Search

What’s new in food and beverage trends in 2024? This is the year of ensuring consumers get what they want: thoughtfully curated beverages gracing that bar or coffee station, layered creations, exotic fruit flavors, and custom ice cubes full of whole fruit. New beverage industry trends this year are unique and representative of putting extra thought into every aspect of taste and appearance.

Combining years of experience in consumer beverage trends with European flair and precision, Metarom USA is on top of global beverage industry expansion. Our international office connects with industry leaders worldwide to identify the best and most creative concoctions of 2024. See why Metarom’s specialty flavors are the go-to ingredients of your newest drink blend. We’ve identified the five hottest beverage industry trends this year. From adding a bit of spice to a return to the classics, discover the growing trends and enduring flavors of 2024.

1. Sustainable and Functional Flavors

By far, the top beverage trends in 2024 include sustainable sourcing and functional flavors. Younger consumers want beverages that promise more positive health outcomes – think glowing skin, better digestion, increased hydration, vitamin infusions, and increased energy. Prompted by Gen Z influencers, functional beverage flavors are the thing right now.

• New consumer beverage trends are constantly shifting, but beverage industry trends point to drinks infused with natural ingredients and flavors, collagen, and sustainable sourcing and packaging.
• This year’s New beverage trends include functional flavors, fat replacers, natural sweetness enhancers, and flavor masking agents.
• Consumers want less emphasis on stimulants and more on pure, natural flavor.

Trending ideas include promoting hydration, boosting vitamin intake, and meeting specialized nutritional health needs, such as those associated with keto and vegan diets.

2. Exotic Fruits and Mocktails

Piggy-backing off the functional beverage trends, 2024 brings a massive shift to low-calorie, low-alcohol, and non-alcoholic beverages. As new scientific evidence reveals the long-term effects of alcohol consumption, health-conscious consumers have opened the door to yet another emerging market.

• Beverage industry trends follow the mocktail craze, which features fruity flavors, infused ice cubes, and naturally layered beverages that look as beautiful as they taste.
• Exotic flavors like guava, lychee, taro, and dragonfruit are proving just as satisfying to health-conscious consumers as alcohol-infused cocktails.
• Expect health-conscious consumer beverage trends to continue growing strongly in the coming years as consumers indulge in their health and well-being.

Flavor-infused mixes go beyond mocktails and have expanded into other beverage creations – expect similar health trends in popular soda brands, small-craft beers, and ciders.

3. Bring On the Heat!

One of the top new beverage industry trends observed in 2024 is heat infusion in traditional beverages. With many peppery flavors, this year’s drinks pack a punch—in the best way possible.

• Adding a spicy tang can twist traditional mixes and activate the senses – consumers are demanding a bit of a surprise element in their beverages this year.
• This demand has led to an influx of creations – everything from Mexican hot chocolate to spicy margaritas and delicious Micheladas (a twist on the Bloody Mary).
• Expect growth in spice-infused tequila and other liqueurs to accompany spicy beverage industry trends.

Discover our spice-infused flavors and up the ante on your next creation to bring some heat to your table or date night!

4. Alternative Dairy Blends

This has been the year of expanding iced coffee creations and fancy tea blends, so it makes sense that alternative dairy blends have entered the market firmly. From the explosion of boba tea shops to the ever-growing popularity of shaken espresso mixes, consumer beverage industry trends have followed suit with the expansion of dairy alternatives.

• There has been an increase in dairy alternative options on grocery store shelves this year, including variations in rice, oat, almond, soy, and coconut milk.
• Flavor-infused milk alternatives are emerging as key players in new beverage trends.
• Lactose-free dairy products, vegan coffee creamers, and drinkable probiotics appeared in beverage trends of 2024.

Expect to see more dairy alternatives that maintain texture integrity in everyday favorites. Seasonal flavor infusions in alternative dairy blends are also very much a thing right now—there’s a reason your local coffee shop is sold out of its apple crisp-flavored coffee shake!

5. Return to Authenticity

One of the beverage industry trends this year is shifting away from the complexities of fancy concoctions. Flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and caramel remain strong favorites, and consumers crave a return to the classics.

• Expect to see simple, traditional beverages like vanilla and chocolate milkshakes on the menu as consumers seek a bit of familiarity.
• Caramel and vanilla pod garnishes may be the decadent extra touch on simple creations.
• The emergence of the clean label trend means that consumers are demanding to know what ingredients are in their everyday favorites – a return to the classics has been a long time coming.

Natural and sustainable sourcing is critical in beverage industry trends. It comes down to maintaining the integrity and consistency of the product with every sip.

Request a Sample Today

Metarom USA offers reliability and high quality to meet the needs of consumer beverage trends. Browse our traditional flavors and discover new ones, sure to keep things new and exciting. Contact us for a sample today.

Create more flavorful desserts using a luxurious caramel sauce or filling to bring it all together. The everlasting flavor of rich caramel perfectly compliments every dessert from ice cream to popcorn – and makes your sweet treat one to remember. Explore Metarom USA online and discover what types of caramel will bring your product line to the next level on the market.

Our team specializes in bulk ordering and fostering global partnerships. We have branches in Europe and the United States that partner with your business to tailor more flavorful desserts, including some unique Metarom specialty caramels taste-tested by the best in the caramel business. Curating specialty flavors is an art. Here’s how you’ll benefit from working with Metarom.

