As consumer demand continue to evolve when it comes to taste and flavor, IFF's Taste division is adapting with them. The company has invested in innovative technologies, such as sensory science and artificial intelligence to stay on the forefront of the flavor industry. President of the taste division and chief commercial officer Yuvraj Arora outlines key highlights from IFF's flavor side over the past year and how they are using sensory science to improve the overall taste experience for consumers.
IFF
New York, New York
2024 Sales: $11.5 billion
Can you share your key company highlights for the last 12 months?
The past year has been an exciting journey for IFF, as we've taken significant
Yuvraj Arora, chief operating officer, president, TasteCourtesy of IFF
We have also leveraged our expertise in consumer research to identify emerging opportunities, tapping into valuable insights through social listening and text analytics. For example, we examined evolving consumer perceptions around weight management and anti-obesity medications. These insights have inspired us to develop solutions that address the rising demand for nutrient-rich and delicious options for people at various stages of their weight management journey.
Our commitment to cutting-edge technology remains central to our growth. We've invigorated our flagship innovation programs, RE-IMAGINE and RE-MASTER. Through initiatives like RE-IMAGINE WELLNESS, we're paving the way for a healthier future with innovative solutions such as flavor modulation in high-protein products. It's been great to see some of our innovative solutions getting industry recognition. For instance, IFF NEO, our range of natural flavors that deliver authentic citrus taste without citrus oil, received the prestigious Best Non-functional Ingredient of the Decade award at Gulfood Manufacturing.
Sustainability continues to be at the heart of our operations. We've made progress on our Net Zero roadmap, reinforcing our commitment to sourcing 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This milestone is a testament to our mission of doing more good while creating business value.
It's been a remarkable year, and we're energized to continue shaping the future of food and beverage together.
How is your company adapting to global changes in dietary habits and flavor expectations?
IFF is committed to staying ahead of the curve in response to evolving global dietary habits and flavor expectations. Our approach is multifaceted, drawing on our consumer insights and deep category expertise to meet the diverse needs of today’s consumers.
At the heart of this is our IFF Panoptic Framework, a sophisticated tool designed to organize trend intelligence in a comprehensive and actionable way. It identifies long-term macro trends, lifestyle trends, and global sensorial trends, and explores how they play out locally across different categories. Paired with our collection of AI-powered digital tools, it allows us to anticipate global shifts in consumer behavior and adapt proactively to changing consumer needs.
Some examples include our work in the adult beverage category as more consumers are choosing to decrease their alcohol consumption, helping our customers in the U.S. create for a multicultural demographic, and crafting more sensorial and adventurous flavor profiles for consumers looking for new taste experiences in snacks.
What recent innovations in taste and mouthfeel technology are driving the industry forward?
In today’s dynamic market landscape, consumers’ tastes and preferences are constantly evolving. FLAVORFIT, fit for every taste, transforms these challenges through innovative taste and mouthfeel technology, serving as a bridge between health-conscious consumers and their desire for satisfying taste experiences. These modulation technologies help manufacturers create healthier products with natural flavors. For example, the suite of high-impact top notes and consumer-preferred tonalities improves perceptions of sweetness and saltiness, enhances mouthfeel, and masks undesirable off-notes such as bitterness or astringency in high-protein products. It can also bring juiciness and freshness to applications such as healthier protein bars and aid dryness reduction.
What sets our approach apart is the ability to deliver holistic taste transformation. By combining advanced taste modulation capabilities with deep market insights, we're helping manufacturers anticipate and shape future taste experiences. This forward-thinking approach ensures our partners stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences.
How is your company utilizing advancements in sensory science to improve flavor and texture experiences?
For several decades, the only way to understand consumer perception and preferences was to ask consumers directly. However, advancements in neuroscience and data are revolutionizing sensory science. Through our Beyond Hedonics program, IFF has been leading the way in this transformation.
