The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can help predict how consumers will respond to particular sensorial properties of NPD. Leveraging this science, US-based taste company Edlong has expanded its line of dairy-based natural flavors, marketed as a variety of “authentic-tasting, high-intensity” cheese and cultured profiles for use in sauces, dressings and dips. The tech-enabled manufacturer reveals that its AI-powered market research details the potential of these flavors to sway consumer preferences “over real cheese.”

“Edlong leverages this AI platform that is specialized for the F&B industry, wher panelists scientifically evaluate products and the AI interprets what consumers taste. The AI models human sensory perception of flavor, aroma, and texture to predict consumer preference,” Lisa Drawer, Director of Marketing at Edlong, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“The software makes predictions that can optimize every aspect of a product to increase the predicted consumer preference. The result allows us to accelerate development time and have more confidence we are contributing to a successful product in the marketplace.”

Sourced from real dairy, the line includes cheese, sour cream and buttermilk flavor profiles with various functionalities. The low usage levels and heat stable functionality, the option to reduce or replac dairy commodities for cost savings while increasing overall flavor impact, as well as potential natural labeling advantages.

“They come in emulsions and pastes. These flavors are made from a cultured or enzyme modified base and have a cleaner profile from which to work from. They are heat stable and are used to provide authentic character to dressings and dips to ‘boost” flavor profiles of cheese or cultured notes. Since they contain real dairy, they can potentially be called out on the label, as well as used to replac dairy ingredient commodities without affecting taste,” Drawer reveals.

“The outcome of our study was that there were several flavors that were predicted to be preferred over that of the real cheese benchmarks. Formulators can use this information to tailor profiles to optimize for a specific population and a predicted liking to speed up the commercialization process.”

Tapping into prominent dairy themes
The influence of Innova Market Insights Top Ten Trends for 2020 is clearly evidenced in NPD within the dairy category, which is facing key challenges as consumer preferences evolve. The “Macronutrient Makeover” trend highlights attention being paid to changing perceptions of macronutrient content and balance, not only in dairy, but in food and drinks as a whole. Typically, “one macronutrient at a time” is in consumer focus, with low-/no-sugar currently leading as the claim with the strongest influence on purchasing decisions in a 2019 Innova Consumer Survey (UK, US, Spain, France, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and China).

“Consumers look for health in dairy as there has been a 46 percent increase in dairy launches with a low-sugar related claim. Protein claims are also very important and have increased around the globe. Dairy manufacturers also continue to tap into trends like ‘provenance, locally-sourced and authentically made’ as more emphasis is being placed on storytelling and how to capture the consumers’ imagination,” Drawer tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Evolving consumer interest in the origins behind a product are the foundation of Innova Market Insights’ crowned Top Trend of 2020 “Storytelling: Winning With Words.” Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on ingredient provenance and brand storytelling platforms in order to emphasize the taste and quality of their products, as well as their uniqueness and sustainability efforts. Provenance platforms can also communicate a whole range of messages to the consumer, including taste, processing methods, cultural and traditional backgrounds, as well as the more obvious geographical origin.

Also maintaining a foothold in the dairy category, “The Right Bite” trend describes the quest of busy consumers to maintain healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally, raising the demand for nutritious foods that are equally flavorful and are easy to prepare, convenient and portable. 

Lourdes Mato, Edlong Dairy Research Scientist and Project Lead for Dairy-based Natural Flavors at Edlong, comments on the company’s new line expansion, “This is a true collaboration between Sensory, Applications and R&D to deliver the best of both worlds: reducing or replacing dairy commodities, without sacrificing on taste.”

“By specifically focusing our flavor performance expertise on sauces, dressings and dips, we can customize profiles to achieve truly authentic flavors that AI research confirms are predicted to be preferred over real cheese.”

Enter the era of AI-based F&B
The intersection of food and beverage product development with scientific advancements has never been more pronounced. New crops of discoveries are shining light on the efficacies of AI in elevating product analysis, such as in the case of an artificial “tongue” that can “taste” subtle differences between drams of whiskey could help cut down on the trade in counterfeit alcohol.

Also in the liquor space, British distiller Diageo spearheaded an AI and machine learning system, “What’s Your Whiskey,” to analyze people’s flavor preferences in alcohol and match them with their “perfect whiskey.” 

Last month, Danone and Brightseed delved into AI-powered phytonutrient analysis, developed to help the partnership examine the “dark matter of nutrition.” Brightseed’s proprietary AI identifies nutrients and validates their impact so these can be used to support the body’s natural defenses. 

Jointly supported by Microsoft and Danone, a third class of the start-up company support program AI Factory For AgriFood kicked off at the start of the year – fueling the synergies of regenerative agriculture and AI technology in food chains. In another bold step for the agriculture sector, Spacenus launched the Agricultural Nutrient Assistant (ANA), designed to prevent crop failures by using a smartphone to detect a plants nutrient deficiency at an early stage.

Nestlé similarly highlighted a renewed focus on fast-track technological innovation targeting rapidly changing consumer preferences.