Caramel Inclusions & Powders

Discover a range of inclusions and powders that make the difference between an average and above-average dessert on the menu. Metarom caramel creams and syrups combine the perfect flavor and composition and offer a variety of options to meet specific nutritional and dietary requirements, such as Keto, Kosher, and vegan.

• Discover our dairy-free caramel products for lactose-intolerant consumers.
• Taste-test our caramel bits and powders, perfect for vegan products.
• Try Bake-Stable Caramel Bits, which melt in your mouth, for more flavorful vegan desserts that are equally loved by non-vegan foodies.

See why our most popular rich caramel flavors are trusted by growing businesses worldwide. A partnership with Metarom means you’ll be part of the process every step of the way. Our flavor chemists will match you with the types of caramel that create a consistent product every single time.

How We Create the Best Caramel in the Business

Metarom specialty caramels and caramel syrups are derived from years of experience perfecting traditional French methods. Our founder, Maurice Métayer, initially sought to bring even more flavorful desserts to consumers in France and beyond. Our experienced flavor chemists in France work closely to replicate traditional French methods worldwide – bringing them to the mainstream. Here’s how we do it:

• We employ certified French flavor chemists to discern subtle differences in flavor and help create innovative signature creations—like our specialty Metarom caramel creams, inclusions, and powders—for your business.
• We tailor the nutritional content of our products to meet the highest industry standards without compromising on flavor and texture.
• We produce various types of caramel products in our state-of-the-art facility in San Diego, CA.

We seek to fill bulk orders for high-end manufacturing in the United States and beyond. The result is more flavorful desserts and a rich caramel texture you’ll remember long after the last bite.

Our Most Popular Caramel Treats

Our caramel products complement a variety of foodie favorites that you know and love. With decades of experience in the industry, we’ll help you discover Metarom specialty caramels with a global reach. Here are some of our most popular creations:

• Caramel Syrups: Metarom makes caramel syrups perfect for topping any desserts. More flavorful items are available in small-batch or bulk orders. Discover syrup by Metarom for drizzling, layering, and baking.
• Caramel Creams: Your product line is our special treat! Delicious caramel creams bring an extra boost to every bite. Our variegates include Salted, Dark, and Butter variations to sample.
• Specialty Creations: Some of our unique, hard-to-find blends are tailored to health and dietary requirements. Try our Keto Caramel Layer or a range of sugar-free options. Our signature Metarom caramel inclusions and powders can meet a variety of high-end needs.

See what sets our team apart. We are a one-stop shop for bulk production and specialty items. Discover how easy it is to partner with Metarom USA for more flavorful desserts and rich caramel products you can’t find easily all in one place.

How We Keep It Natural

Historical roots in traditional French caramel-making have created an industry-standard of keeping things natural. Metarom USA meets the highest European safety and health standards, making us one of the most trusted partners in the industry.

• Metarom specialty caramels and flavors are trusted in various products worldwide – including popcorn, chocolates, desserts, tea drinks, coffee blends, cocktails, protein drinks, and more.
• Flavorful desserts are achieved using natural products, precise timing, careful selection, and detailed planning. Metarom caramel syrups and creams use natural flavors and ingredients. It’s the small things that make a difference.
• Our team customizes blends and textures based on years of practice and collaboration. We partner with small businesses and global organizations requiring bulk orders and consistency with every bite.

The outcome is more flavorful desserts and a trusted consistency. Metarom’s signature caramel inclusions and powders are globally recognized. We take pride in recognizing the details that bring your creation to the mainstream American market.

Learn More Online Today

Sample a selection of our best types of rich caramel flavors online. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Our team of specialists is ready to connect you and help you curate your perfect flavor match! Discover more flavorful desserts and a careful selection of ingredients from start to finish. Contact us today and complete a sample request form online at Metarom USA.

The effervescent scent of a truly premium vanilla extract is unforgettable. Not only does it complement a wide array of flavors, but it announces its bold presence in every bite. Finding the proper vanilla extract assures a consistent potency of flavor that doesn’t become subdued over time or lose its authentic taste.

Our team at Metarom USA works with various organizations to bring the best flavor to growing product lines worldwide. We access bulk-production techniques that produce unparalleled vanilla extract flavor to meet a variety of purposes and products.

Working With Metarom USA

At Metarom USA, we help enhance your product line by partnering with the best high-quality vanilla extract manufacturer for your growing business. Our team knows substituting an imitation vanilla extract flavor isn’t enough to keep consumers buying more. Here’s how we work with you to create the ultimate flavor experience:

• Collaborate with our team to discover manufacturers with global production and custom flavor expertise.
• Gain access to bulk-ordering capability without compromising on flavor quality.
• Adapt your product line to niche markets and meet high standards without sacrificing the texture and composition of your product line.

Every high-quality vanilla extract company we work with has been vetted by top flavor chemists for consistency and premium quality. We pair your product line with the perfect vanilla extract manufacturer to bring an extra zest of flavor to your product. The result is a tailored product that meets the highest standards and leaves your consumers wanting more.

