in many ways. For instance, indigenous Brazilian flavour, such as passion fruit which has been a key element in various global dishes, is now making way into a various product like passion fruit flavoured tea, soft drinks, dressings and desserts. This sportive year will bring out the best of passion fruits and other Brazilian flavours in many ways.

Trends in Fragrances:

• Rose Quartz & Serenity: Since PANTONE®, a global colour authority and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries, announced Rose Quartz & Serenity to be the colour of 2016, major global fragrance companies are working towards capturing the essence of the soft pastel colours.

This is for the first time that Pantone has decided upon a blend of two hues to reign over the fashion industry. To be in line with the trend, Bell’s fragrance section is working towards capturing the elegance and charm of Rose Quartz & Serenity in their upcoming perfume line which will be presented in a soothing cocoon concept. Firmenich too captured the trend and launched an exclusive, custom-made fragrance, “Harmony,” inspired by the PANTONE® Color of the Year. Created by Firmenich’s award-winning perfumer Nathalie Lorson, “Harmony” is a delicate fragrance, built around three Firmenich specialities: a fresh petally Centifolia Rose, crystalline Musks and velvety Incense.

“When it came to developing Harmony, the scent needed to represent the merging of these two colours and simultaneously emit a sense of tranquillity and ease,” said Lorson.

• Freesia: For those who like floral fragrance, the delicate flower, freesia, is what will be trending this year. Bell fragrance will be using freesia in combination with white woods to create a noble fragrance impression in their lines of creams, lotions and fabric softeners. Freesia will especially trend during the spring- summer collections by various companies.

• Fruity scents: According to global trend forecaster, Seven Scents, various fruity scents will be trending this year. Praline will add a soft caramel-chocolate note and creamy, nutty complexity while Sorbets will bring in a refreshing sensation of iced fruits and sugary accents creating a cooling energy in compositions. A range of sweets confectionery fragrances will also be trending, said Seven Scents. Right from the sweet and gentle scent of Marshmallow; zingy and zesty citrus notes of Sherbet Lemon; tropical, fruity aromas reminiscent of childhood summers of Fruit Salad, cool green mint blends with a hint of sweetness of Spearmint will be trending.

• Berries: The autumn-winter fragrance collections will bring in a range of fragrance from berries with a blend of raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrant and icy red berries.

• Oud: the oriental notes of Oud have been inspiring the fine fragrance market and will see a meteoric rise this year.

Indian flavour and fragrance industry

The F&F market in India is dominated by organised players. Out of the two, the fragrance market holds a majority share in the overall revenues as the flavour market in India is primarily a fragmented market, with a large number of organisations ranging from multinational companies to domestic companies and small scale industrial units. The market is dominated by major players like IFF, Givaudan, Symrise, Firmenich, SH Kelkar, Mane, Goldfield, Sachee, Khattri etc.

The market for fragrance products is dominated by organised players including SH Kelkar, IFF, Givaudan, Firmenich and others. The main business for the fragrance industry comes from beauty care, hair care, house hold and air care and fabric care products. The fragrance market has grown over the last five years between FY2010-FY2015, at a CAGR of 10.0 percent while it is expected to flourish at a significant CAGR of 14.2 percent by FY’2020, according to a report.

“In fragrances, we are moving towards the west and picking up trends which are happening in the Western countries, while in the flavors, the global market is moving eastwardly picking up traditional tastes, flavors and spices from India, China and other Eastern countries,” said Dr Sitaram Dixit, Chairman – Consumer Guidance Society Of India (CGSI), Independent Professional Consultant - Fragrances, Home, Fabric, & Personal Care Chemical Industry.

India houses some of the most exotic species of flowers like Sona Champa, Parijat, Mitti, Bakul, Keora, Mogra, Hina, Lotus, Gulhina, Ruh Khus, etc. Some of the fragrances which have consistently been popular over generations are Sandalwood, Patchouli, Chameli, Nagarmotha, Valerian, Marigold etc. However, there is a high need for the Indian F&F industry to invest in R&D of various exotic plants and flower species to extract the essential oils and reach out to the global customers who are new to these fragrances and flavours.

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