Synergy Flavours has developed an Italian Provenance citrus range, designed to tap into consumer demand for premium products with increased transparency. The extracts, developed using traditional extraction techniques to produce distillates, infusions and washes, include Calabrian lemon, Italian blood orange, Italian bergamot and other signature flavours. 

The extracts are suitable for beverages, baked goods and dairy products. The Sicilian blonde orange is designed to impart a sweet and juicy taste to products, while the Italian bergamot flavour is aimed to provide a zesty aroma with a bitter profile, suitable for teas and juices. 

Giorgio Ferluga, Technical Manager, Synergy Flavours Italy, commented: “Italy is world-renowned for citrus and particularly lemon, which has been cultivated here for over 1,000 years. Processing the highest quality fruits directly from nature in a sustainable way enables us to deliver natural and authentic citrus profiles that meet the specific application requirements of our customers. Our contracts and agreements with domestic suppliers in Italian growing regions guarantee reliable and efficient supply. Alongside this, our rich heritage and citrus know-how means we can help provide new inspiration to our customers so that they can excite consumers’ taste buds.” 

The company has also launched what it’s calling the global Citrusology programme, which includes a series of educational webinars, designed to help food and beverage manufacturers to explore the nuances of flavour across regions and citrus varieties. The goal of the programme is to help customers find a path to provenance, Synergy says, whether that be through a natural flavour which delivers a signature tone and is reminiscent in profile to the provenance material, or by enabling provenance declarations through named source ingredients, such as the Italian extracts. 

Vicky Berry, European Business Development Manager, Synergy Flavours, commented: “While provenance is a growing trend for consumers, manufacturers have many choices and considerations when it comes to creating a provenance-inspired citrus product. In some markets and for some consumers, using named source materials is the preference, however, there are regulations and supply considerations to be taken into account. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and a whole world of possibilities exist when innovating with citrus. We work collaboratively with every customer to help them to take their citrus products to a new level.”