Bulk Vanilla Extraction Methods

The traditional method of high-quality vanilla extract production (called maceration) is still used worldwide. Still, its resulting flavor is virtually indistinguishable from authentic extracts created using more modern production methods. The vanilla extract manufacturing process has undergone several changes and technological advances over the last century, allowing the creation of vanilla extracts in bulk.

A premium vanilla extract flavor requires precise timing. Producing specialty flavors means drawing on the vast knowledge of a reputable vanilla extract manufacturer. Here are some fantastic advances in vanilla extraction methods used by manufacturers that create authentic premium vanilla flavors with ease in bulk:

• Percolation: Just think of your everyday coffee maker—percolation creates a high-quality vanilla extract by passing a solvent through the beans repeatedly and extracting more flavor each time.
• Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction: A recognized vanilla extract company likely uses the latest technological advances, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction. This method uses sound waves to break down the beans, allowing the flavor to drop immediately into the solvent.
• Microwave-Assisted Extraction: Using microwaves to heat and release vanilla flavor compounds, Vanilla extract can be produced.
• Pulsed Electric Field Extraction: Electroporation produces high-quality vanilla extract using an electric field system to extract desired flavor compounds from vanilla beans.

These premium vanilla extract manufacturing process techniques have been fine-tuned over the years to create amazing results on a bulk scale. The finished product is ready for wide-scale consumption and use – its flavor is indistinguishable from vanilla extract produced using slower traditional methods.

Popular Vanilla Extract Creations

Metarom’s modern flavor chemistry techniques meet high international safety and health standards. Our team knows what to look for in a vanilla extract manufacturer. Metarom is known across France and Europe for being a reliable producer of quality European products using only high-quality vanilla extract. We always work with a premium vanilla extract company to produce unique products for the market in bulk. Here are just a few ways we can integrate vanilla into your product line:

• Helping create dairy-free nutritional beverages, including protein shakes.
• Traditional ice cream bars and desserts use vanilla bean pastes, powders, or ground vanilla beans (known as vanilla specks) to enhance flavor and texture.
• Use high-quality vanilla extract in bake-stable fillings, yogurts, creams, and protein bars.

Discover flavors that can only be achieved using a premium vanilla extract manufacturing process. We’ll create a plan that works for your growing business.

Staying True to Classic Vanilla Flavors

Our team at Metarom USA has extensive experience catering to niche markets, including meeting industry standards for vegan, Kosher, dairy-free, and Keto-based dietary requirements on a large scale. We’ll tailor your product to access a wide range of healthy food markets and more.

• We work with a vanilla extract company that uses cutting-edge flavor chemistry to maintain the product’s original flavor without changing its standard composition and texture.
• An experienced vanilla extract manufacturer can help you distinguish the subtle flavor differences between a high-quality vanilla extract and cheaper synthetic substitutes. Experience the difference for yourself and taste-test until you know it’s right.
• Using premium vanilla extract in bulk is an evolving market that Metarom USA helps your business navigate easily.

Discover how seamless the vanilla extract manufacturing process can be, and let us take the reins on your final vision. We take pride in watching our artistry come to life!

Request a Sample Online Today

We have the best team to help enhance your product line from start to finish. Discover why growing companies trust our team to develop high-quality vanilla extract products and order in bulk for production. Discover our other flavors and extract products, and contact us to request a sample online today.

There’s nothing like the luxurious taste of high-quality caramel flavors that transcend the ages—and your palette. Creating the perfect texture and blend is an art form; even a subtle variation in temperature or measurement can completely change the taste experience when it comes to caramel manufacturing. At Metarom USA, our team specializes in getting it right the first time. A versatile caramel product is meant to be drizzled, dipped, or coated to create all the amazing treats and desserts we know and love.

Combining over 100 years of experience in flavors, extracts, caramel products, and functional ingredients, Metarom USA connects you and your business with experienced French flavor chemists based in global offices. See why customers trust our caramel products above the rest and contact us for a free sample.

Creating the Best Caramels

Our organization is not new to creating the ultimate caramel experience. With a longstanding history in France—the birthplace of caramel—Metarom was founded by Maurice Métayer in 1950 with the intent of sharing years of tradition with the mainstream. We’ve quickly expanded globally while maintaining the classic integrity of the best in French flavor.

Our select caramel products are deeply rooted in our experience of meeting high-end caramel manufacturing needs in Europe and beyond. In 2017, our offices expanded into the United States, bringing our European specialty flavors to a broader base. Here’s what puts us a step above the rest:

• Metarom USA employs French flavor chemists with some of the most advanced studies in the business. They are focused on creating the high-quality caramel flavors desired by our customers worldwide.
• Our state-of-the-art facility, based in San Diego, CA, welcomes customers from across the globe.
• We specialize in tailoring select caramel products, including powders and nutritional products.

Metarom helps streamline matching the best caramel flavoring and color to your product, bringing your organization’s vision to the world. We know the caramel industry is based on a delicate balance of experience, historical practice, and getting it exactly right.

