OSF Flavors Develops a Solution to Improve Functional Soda Taste

OSF Flavors, a US-based flavor house, has introduced a new flavor solution specifically aimed at enhancing taste profiles in functional sodas. The development addresses the sensory challenges that arise with the use of prebiotic fibers, plant extracts, and high-intensity sweeteners. Typically, these ingredients contribute to bitterness and lingering sweetener aftertaste, which the new solution aims to mitigate.

The company notes that commonly used botanicals, such as guarana and ginseng, can lead to earthy or medicinal off-notes. OSF's approach combines a masking system to neutralize bitterness, a sweetness enhancer designed for low-sugar formulations, and a range of flavors tailored to complement botanical extracts.

To demonstrate the efficacy of the solution, OSF formulated three prototype beverages. These included a functional cola drink with guarana, a fruity energy drink with acerola, and a botanical drink featuring lime, mint, and cucumber with ginseng. Each prototype emphasized minimized bitterness and aftertaste, achieving an optimised sweetness perception.

Pierre Battu, OSF Flavors' managing director for Asia, emphasizes the practical benefits for product developers, highlighting the predictability and efficiency it brings to the development cycle. This system allows more focus on decisions that distinguish brands, such as fiber level and acidity.

The prototypes are available as reference formulations, and these solutions can be adapted to suit specific manufacturer needs, including clean-label strategies.