Innovation Flavours

Essentially organic – organic certified taste solutions

Details: Created: Wednesday, 21 October 2020 11:30

Meeting the new EU-organic regulations with organic certified flavours and beverage compounds!

Organic food products are forecast a double-digit growth rate within the next four years, driven by consumer demand for naturalness, transparency and clean labelling. Additionally, an increased focus on eco-friendliness and sustainability are decisive factors influencing the customers' buying decisions and the growing demand for organic products.

The European Union represents the second largest market for organic food and beverages, following the US. About 16% of all new product launches in Europe between January 2017 and September 2020 carry an organic claim (data: Mintel GNPD). At the same time, organic represents one of the major growth drivers in retail business, helping to generate shopper loyalty and sustained category growth.

Changing EU regulations

The new EU-Regulation (EU) 848/2018 applying for organic-certified products will lead to a change in the raw materials and flavourings allowed to be used in organic-labelled products. Following the new legislation, only natural x flavourings (95/5) or flavouring preparations are allowed to be incorporated in organic food. In order to keep the organic certification within end products, they are therefore only allowed to contain organic suitable or organic certified natural source flavourings or extracts.

As only a maximum of 5 % non-certified ingredients within product formulation is allowed, organic certified flavours or extracts are mandatory in product categories with high flavour dosages, such as beverage compounds, seasonings and others. This bears challenges for many product categories, especially within the beverage segment – being at risk to lose their organic status. A reformulation of the existing product range therefore is indispensable.

At the same time, the use of organic certified flavours enables product developments based on solely organic raw materials, addressing the growing consumer need for transparency and thus, emphasising the shared values associated with a brand or company.

Essentially organic: Bell’s line of organic certified flavours and beverage compounds

With a new designed range of organic certified natural source flavours and beverage compounds, Bell enables beverage manufacturers to meet the new EU organic regulations while delivering authentic taste properties such as orange, lemon, apple, lime or cola, among others. The range further aims to support product developments based on solely organic certified raw materials, providing added value for your brand and helping you to meet consumer demands and expand your target group.

Organic certified Natural X Flavours compliant with the new EU regulations. 100% natural, clean label solutions for severely affected categories such as non-alcoholic beverages.
Bell guarantees the use of high quality raw materials, bearing a strong commitment to responsible sourcing.

Authentic natural taste creations delivering unique profiles for targeting organic-focused consumer groups and addressing consumers’ health & wellness aspirations.
Regulatory expertise and support to meet your specific label requirements and to guide you through the process of certification.

Delivering comprehensive guidance on product reformulation, flavour creation and regulatory, we are happy to support your product development! Get in touch with our team:

Contact Bell‘s organic experts!

Bell’s strategic approach in overcoming regulatory challenges

In order to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of flavours fitting market needs and growing consumer demands for organic products, Bell EMEA has carried out an organic certification for its European site. Having been effected with great efforts, this investment reflects Bell‘s increased technical expertise in all aspects of organic flavour creation, sourcing, production technology and regulatory proficiency. Hence, Bell’s organisational structure ensures compliance of its production methods with the new EU organic regulations while adhering highest quality based on carefully selected raw materials and a strong commitment to responsible sourcing.

Delivering comprehensive support in product formulation and regulatory compliance, Bell EMEA further offers a broad portfolio of organic suitable natural source flavourings (95/5) and extracts for beverage applications. While targeting organic needs on a global scale, Bell likewise comprises a portfolio of organic certified and compliant flavours based on USDA-regulations.

“With investing in organic certified product solutions, we are not only supporting our customers in developing EU-compliant organic products. We are further reflecting Bell’s ambition to target consumer’s health & wellness aspirations and to provide our customers with opportunities to engage with broader target groups while increasing their brand‘s own value.” Agneta Hoffmann, Manager Marketing Flavours

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Innovative flavour creations for BBQ sauces

Details: Created: Wednesday, 01 July 2020 11:30

Inspiring product ideas based on global consumer and market trends.

The past months have put consumers and industry to a tough test. All the more consumers are longing for a return to normality and thus for an increased focus on taste and product diversity. Although the start of the BBQ season was a bit bumpy this year, it is the small measure of normality that connects industry and consumers to bring back the pleasure and joy of good food. Without any doubt, BBQ sauces represent an indispensable classic in this respect.

Consumer Insights: What trends and expectations define a good BBQ sauce?

Consumers are looking for multi-sensory taste experiences. They are demanding exciting and versatile product innovations based on extraordinary combinations of ingredients from around the world. Due to their increasing health awareness, younger generations in particular are paying closer attention to natural ingredients. They are equally focusing on the origin and manufacture of products. At the same time, popularity for plant-based and organic BBQ sauces is rising.

When formulating BBQ sauces, unique and innovative flavours based on high quality and natural ingredients can contribute to attract new consumer target groups and thus boost retail sales on a global scale.

Innovative and aromatic taste varieties for BBQ sauces

Our invigorating product concepts are based on traditional American BBQ sauce recipes. With appealing smoke profiles and the use of various spices, we are meeting the market requirements in Western Europe, while focusing on current market and consumer trends such as the willingness to experiment.