Our Popular Caramel Creations

Creating the best caramels comes from decades of experience in the caramel manufacturing industry. Over the years, Metarom has perfected essential high-quality caramel flavors that foodies worldwide know and love. Here are some of our most popular caramel flavors and creations:

• Caramel Syrups: Our caramel products include syrups in a range of traditional flavors, including Dark Caramel, caramel brulee, Blonde Caramel, and Salted Caramel.
• Caramel Creams: Our selection of variegates is renowned and includes Salted, Dark, and Butter variations. We also create a mouthwatering Caramel Topping and Sea Salt Caramel Cream that our customers worldwide love.
• Inclusions and Powders: Discover dairy-free caramel products, including caramel bits and powders for vegan treats and Bake-Stable Caramel Bits that melt on your tongue.
• Caramel Specialty Products: Our customers know that we specialize in unique caramel blends you can’t find elsewhere in the caramel manufacturing industry. Meet dietary needs with our Caramel Binder or Keto Caramel Layer. We even carry a range of sugar-free options.

From plant-based substitutes to dairy-free options, Metarom USA caters to the health-food industry and customers seeking the best caramels rooted in the tradition of French culture. Our customers trust us to match them with high-quality caramel flavors and nutritional substitutes.

Natural Caramel Products and Coloring

We use cutting-edge flavor chemistry to create products that meet the highest international safety and health standards. Our team knows that natural flavors are best, and Metarom is known across France and Europe as a reliable producer of quality products that meet various manufacturing needs. This is how we’ve earned the trust of customers worldwide:

• Metarom USA guarantees natural caramel flavor and coloring that doesn’t alter your product’s structure or textural integrity during the caramel manufacturing process.
• Our natural caramel coloring is trusted in diverse products, including sodas, coffee blends, tea drinks, cocktails, and protein drinks.
• Our flavor engineers create specially designed caramel products that won’t alter bake-stable, textural, or nutritional qualities.

Your business can trust our team to offer individualized service and tailor natural, high-quality caramel flavors and coloring. Looking for something more unique? We’ll work with you to create samples so you can see what sets us apart from the crowd.

Meet Specialized Health Needs

Metarom USA uses natural methods to meet vegan, Kosher, dairy-free, and Keto-based dietary needs on a large scale, helping our customers meet an expanding market. Here are just a few ways we can help your business reach this niche opportunity:

• Our caramel products can be tailored to any specialized health requirement, including those that require specialized nutrients for energy and health.
• The best caramels in the business are becoming more diverse. Ask us how you can compete on a broad scale by expanding your products to sugar- or dairy-free options.
• Our flavor engineers help you find the proper additives for your project, including additional vitamin benefits such as an increased calcium content in your final product.

Our team knows how important it is to meet market needs and expand beyond your current caramel manufacturing scale. We have experience navigating this growing industry in global markets.

Request a Sample Online Today

We offer only the best caramel products in the business. Discover our other great flavors and extracts, including vanilla and fruit flavors. We are confident in helping you find your perfect flavor match! Contact us to fill out a sample request form online at Metarom USA.

Earthy? Fruity? Spicy? Discovering the nuances between one bottle of wine and another is an art form that takes some time and experimentation to master. You’ve likely heard the typical descriptive terms for wine pairing, but what do they mean? Why is a Pinot Noir described as more ‘earthy’ and a Zinfandel more ‘fruity’ and ‘spicy?’

Learning the basics of wine pairing and identifying the primary, secondary, and tertiary aromas in wine can boost the energy of your evening and make for great discussions with your guests. Keep reading Metarom’s quick rundown of the most popular flavor profiles of wine.

Earthy

Your earthy wines are the Pinot Noirs, Nebbiolos, and Gamays of the world. They are bold and contain undertones of soil, a woodsy scent, and perhaps a faint mushroom flavor, and they are among some of the most renowned wines of the world. Think of the bold Barolos and Barbarescos of Italy in all their glory! Your earthy wines can be paired with anything from a rich stew to gamey meats like lamb and duck.

Peppery or Spicy

A glass of red wine with your steak dinner is a timeless tradition rooted in social gatherings and family dinners. Hosts or restaurateurs may have described red wine as ‘spicy.’ But what does that entail exactly? Your typical flavor profiles of a spicy wine have a faint taste of pepper, cinnamon, or even anise. Wine’s spicy flavors and primary aromas can come in red and white varieties.

Acidity

Some wines leave you with puckered lips long after you sip, while others seem smoother and milder in flavor at the finish. There are different types and levels of acidity, ranging from a citrus flavor to a milder fruity taste with a ‘soft’ finish that develops as the secondary and tertiary aromas in wine come through over time. The acidity of a wine can enhance its drinkability and how it pairs with other flavor profiles in wine.

Oak

Like whisky, rum, and brandy, wine is traditionally aged in barrels made of oak. The oak descriptor is a common term for the aromas in wine bottles that are aged this way. Primary aromas in oaky wine are not as noticeable. As they age, aromas will vary between nutty, woody, or complex depending on the length of aging. Secondary and tertiary aromas in wine bottles aged in barrels become stronger the longer they are allowed to sit and ferment.

Fruity

Typically, wine falls into two fruity categories – red fruit and black fruit. In a Zinfandel, you might get more of a blackberry or boysenberry flavor, whereas a merlot might be described as having more of a full red cherry fruit flavor. Dark burgundy or black fruity shades and flavors are prominent in full-bodied wines.

