Written by Biospringer, find the original article here: Taste solutions to improve flavors in convenience foods • Biospringer
Challenges when formulating ready meals and convenience foods
“Convenience foods are among the most challenging food categories.” explains Ming Pei Yeo, Assistant Manager at Biospringer Asia Pacific Culinary Center. “Over the past few months, we have gathered our customers main challenges and developed taste solutions to support them. Additionally, we have created 7 recipes to showcase the potential of yeast extracts in convenience foods.”
Click here to discover 7 convenience food recipes using yeast extracts!
How to formulate delicious low-sodium ready meals
Taste plays a significant role in the decision-making process for consumers when choosing ready meals and convenience foods. According to Innova, in 2023, 61% of consumers prioritized convenience, while 41% highlighted taste as a key factor for consuming ready meals.²
To achieve a healthy, low-sodium, clean-label, and tasty solution, food manufacturers can substitute MSG, salt and sweeteners with yeast extract. Unlike these additives, which can be perceived as unhealthy by consumers, yeast extract is a natural ingredient derived from fermentation.
Yeast extract’s main advantage lies in enriching the taste of food naturally through its rich umami properties. With this ingredient, salt can be reduced by up to 30% in your food formulation.
How to develop healthier formulation for clean label convenience foods
1/3 of consumers globally report always checking for ingredients of interest on food packaging.³
Regulations worldwide are getting more and more strict, and the use of additives and preservatives can significantly impact product labelling.
Employing a fermentation-based ingredient such as yeast extract provides an excellent solution for achieving clean label credentials.
Yeast extract is certified vegan, Kosher, Halal and clean label. Depending on local regulations, yeast extract can be labelled as “yeast extract,” enabling manufacturers to improve taste without compromising on healthiness and consumer perception.
How to mimic meat taste in plant-based ready meals
The global plant-based trend continues to thrive, with flexitarians comprising a substantial portion of consumers. These consumers look for familiar flavours in their plant-based foods, and prioritise tasty options with a satisfying mouthfeel.
46% of consumers globally express willingness to try plant-based versions of popular ready meal formats such as salad bowls, instant noodles/pasta/rice, soups/stews in place of meat or poultry.⁴
With over 150 years of expertise, Biospringer excels in replicating meaty notes such as dark, poultry, or roasted flavours with the help of yeast extracts. Their Springer® Signature range can create chicken and beef meaty notes. It can also reproduce roasted, smoked or grilled notes, to mimic meaty tastes in plant-based ready meals.
How to enhance spiciness in convenience food formulations
Spiciness is especially favoured in the Asia Pacific region.
Biospringer offers a range of products designed to enhance the spiciness of convenience foods, providing a spectrum of sensations from mild to high-intensity.
In June 2024, one of Biospringer's Korean customers explained:
“With Springer® Reveal 1405, you deliver a stronger spice flavour impact with less spices. Additionally, you keep the actual spiciness lower than what Korean consumers can tolerate, making it an excellent option for export markets. This addresses the global interest in spicy food without exceeding local tolerances.”
Why choose Biospringer's ingredients in your convenience foods?
Biospringer’s fermentation-based ingredients are renowned as some of the best in the market, providing numerous benefits for food manufacturers pursuing healthy, clean label solutions. Yeast extract enhances taste across a wide range of applications, from soups to snacks and to meat processing.
Contact your Account Manager today for more information on Biospringer's range, or to request a sample.
sales@hawkinswatts.com.au
Sources:
¹ Statista Market Insights, Convenience Food: Market data & analysis, 2024
² Innova Database, “Why do you typically consume ready meals?”, Asia, 2023
³ Innova Trends Survey 2024 (Global: Average of Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, UK, US), Innova Database
⁴ Innova Trends Survey 2024 (Global : Average of Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, UK, US)