Whether you are looking for exotic and fruity creations, intense smoky profiles or sweet-chocolate notes with a hint of chili – Bell's extraordinary flavour profiles can turn BBQ sauce into a unique taste experience. Thus, satisfying the consumer's need for exciting and authentic product varieties. Our intense and complex flavour profiles are characterised by consistent quality and are also free of added flavour-enhancing ingredients. The use of natural flavors and extracts enables clean labelling. We are offering tailor-made flavour solutions that help to refine and expand your product portfolio.

You want to learn more about our unique flavour creations? Our team is happy to assist:

Get in touch with us!

Culinary perfection meets flavour expertise: Bell’s Culinary Solutions

Bell's Global Culinary Team consists of classically trained chefs and food scientists that work tirelessly to create new and on-trend flavours and applications. Naturalness and authenticity are key in this process. Based on tailor-made flavour profiles and our passion in culinary perfection, we can support you in developing successful market products.

Learn more about our culinary expertise:

Discover Bell's Culinary Solutions

**Meet the team:** Dan Bell – Culinary Chef UK & Europe

Innovative flavour creations for BBQ sauces.

One of the finest things about traditional cooking is the scent of something grilled upon open flames, with BBQ sauce being the staple accompaniment for this classic cooking technique. The diversity of this focus topic continues with classic flavours thus far extending it to exciting, authentic and unusual varieties that are increasingly appealing to consumers.

“By creating this BBQ sauce range and using it as a platform for myself to incorporate the ingredients through our flavours, I bring provenance, authenticity and innovation to the forefront of my culinary developments.”

Dan Bell – European Culinary Chef Bell Flavors & Fragrances EMEA

Get to know our Chef's Favourite BBQ Sauce Varieties

Smoked Apple Butter BBQ

Flavour profiles: Apple Flavour, Type Smoke Flavour, Cinnamon Flavour Powder

Our Chef‘s recommendation: This highly concentrated form of apple sauce, produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider, caramelises to give that rich dark buttery and smokey profile.

Cola BBQ

Flavour profiles: Cola Flavour, Allspice Flavour Powder

Our Chef‘s recommendation: Cola’s sweetness and slight pimento-like taste component’s rounds off BBQ sauces, perfectly. A treat for BBQ sauces of all ages.

Pacific Rim BBQ

Flavour profiles: Pineapple Flavour, Papaya Flavour, Mango Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: A tropical taste of pineapple, mango and ripe papaya, rounded off with the finish of smoke offers a fantastically fruity experience.

Barrel Aged BBQ

Flavour profiles: Oak Cast Smoke Flavour, Pineapple Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: An Oak cast barrel smoke that brings with it hints of vanilla and caramel to the BBQ sauce makes this our signature profile and pairs with everything grilled.

XO BBQ

Flavour profiles: Allspice Flavour Powder, Sauce, XO Type Flavour, Coriander Flavour Powder

Our Chef‘s recommendation: East and West merge in this combination of two classic sauces, with umami richness and savoury soy adds to this authentic version on modern Asian BBQ.

Guajillo Loco

Flavour profiles: Pepper/Guajillo Flavour, Garlic Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: Meeting our consumers demand for spice around the globe, the guajillo chili and the intense garlic profile makes this sauce just so loco.

Shawarma Grill

Flavour profiles: Smoke/fatty Flavour and Smoke, Grill Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: Shawarma spice blends were created in the Middle East for rotisserie meats, when adding grill and smoke flavours to warming spices it showcases this region perfectly.

Mole BBQ

Flavour profiles: Cumin Flavour Powder, Pepper, Type Chipotle Morita Flavour, Dark Chocolate Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: Mexico’s favourite dish, Chipotle Chili and Chocolate are a great combination for this warm spice and savoury BBQ profile, inspired by a dish I ate in Mexico City, Mole Madre by Enrique Olvera, Pujol.

Carolina Red

Flavour profiles: Tabasco Flavour, Smoke/woody Flavour

Our Chef‘s recommendation: True pit master sauce and made not only for those spice fanatics. When dredged over some fatty pork shoulder this BBQ sauce of smoke, heat and tangy flavours brings everything to balance.

Covid-19 Report: Effects on the F&B Industry

Details: Created: Thursday, 28 May 2020 12:30

What are the impacts of the global pandemic on the European food & beverage industry?

The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the global economy and consumer markets. With various levels of lockdowns and self-quarantine being executed in most European countries, consumer behaviour needed to adapt, impacting the food and beverage consumption and certain consumer and market trends in response.

Based on Bell’s profound market research methods and databases used, we have evaluated the changing consumer preferences and purchasing behaviours, market needs and possibilities for innovations in light of the pandemic for the European market. Hence, providing our customers with opportunities to align your future market and product development strategies.

Changing consumer behaviour and impacts on the food and beverage segment

In the era of COVID-19, consumers are adjusting to the “new normal”. As such, purchasing behaviour is characterised by lower disposable incomes, stress and anxieties about the future, and concerns over hygiene, health and wellbeing. At the same time, an increased level of digitalisation has brought online shopping to a new height and social distancing has evoked new levels of meeting digitally.