We use cutting-edge physiological and brain scanning techniques, supported with proprietary models to interpret the signals they provide, and leverage significant datasets to guide flavor creation. Unlike traditional neuromarketing, which often focuses on storytelling without delivering actionable insights, our approach is deeply rooted in science. By analyzing actual brain activity, we can uncover the potential emotional or cognitive benefits that food and beverage products provide. This innovative method enables us to craft flavors that go beyond taste, delivering one-of-a-kind experiences to consumers.
What do you see as the primary obstacles in formulating products that meet consumers’ desires for reduced sugar, salt, or fat without compromising taste?
Humans are hard-wired to crave sugar, salt, and fat, but we now live in a world of abundance, where consumers are trying to moderate their sugar, salt, and fat intake. The primary challenge is that sugar, salt, and fat not only possess distinct tastes but also act as taste enhancers. They also generate a specific mouthfeel that’s often lacking from reduced sugar, salt, and fat products. IFF’s unrivaled modulation capabilities can help overcome these challenges. Perfect for sodium and sugar reduction, they offer the potential to create unique sensory experiences and fine-tune flavors and textures to deliver delicious better-for-you options.
In some cases, replicating the complete taste experience of original sugar, salt, and fat content may not be achievable. However, we can help manufacturers design new products that don’t attempt to mimic the full sugar, salt, and fat versions but still deliver on consumer expectations in terms of taste, indulgence, wellness, and authenticity. Achieving this is only possible when supported by in-depth consumer insights and our proprietary approach, IFF Magic Moments, which helps identify the key sensory features consumers truly value.
How is artificial intelligence currently being implemented in your flavor creation and business operations?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we deliver value to our customers by driving innovation at every stage—from ideation to product delivery. Across our business, AI supports us in gathering consumer insights, developing new flavors and products, and optimizing manufacturing processes.
When it comes to taste, AI helps identify flavor and sensory properties, predict consumer preferences for untested products, and leverage our vast knowledge base. Additionally, AI empowers us to anticipate emerging consumer trends, enhance product-concept development, and streamline processes like compliance, sustainability checks, and error detection. This allows us to stay ahead of the curve while delivering precision and excellence across all aspects.
Can you share any success stories where AI has enhanced your approach to formulation, trend prediction, or consumer insight?
While we've made significant progress, it's exciting to acknowledge that we're only beginning to unlock the vast potential of AI. Recently, generative AI has proven to be a powerful tool for white-space identification, enhancing our co-creation process and bringing our consumer understanding to life through various creative expressions, including persona development and data storytelling.
AI also plays a significant role in our flavor evaluation process by expanding both the quantity and quality of data used. It helps us streamline formulas, making them more accessible while preserving their essential qualities, and breaks down formula creation into modular components for quicker development. In 2025, we plan to further leverage AI across formulation, trend prediction, concept creation, and consumer insights, unlocking more of its transformative potential.
What are some of the current obstacles the flavor industry is facing in terms of sourcing? We’ve seen an influx in citrus oil replacers as well as cocoa, can you share how the market is adjusting to these technologies?
Climate change, economic shifts, and geopolitical tensions are creating a perpetual state of raw-material unpredictability. To navigate this complex landscape, we've developed IFF CURE, a package of Core and Uncommon Replacements and Extenders. Our portfolio is engineered to transform disruptions into opportunities. IFF CURE provides consistent quality and supply stability, eliminating uncertainties tied to fluctuating prices. Each solution can be customized to meet specific recipe needs, considering end-use, market demands, and regional preferences and regulations.
In the citrus category, IFF CURE enables customers to offset challenges from disease and crop shortages, achieving an identical citrus taste with sustainable flavor ingredients sourced from natural-alternative channels and bio-derived technology.
For cocoa, our flavor extenders and replacements enable up to 30% cocoa reduction while maintaining or enhancing the overall flavor profile. Similarly, in dairy applications, IFF CURE facilitates the substitution of milk protein or dairy fat. For snack and premix seasonings, our tomato powder extenders allow for up to 30% replacement without compromising taste, ensuring innovative and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications.