Wines described as ‘fruity’ are not always synonymous with ‘sweeter’ flavor profiles. In wine, the color of grapes can impact the shade of the wine – anywhere from a clear white, to a rose, or even a deep red. In the aging process, certain fruit flavors may overtake the final product more than others.

Floral

Floral wines are reminiscent of the summer months. The flavor profiles of wine with floral undertones bring images of rose petals, lavender, and a light sprinkle of herbs to mind. They are cool, airy, and pair well with a salad or lemon meringue pie. Think of white German wines such as Riesling or Gewurztraminer. In the aging process, the primary aromas in wine are intensely floral in the younger versions. These floral notes can also be recognized in a Chenin Blanc, Moscato, or Viognier.

Mineral

In some regions like the Loire Valley in France, a flinty mineral flavor is the common essence in grapes grown and aged in that particular region. As a wine ages and ferments, its secondary and tertiary aromas sometimes leave what is described as a mineral taste on its flavor profiles. This mineral taste in wine is usually subtle, as the aging process can cause other taste notes to become a bit stronger and diminish it.

Leathery

When the term ‘leathery’ is used to describe a bottle of wine, it usually means that it is high in tannins. Tannins are the remnant seeds, stems, and skins of grapes that can be left over after aging. A leathery texture means the wine leaves a bit of a dry flavor on your palate after a sip. You may even see the tannins in the wine, but they become more subtle in flavor profiles and decrease visibility as the wine ages.

Sweet

As a final finish, a sweet dessert wine could have just the intense aroma you crave. Try a small glass of port, ice wine, or other late-harvest wine varieties. The primary aromas in wine that would be described as ‘sweet’ usually have an infusion of honey, peach, lychee, or other tropical fruit. As the wine is harvested and fermented, secondary and tertiary aromas develop and may be influenced by the concentration of the sugars in the frozen grapes when harvested.

Pair Your Wine Like a Pro

Generations have gathered around the table, pondering what wine to pair with the evening’s meal or vibe. With the primary flavor profiles of wine in mind, you can use a simple pairing guide to create a go-to menu of the best wines for your next big event or use the above descriptors as your guide. You can even add some fantastic flavors after aging to infuse your best glass of vino and create a one-of-a-kind beverage! Now, all that’s left is to sit back, sip, and enjoy! For more guidance on pairing wine and its flavor profiles, contact Metarom online.

Creating the perfect mouth-watering flavor in your food is an art form. Using a combination of experimentation and some simple additives, you can achieve the exact texture and nutrient profile in every bite. The role of food additives is complex, and not every additive is created equal.

Some additives can alter the texture of your food to make it more appealing to eat, and others are there to bring out particular flavors or make your food more nutritious and enjoyable. Here are a few essential food additives you may encounter on a typical ingredient list and how they may change the flavor profiles and textures of the food you eat daily.

Flavors and Extracts

What are food additives without the tantalizing scent of vanilla? You may be surprised to learn that the world of extracts goes beyond your primary vanilla flavor. Today’s extracts include some unique options from around the world, sure to please your palette:

• Explore nutty flavors like almond and coconut.
• Sample tropical flavors like pineapple and mango.
• Add a dash of mezcal or mojito flavor for your evening martini.

Combining unique flavors is just one of the benefits of food additives. What are some other perks? Extracts can easily be added to your dish or drink without changing their texture or composition.

Sweeteners

Sweeteners enhance flavor, control sugar intake, and meet health and dietary requirements. Sweeteners play a unique role when it comes to health needs. Food additives of this type have many benefits:

• They can manage blood sugar levels for people who have diabetes or trying to reduce sugar intake.
• Sweeteners can replace harmful sugars that may speed tooth decay.
• For health reasons, sweeteners may aid weight loss in sugar-free or low-sugar diets.

What are food additives’ best uses? Some would say sweeteners have been a game-changer in everyday healthy eating.

Coloring

Food coloring is one of your favorite and most common additives. Food items can lose color naturally over time through exposure to light or even through regular storage.

• Food coloring in all its forms can add some fun to your favorite sweets, drinks, and appetizers.
• Artificial food coloring additives are composed of dyes that do not occur in nature – but their use is widespread in the grocery store aisle.
• Some benefits of food additives are simple – like what you can do to create a more natural color and flavor just by using elemental powders and syrups.

Coloring is used to create food that is more pleasing to the eye.

Fat Substitutes and Replacers

Fat substitutes and replacers help maintain the taste and texture of your food while decreasing the amount of fat in your portion. The role of these food additives varies in effectiveness and content – but there are three main categories you will typically see.

• Carbohydrate-based replacements like gelatin or modified dietary fibers are frequently used as food additives.
• What are some other great fat substitutes? Milk whey can easily be used to replace other fats.
• Vegetable oil can replace fat in a variety of food items.

Fat substitutes and replacers can lower the calories in food when needed, and help meet dietary requirements.

Citric Acid

Originally derived from lemons, using citric acid (also known as sodium citrate, or MCA, on food labels) is widespread on your grocery shelf. So, what are some benefits of food additives – including citric acid? Here are a few:

• Citric acid is a common additive meant to lengthen or preserve the shelf life of certain products and make them longer-lasting.
• It can be used to enhance the flavor of certain products.
• You’ll also find citric acid in many personal care items.