Additionally, consumers are still limiting their shopping excursions to one stop only, leading to a further need for retailers to position themselves as a place to satisfy all general lifestyle needs.

What you will learn in our COVID-19 report:

5 Key trends and effects of changing consumer behaviour amid COVID-19
Impacts on various segments of the food & beverage industry including non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages, dairy & plant-based dairy alternatives, meat products & meat substitutes, sweet & salty snacks, and foodservice
Key take aways for brand positioning and innovation

Get your free copy of the report, here:

Download COVID-19 Report

Adding value through partnership

At Bell, we believe in being successful together. Our market insights and trend observations help you discover key target areas and dynamics, aiming to build up a holistic business and product strategy.

With COVID-19 further influencing the food and beverage industry, Bell has installed a business contingency system in order to provide our customers with the usual quality and support. Thus, protecting the health and safety of our employees, partners and customers is our key concern. We therefore guarantee increased hygiene measures to ensure a reliable and safe manufacturing of our products. Our team is at your disposal, helping you with regulatory needs, documentation and technical support and ensuring to deliver continuous service.

Food & Flavour Trend Outlook

Details: Created: Tuesday, 11 February 2020 08:30

What is driving the food and beverage industry in 2020?

Based on the constant evolution of the consumers’ aspirations for health & well-being, authentic and clean label products, the industry is facing a changing demand for new product developments, reformulations and market strategies.

In 2020 and the decade to come, ingredients, such as flavours need to focus on functionality AND taste attributes to serve the evolving needs of today’s consumers. Building a bridge between delivering an authentic taste experience and helping to maintain the sensory characteristics of consumer products is key. By that means, flavours need to provide natural taste solutions for sugar reduction, masking off-notes, salt reduction and many more. Thus, creating further opportunities for the future of food. At the same time, sustainability and transparency are major attributes that need to be obtained across the whole supply chain.

Functional taste solutions lead the way

A growing number of consumers is seeking for more healthy food: less sugar or salt, added or alternative proteins as well as superfoods with high nutritional content are major drivers for purchasing decisions. At the same time, consumers are demanding tasty high quality food and seasonal or adventurous variations.

With respect to the vast growing market dynamic for alternative proteins on a global scale, not only meat alternatives will see a respective growth, but also dairy-free white products. Future opportunities will therefore be generated by innovations within the plant-based area. Supported by these market dynamics, the category of sports nutrition will further move into mainstream, opening opportunities for “wellness drinks” and further hybrid categories that address a far larger consumer group.

Thus, maintaining appealing taste characteristics is key for developing successful market products. Authentic taste profiles, such as roasted meat and other culinary profiles or creamy, milky and fresh characteristics need to be obtained. Covering or masking off-notes of various protein types equally play a major role for developing indulgent products. With sugar reduction evolving further and being evident in many product categories at the same time, the need for functional taste solutions will increase substantially over the next 5 years.

Learn more about Bell`s functional taste solutions for sugar reduction:

REDsugar

Botanical extracts and organic flavours are taking center stage

Botanical extracts can be found in a growing number of product launches across all major segments, but will most significantly further influence product developments within the non-alcoholic beverage category. Products such as near water, flavoured water or infused water are focusing on consumer groups shifting from drinks with a high sugar content to more natural and less sweet options by using a range of botanicals within their formulations. Hence, opportunities can be found in herbal varieties that comprise a more bitter taste or combinations with mint, tea leaves, mild spices or floral notes.

Changing EU-regulations effective for organic-certified products from January 1^st, 2021 will also lead to an increasing focus on reformulation within a variety of food and beverage products. In order to keep the organic certification within end products, they are only allowed to contain organic-conform or organic-certified natural source flavourings (95:5) and/or organic-conform or organic-certified extracts.

At the same time, using organic-suitable or certified flavours and extracts will play a major role in new developments within categories such as non-alcoholic beverages, dairy products or bakery & snacks, addressing consumers' desire for transparency and simplicity of ingredients and the increased focus on naturalness.

Let us help you in finding solutions for the new EU-organic regulations:

Contact our team

Hemp is here to stay

Especially younger consumer groups are looking for experimental, yet indulging products, with certain trends or megatrends shaping the industry and setting foundations for new and sophisticated market launches.

The current growth of hemp-based product developments across all product segments within the global F&B industry and the buzz around CBD is likely to fuel product innovations in 2020 and the years to come. Hemp is going mainstream – according to market data, the global hemp-based food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24% in the coming years.

The recent popularity of hemp can be mainly attributed to consumers' growing interest in following plant-based and free-from diets. Together with the consumers' aspirations for hemp as a superfood, its characteristic herbal and floral notes are also creating high interest and lend a signature taste profile to a variety of applications such as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, baked goods and confectionery products and even sauces, condiments and marinades. The use of hemp extracts further underlines the better-for-you and at the same time premium appeal and creates depictional advantages. Both hemp flavours and extracts will therefore be seen in an increasing variety of product launches within the upcoming period.

Discover Bell´s range of natural hemp flavours and extracts, delivering authentic taste experiences for new and invigorating product creations:

Inspired by Hemp