Flavor Blog

Fall is upon us, and with that time of year comes pumpkin spice season. So why does pumpkin spice draw us in, time after time? And what is it, exactly?

Read on to discover the basic fundamentals necessary to ensure the success of a new beverage brand. If you have the following fundamentals in place, you may have a good chance of surviving and prospering in the very competitive beverage industry. Drink on...

New Product Development (NPD) is the lifeblood of enduring success for most CPG companies. Even those with herds of cash cows see a decline in milk production as they age. Without a stream of successful new products, a brand eventually tires and trickles to a puddle. But developing and flavoring new products is expensive, challenging and often filled with indecision.

Today, abelei’s libraries of Non-GMO, Organic Certified and Organic Compliant (AKA “made with organic”) flavors collectively numbers well over 1,000 formulas. Sales of these flavors went from zero in 2007 to 23% of total sales for Non-GMO formulas and 10% for Organic (about a 50% /50% split between certified and compliant) in 2018. Obviously, these relatively new categories are significant, growing, and especially for Non-GMO, becoming the new norm.

Since it appears that food and beverage products containing Hemp, CDB, and THC are part of our future, what do we need to understand about using them and flavoring them effectively in order to safely ride this potentially profitable new wave?

“Foodies” of this world have been familiar with the flavor of Elderflower for years, though like lesser known flavors, it has taken some time to catch on with the public. However, perhaps with a little push from a recent royal wedding cake, as well as some successful new product launches, the elderflower taste profile is more clearly surfacing on the palettes of casual consumers.

There are various ways in which abelei’s flavor and support services contributed to the success and sustainability of its business partners. In 2018 nearly 200 customers, an assortment of beverage, food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies, called on abelei to help create, improve and optimize their products. From new product development to product improvements and optimizations, abelei’s services and expertise span beyond flavor.

Ever wonder where all the flavor comes from when you're chewing that tasty piece of gum, sipping on your favorite tea or beer or snacking on your favorite candy? Flavors are in a plethora of foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, candies and more and are the superstars in products, responsible for making them iconic and memorable. So, what is a flavor? Where do they come from? How are they made and used? This month, we turned to abelei’s own Judith Michalski, a certified flavorist with over 30 years of experience in the flavor industry, to answer this popular question.