You’ll find that the role of food additives varies and takes different forms in ice cream, fizzy drinks, and wine.

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum falls under the category of stabilizers, and it can often be used in the same way as gelatin. What are food additives created for if not for adding great texture? Xanthan gum is made by fermenting sugar with a specific type of bacteria. In its final form, it can be reduced into a powder that makes for a great thickened texture when added to certain fillings and liquids.

• Xanthan gum is popular in gluten-free products.
• It can create bake-stable fillings that would otherwise lose shape after cooking.
• Xanthan gum is even used in toothpaste, facial creams, and other personal products.

You’ll find xanthan gum in everything from ice cream to salad dressings and popular confectioneries.

What Are Some Other Benefits of Food Additives?

Beyond great taste and color, a great food additive can add outstanding texture, too! The role of food additives is expansive and encompasses a variety of uses.

• Scientists continuously learn about the advantages and disadvantages of natural and artificial food additives.
• Health-conscious consumers advocate for more information on the advantages of certain additives over others.
• Flavor chemists spend years perfecting the ideal flavors or additions to elite health food products.

Creating the perfect balance takes time and effort. When considering what food additives are the best, consulting with a professional team is essential for guidance. Contact Metarom with any questions today!

Caramel is one of the richest, most satisfying flavors out there. There are endless variations and many ways to serve it – from silky smooth to crispy hard. Some of our favorite treats of all time are made using variations of caramel: candy apples, crème brûlée, toffee, flan, and even peanut caramel brittle. It’s amazingly versatile in both taste and texture. If that isn’t enough to entice you, just pause and think about the fantastic chemistry of caramel.

The subtle nuances in caramel flavors are thanks to the chemical reactions as the temperature rises during cooking. Caramelization and the bonding of sugar molecules (similar to the Maillard Reaction) play a role in final formation, color, and aroma. Here’s a step-by-step journey behind the sweet chemistry of caramel!

Sweet Sweet Sugar

Any great caramel recipe begins with the basics – sugar, of course! Granulated white sugar is commonly used to make caramel, and it’s a great place to start. If you’ve never attempted a caramel sauce before, it’s likely best to master the basics of using granulated sugar before branching out.

If you have previous culinary experience, perhaps you’re ready for a challenge. Did you know that each type of sugar will produce its magical caramel chemistry? Here are some other types of sugar you can use to make variations of delightful caramel good enough to eat!

• Brown sugar will add a hint of dark molasses flavor
• Coconut sugar brings out subtle tropical flavors
• Honey creates a softer, creamier style
• Maple syrup can be used for a seasonal twist
• Demerara or raw sugar will produce a crunchy, textured caramel

Each of these sugars will still undergo the primary chemical reaction and the Maillard Reaction at some point to produce that fantastic taste!

Bring On the Heat!

Caramel chemistry is a delicate art, and creating the perfect sauce or filling for baking involves timing, correct temperature, and good culinary equipment. As you prepare your workspace, choose a saucepan with a heavy bottom that can handle the heat. Step one is heating the sugar.

• Place your cup of sugar with about a quarter cup of water in the saucepan and heat it in a medium setting.
• Once you see the sugar begin to dissolve into the water evenly, stir gently and let it come to a boil
• Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a lovely golden brown color – at this stage, continue swirling the saucepan to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom.

Once the color of your sugar changes, beware! Caramel chemistry reactions happen quickly, and overcooking can occur in seconds.

The Maillard Reaction

If you have a background in chemistry or cuisine, you’ve likely heard of the Maillard Reaction. In short, it describes a chemical reaction between amino acids and is responsible for the browning of your food when you cook it. It’s the reason for the crustiness of your pie crust, the crispiness of your steak, and the crunch of your breaded chicken.

When it comes to making caramel, a similar process is responsible for the browning of sugar. It’s called caramelization. Like the Maillard Reaction, caramelization is just part of the caramel chemistry puzzle. Let’s take a deeper look into the chemical process of caramelization and how it occurs.

Caramelization

Caramelization happens when the sugar molecules in a solution break apart and recombine. This process occurs when the heat in the saucepan reaches approximately 160-182 degrees Celsius (or 320-360 degrees Fahrenheit). To achieve the perfect caramelization, it’s a matter of science:

• Avoid setting your heat too high – medium heat is ideal.
• Watch the color of your caramel constantly – once you see a glimpse of your desired color, remove the caramel from the heat source as soon as possible.
• Pay attention to the aroma, which should be sweet and nutty – not burnt!

Caramel chemistry is a delicate balancing act. Even a few seconds more of direct heat can make a big difference. Like the Maillard Reaction, there’s a fine line between perfection and burnt-to-a-crisp.

Cream and Butter Please!

The final touch in creating the perfect caramel is finding the ideal balance of sweet and smooth. As caramelization occurs, you’ll want to add the butter or cream desired to obtain the best texture for your caramel dish. For this stage, less is more. You’ll want to slowly add these final ingredients and keep your concoction in constant motion. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s hard to remove – it’s a matter of science!

The Final Touch

The last addition to your caramel chemistry creation is the finishing touch. When the right caramel texture has been achieved, you can experiment by adding vanilla extract, a bit of salt, a hint of orange zest, or a dash of cardamom to finish it off. Do a taste test and enjoy the moment – making a flawless caramel sauce is no easy feat!

