According to the German flavour firm, fruity flavours tend to dissipate quickly once a product’s package is opened, because the raw materials used to build the flavours are not bake stable.
The new line is said to overcome this problem through the use of more stable raw materials as building blocks for the flavours. It has also paid attention to providing a lingering fruity aroma – an attribute that may be missing when taste is the primary consideration.
“We think it is a pity you don’t have the whole experience if you do not have the smell with it,” a spokesperson said, adding that Wild’s approach is to include “the whole taste and smell experience”.
Although the company would not go into details about the underlying technology or the nature of its raw materials, the flavours can be labelled as ‘natural flavour type’ in Europe. In the US they would be labelled as natural WONF (with other named fruit) flavour.
The new line is made up of lemon, orange, strawberry, apricot, blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry and apple flavours. They can be used in sweet baked items such as butter cookies, and in ‘sandwich’ cookies with a fruity flavoured centre. In this case, the flavour can be added either to the dough or to the creamy filling.
When asked whether the new idea for the new flavours came from Wild or was requested by customers, the spokesperson said it was “a chicken and egg situation”.
The company is constantly considering how it can improve the flavours in its portfolio, she said, and talks to customers about their needs and ideas.
Wild has identified fruit flavours as a trend in the sweet baked goods industry. It cites research from Mintel, which lists 369 new fruit-flavoured baked goods launched in Europe in 2008 – almost 13 per cent more than the previous year.