On August 26, 2025, California-based flavor company T. Hasegawa USA announced the launch of HASECITRUS, a natural flavor-stablizing product designed for beverage applications. This ingredient protects citrus flavors from the “dulling” effects of oxidation that affect color, aroma and taste.
Citrus flavor oxidation is caused by reactions between the flavor and oxygen, pH and temperature. This can affect the shelf stability and flavor consistency of beverage products.
“Citrus beverages are becoming increasingly complex in categories like sports nutrition and energy that feature added functional ingredients like protein and electrolytes – but consumers also want clean-label, preservative-free products,” said Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing. “This is driving demand for new technologies like HASECITRUS that enable manufacturers to overcome the effects of oxidation and offer natural flavor beverages that remind consumers what fresh citrus tastes like.”
HASECITRUS launches in eight flavor variants: lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, navel orange, lemon lime, white grapefruit and pink grapefruit. The ingredients are currently only available in liquid form, with a dry powder option available upon request. The company claims that the technology helps maintain citrus flavor for longer periods without refrigeration or special packaging.
This new flavor technology was developed as part of T. Hasegawa’s “Bridge to Tokyo" program, which combines the expertise and innovations of the company’s global headquarters in Japan and its U.S. subsidiary.
“We aim to identify production challenges facing the food and beverage industry and address these issues with innovative science-based flavor solutions,” said senior food chemist Masashi Miyamoto. “HASECITRUS is the result of a long process of adapting T. Hasegawa’s existing technologies to serve manufacturing needs in North America.”