Finally, celebrate the final product by drizzling, dipping, or savoring it with all your senses. Bon appetit!

True vanilla flavor hits your palate like sweet nectar – and if you are lucky enough to have enjoyed its authentic taste, you know there’s a difference between natural vanilla and a substitute. What can also distinguish natural vanilla as we know it is the extraction process itself. Although the differences in flavor can be subtle, the outcome and quality of your vanilla extract are closely tied to how it was created.

Modern vanilla extraction methods have expedited the traditional maceration method of soaking the vanilla beans in alcohol for several weeks or months. We’ll look at this conventional method and see how it differs from how vanilla is extracted in a more modern context.

Traditional Method: Maceration

Maceration is historically used to draw out the best flavors and aromas from carefully selected beans. Once the beans are selected, the flavor is extracted by soaking them in pure alcohol or an alcohol and water solvent. Look at one of the oldest vanilla extraction methods step-by-step and see how vanilla is extracted using precise selection and timing.

• The process begins by selecting only the very best-quality beans. They should be dark and rich in color and have an initial vanilla aroma when you smell them.
• Maceration requires releasing the compounds inside the bean to produce their ultimate burst of flavor. This can be done by splitting the beans down the middle to expose the seeds or by simply crushing the beans.
• Next, you need to prepare the solvent for soaking. Common alcohols for vanilla maceration include vodka, rum, or bourbon. Sometimes, the alcohol is combined with water to maintain an additional balance.

Modern extraction methods produce similar results but take less time and know-how. Vanilla is extracted using the traditional method as the flavor is released into the solvent over time, making the desired strength of vanilla flavor. It’s possible to differentiate the flavor potency by soaking the beans for different lengths. This can range from a few weeks to several months for the strongest, most premium flavor outcome. The traditional extraction method requires patience, good timing, and years of knowledge.

Other Modern Vanilla Extraction Methods

Vanilla production has become more industrialized, and there’s no doubt that demand for the extract has grown over the past century. As more consumers seek that perfect vanilla flavor, the need for faster modes of production has grown. Learning how vanilla is extracted in the industrial context is complex. Here are five more modern forms of production you may encounter in the vanilla extraction process.

1. Percolation

Percolation involves passing a solvent through tightly packed vanilla beans to obtain the desired scent and taste we all love and know. It works like a simple coffee press – here’s how. Vanilla is extracted using repetition as the solvent runs through the beans, extracting a bit more of the flavor each time. Percolation is a bit faster than maceration but produces similar outcomes, and this natural process can be automated and timed to get ideal results.

2. Carbon Dioxide Extraction

Compared to maceration and percolation, carbon dioxide extraction is one of the more modern methods involving placing carefully selected vanilla beans in a controlled extraction vessel and allowing liquid carbon dioxide to pass through them. The result is a clean, crisp vanilla flavor that compares to more traditional methods of how vanilla is extracted. Carbon dioxide extraction is a quick and safe extraction method.

3. Microwave-Assisted Extraction

When efficiency matters, microwave-assisted extraction has a special place in the manufacturing of vanilla extract. Microwave technology can heat the vanilla beans uniformly and release compounds quickly to produce a high-quality extract. Modern vanilla extraction methods require control over temperature and timing; microwave-assisted extraction is no exception. It requires controlled monitoring of power and energy to regulate how the vanilla is extracted – overprocessing can be a risk if the timing is not carefully managed.

4. Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

This technology uses high-frequency sound waves to disrupt the cell walls of the vanilla bean and allow the vanilla flavor to drop into the solvent in a matter of minutes. The beans are placed in a vessel or beaker as the sound waves are applied. Continuous monitoring is essential as over-extraction can lead to undesirable flavors – however, when correctly timed, the result is of high quality.

5. Pulsed Electric Field Extraction:

A pulsed electric field system uses electrodes in a special chamber to extract compounds from vanilla. How it is extracted must be carefully monitored and controlled. It sounds more like a science experiment than an extraction method, but the result is high-quality and produces a great flavor under ideal conditions. Controlling the electric field strength is vital – electroporation is a quick way to produce industrial vanilla extract.

Traditional vs. Modern Techniques

When you find yourself shopping for a bottle of vanilla extract, be mindful that modern vanilla extraction methods produce similar results to the traditional maceration techniques used throughout history. If you prefer knowing how your vanilla is extracted, you should research on your own and delve a bit deeper into the world of vanilla production. You may prefer vanilla made naturally over a long period or opt for a similar version at a lower price point.

The ultimate choice is in the hands of the consumer, and demand for this sought-after extract isn’t likely to disappear soon.

Toasty, sweet, and luscious in texture, caramel is often a welcome addition to any cheese plate or dessert. It is an incredibly complex tasting ingredient, requiring the perfect temperature and cooking process to achieve the bold flavor and silky texture caramel is often known for. As it is a profoundly complex and endlessly customizable ingredient, caramel is an excellent candidate for pairing with wine — The question is, what wine should you choose? From heady reds to crisp whites and even a couple of bubbly options, plenty of wines to serve alongside your next caramel confection are sure to match anyone’s palate.

