Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/694455
36 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 3, 2016 (June/July) By Anne-Marie Hardie F lavored teas and coffees retain their appeal for a variety of consumers from millennials to seniors. Flavors enhance the sensory experience by evoking familiar emotions triggered by aroma and taste. Scents reassure consumers seeking comfort over adventure but flavors today must offer something more stimulat- ing than hints of strawberry, vanilla and jasmine. "We find that more and more, customers are looking at natural flavors from the named fruit," explains Flavourtech sales and marketing director Leon Skaliotis. The Australian company processes the actual raw material used for flavoring directly through its patented spinning cone column. The process takes 25 seconds to strip volatile aromas. "They can even tailor the aroma captured by selecting different pro- files of the aromas present to produce something unique," he said. Developing authentic flavors is far from simple. Complexity is the rule made more complicated by various methods used by blenders who must contend with emissions and safety around the often volatile agents used to convey flavorings. To be effective, companies need to think of the end application – right from the start. "They need to consider everything about the product from how it is going to be packaged and brewed, to whether the tea is CTC, loose leaf, oolong, or black," says Michael Abrams, founder, Flavor Waves. Before investing the time to create the final product the flavor technologists need to ensure that the manufacturer can effectively duplicate the product experienced in the laboratory. This is why blending equipment is such a vital part of the conversation. Understanding blending Bulk density and robustness are the two major concerns that Bill Smith, director global beverage innovation and r&d, Sensient, considers that when dry flavors are mixed with tea or coffee in industrial sized machines: "The size and density of the particles need to be fairly similar in order to achieve a stable and homogeneous mixture," he says, Flavor Takes Center Stage A spinning spray dryer at Foodarom completes the tea flavoring process Spray dryer in stationary position