For centuries people were aware of only four tastes, sweet, salty, bitter and sour and it wasn’t until the early twentieth century that Japanese Professor Kikunae Ikeda discovered a fifth taste. This taste did not fit the category of the four well known profiles. He called this new taste umami – a combination of Japanese words “umai” and “mi” which literally translates to ‘delicious taste’.
Interestingly, umami is a naturally occurring profile in many everyday produce such as ripe tomatoes, corn, parmesan cheese etc. It is the free glutamate compound in these foods that give it a unique savoury flavour. The science behind savoury enhancers follows the same route. These ingredients have no taste or texture of their own but act as catalysts to make the food more flavourful. They bring in the umami taste and enhance the savoury profile of the product. In today’s food market, savoury enhancers are the key ingredients for the food to be appreciated by the consumers. They are used widely across most convenience foods. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global savoury ingredients market is estimated to be valued at INR 53,000 Crore in 2020 and is projected to reach INR 65,000 Crore by 2025, recording a CAGR of 5.2%.
The big trends shaping the savoury enhancer market are:
The versatile consumer
Convenience foods, ready to eat meals, processed food are in every kitchen making lives easier. As the convenience food market is evolving, consumer preferences are becoming more specific. Consumers pay a lot more attention to what goes into the food they eat, focusing on both taste and health. They are finding creative ways of designing their diets. There is a growth in veganism and people are opting for flexitarian and reducetarian diets. This versatile consumer also demands special care from the food producers.
Go natural
Traditionally synthetic food flavours are of low cost and have out sold the natural flavour enhancers, but with the ‘go natural’ trend this is changing. Understanding this trend, food producers are on a constant look out for natural replacements for flavours and enhancers used in large scale food production of high demand consumer foods. Consumers are willing to pay more for the natural alternative. FMI’s market analysis shows that 4 out 10 consumers are now looking for naturally sourced food ingredients and this trend is further on the rise.
Perceptions drive sales
Perceptions of consumers determine which products go off the shelf in the convenience food category. Ingredients such as MSG (Monosodium glutamate) are popular and cost effective but have been surrounded by numerous controversies. This has encouraged food producers to seek out a natural alternative of this savoury enhancing ingredient. Natural ingredients improve the credibility and perception of value delivered by the food product.
Understanding the market dynamics Symega offers products to fit the need.
Symega Savoury Enhancer
Prepared with yeast extracts, Symega Savoury Enhancer is a natural ingredient that perfectly complements and enriches your savoury preparations. Yeast extract is a highly versatile ingredient derived from baker’s yeast that is rich in free glutamates and helps create the perfect umami profile in foods.
A free flowing powder, this specialty ingredient helps manufacturers create a clean label product while delivering authentic taste and a rich flavour profile. The ingredient makes for a perfect replacement to the much stigmatized Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) as well as Disodium 5’ Inosinate + Disodium 5’ Guanylate (I+G) across food applications. Being a yeast derivative, it is ideal for use in vegetarian and vegan preparations including meat analogues.
Add a sprinkle of Symega Savoury Enhancer to bring harmony and balance to the flavours of your preparations.
