Beverage Flavours With Health Benefits

Beverage manufacturers are introducing new flavor profiles in line with current trends. These include crossover flavors inspired by baked goods, breakfast fare and candy.

Spicier flavors are also gaining popularity. These can be seasonal or limited edition, like Mountain Dew’s VooDew flavor last year.

Pomegranate is a popular flavor profile, and Symrise has developed a beverage flavor that replicates the taste of the aril seeds in pomegranates. This flavor works well in fruit drinks, flavored waters and even healthy beverage alternatives.

Fruits

When beverage formulators think of fruit, they likely envision traditional options like strawberry and vanilla. But many new options are on the horizon, including exotic fruits such as guava, tamarind, dragon fruit and lychee.

Innova Market Insights reports that consumers are driving beverage-makers to include exotic fruits in their drinks, especially in the RTD premium adult beverages and low and no alcohol spaces. These trends have led to an increase in cocktail-style flavors, tropical flavors and sweet dessert flavors across all segments of the market.

A popular ingredient to consider is pomegranate, which can be used in its own right or as an accent flavor that complements other tastes. Symrise has developed a pomegranate flavor that replicates the taste of the tiny sacs of juice inside the natural fruit, called arils.

Herbs

Fresh herbs can add a great deal to Beverage Flavours the flavour of drinks, especially those that have fruit flavours. However, they do degrade quickly so if you don’t want to be constantly running out and buying fresh, try drying or freezing them. This works better for herbs that have woody stems and tough leaves, such as thyme and rosemary.

Another way of getting the benefits of herbs is by using herbal extracts. This allows you to achieve the desired flavour without any of the health risks. For example, ginseng root can reduce stress and boost energy levels. It also has functional properties such as boosting the immune system and aiding concentration, focus and memory. It can also help to improve digestion and bowel movements.

Spices

From kids craving an after-school soda to adults indulging in a weekend cocktail, beverages come with us through many moods and moments. With that in mind, a growing number of manufacturers are offering beverage flavors with added emotional or functional value.

Spices are rich in natural antioxidants that help to protect the body from oxidative stress. This is due to their high content of flavonoids and total polyphenols.

For example, ginger helps soothe a queasy stomach and may even provide migraine relief, according to a 2021 study published in Phytotherapy Research. Meanwhile, clove is known for its breath-freshing properties and garlic promotes heart health by keeping blood vessels flexible.

Nuts

Nuts offer a tasty addition to beverages with added protein, healthy fats and fiber. They can be purchased whole, shelled or ground into nut butters. They can be roasted, unsalted or salted to suit taste preferences. Nuts are a source of antioxidants and provide many health benefits, including lower cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

However, not all nuts are equal. Strictly speaking, only a handful of seeds are true nuts (botanically defined as hard indehiscent fruit). Peanuts, for example, are legumes and related to snow peas. Nevertheless, their popularity is driving new beverage innovations that incorporate them. Moreover, today’s functional beverage consumers want appealing flavors that connect to wellness attributes. This course will explore beverage formulations with these ingredients, with a focus on formula optimization and well-matched flavor systems.

Vegetables

Vegetables are an important source of nutrients, but they’re also a blank Beverage Flavours canvas that can be transformed into a limitless number of dishes. From roasting to sautéing, using cooking methods that heighten vegetables’ natural flavour is key to making them delicious.

Adding umami-rich ingredients, such as tomatoes, nutritional yeast and soy sauce, can help boost the flavor of a vegetable dish. And ethnic condiments like sumac, which adds a distinctive, earthy flavour to root vegetables, and harissa, which is used to spice up grilled cauliflower or black bean burgers can also elevate vegetables.

Cooked vegetable flavours are a common off-flavour in beverages, but they can be avoided with FlavorActiV’s cooked vegetable flavor standard. This is especially important for non-alcoholic beverage blends, such as juices and enhanced waters.

Coffee

When it comes to coffee, fruit flavours provide a perfect complement. They offer a clean, sweet and refreshing taste and aroma that can be paired with almost any other flavor.

Today’s health-conscious consumers are drawn to beverages that deliver a range of wellness attributes. This is driving flavor innovation that enables functionalities such as providing hydration, sleep support or even energy.

Aside from being a popular ingredient for coffee, fruits can be used to enhance the flavour of pure alcoholic drinks such as vodka and liqueurs. These fruits are rich in aldehydes, lactones and many esters. They also have tropical smells and flavours which are very desirable for alcoholic beverage development. For example, the addition of acai berry flavours can give a fresh summer blow to any drink.

Tea

Teas are a great way to get more flavour into your day. Whether it’s a fruity herbal blend like this one, or a spicy chai, they’re perfect for those who want to reduce their sugar intake or just have something tasty in their drink cupboard.

Berry flavours have been seeing a boost in popularity in the alcoholic beverage market, particularly within the RTD premium adult drinks and low/no alcohol space. This is thanks to their sour and sweet taste, which can be balanced with a hint of funk.

The antioxidant properties of these tea infusions were assessed and compared with that of black tea (Camellia sinensis). They were evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and DPPH radical method.