How is Caramel Made?

One of the most popular flavors to add to a dessert, caramel is an excellent ingredient most commonly prepared as a sauce or hard candy. Although the process can be intense and vigorous, the steps to making caramel are simple.

Put simply, caramel is sugar that has been caramelized, the process by which sugar darkens, melts, and develops its well-celebrated caramel flavor. Either by dissolving in a small amount of water (A “wet” caramel) or by melting down dry sugar (a “dry” caramel), table sugar can be melted into a clear syrup that will darken and gain an amber color over time. Without adding any extra ingredients, a pure sugar caramel is ideal for desserts like French croquembouche or Korean tanghulu, highlighting the hard, shattery texture of a sugar caramel.

Otherwise, confectioners may add dairy to a caramel in the form of butter, milk, or cream. These dairy products add richness, buttery-ness, and thickness to the caramel, turning it from a shattering hard candy to a soft and silky sauce or malleable candy, depending on how long it is cooked down. Further, caramel makers may add salt, flavor extracts, and a variety of other additions to make their caramel uniquely flavored and specially designed for the dessert it will be served with.

What Wines to Pair with the Flavor Notes in Caramel

Like all other foods and desserts, the tastes and flavors present in caramel are referred to as “flavor notes.” Identifying and highlighting these flavor notes are great ways to understand what you are tasting, enabling you to decide what wine to pair with caramel.

Sweet – Tawny Port

The sweetness in caramel is thick, syrupy, and heavy, leaving a rich taste on your palate. This sweetness is different from the sweetness of fruit or candy, with its well-developed darkness and unctuousness. A Tawny Port can be a great pairing to support this robust and bold sweetness. A bit more subtle than its Vintage Port counterpart, Tawny Ports features a sharpness and fruitiness that will cut through the lingering richness of a caramel dessert but still highlight caramel’s deep, syrupy sweetness with notes of dried fruit and chocolate.

Toasty – Malbec

Caramel is more than just a sweet addition to desserts. The dark toastiness of a well-developed caramel can often evoke flavors of crème brûlée and toasted marshmallow, leaving a sharp and delightfully pungent note that pairs well with Malbec wines. Notable for its deep toastiness, Malbec wines tend to have notes of dried fruit and wood smoke, highlighting the heavy, darker flavors in your caramel and offering a sharpness and dryness that will counteract any lingering pungency.

Nutty – Riesling

An often overlooked note of dessert caramels, caramel usually has a fatty, earthy, and creamy quality similar to nuts on the palate. Riesling wine can be an excellent option to complement caramel’s creamy and fatty notes. A bright, sharp, and juicy white wine, Rieslings will cut through caramel’s fatty and thick texture with its acidic and fruity flavor, offering a refreshing contrast to the bold and developed caramel flavors.

Buttery – Nebbiolo

The dairy and creamy qualities of caramel can’t be overlooked, especially when caramel is added to a dairy dessert like ice cream, caramel pot de crème, or a caramel pecan pie. For red wine lovers, a Nebbiolo wine is an excellent selection for this quality, as it is rich, tannic, and has a fair bit of acidity. Nebbiolo wines will fare well against the buttery, concentrated flavor of caramel, offering a sharp and acidic flavor that balances the punchiness of caramel and finishes with a dry, clean palate that is ready to pair again.

Salty – Brut

Salted caramel is a regular favorite of many dessert lovers, offering small bursts of salt that shine against the bold sweetness of caramel. Brut wines can be a solid pairing for salted caramel in particular, encompassing a variety of dry, bubbly wines like Champagne, Cava, and other similar wines. Bruts work particularly well with caramel, as the wine’s dry bubbliness and light sweetness offer a refreshing, clean note that effortlessly balances any heavy caramel flavors, imparting a slight fruitiness that highlights the sweet and nutty notes natural to the caramel.

Many Ways to Enjoy Caramel

The flavor of a food isn’t all about how it tastes — it’s also about the texture and pairing of other flavors in the dish. Consider how you are serving your wine, whether alongside a meal or a grazing board and choose the caramel form to best serve alongside it! Caramel sauces are ideal for cheese and fruit boards, as they can be easily drizzled or dipped without getting your hands dirty. Caramel candies can be an easy addition to a grazing tray and are slightly sweeter than other caramels. Regardless of which form of caramel you choose, your next dessert dish will indeed be elevated by the specialty wine you’ve selected to serve alongside it.

From home-cooked meals to mass-produced confections, flavors occur naturally in all foods. Many people know the seven basic tastes — Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter, umami, and fatty. These basic tastes are just representations of the thousands upon thousands of flavor compounds found in any food. These flavor compounds — with names like vanillin, benzaldehyde, and ethyl acetate — may sound like chemicals in a science experiment, but are the pure chemicals that cause “flavor” on your tongue. Humans have studied flavors for centuries, leading to a database and organization for the many flavors we encounter regularly. While it is a complicated and dense field of study, understanding what makes food flavorful can be pretty straightforward.

What is in a Flavor?

If flavors occur naturally in all food, what are they made of, and how are they created? What makes a natural flavor unique vs. an artificial flavor, or an organic flavor? 

According to the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA), flavors are considered the “entire range of sensations we perceive when we eat a food or drink a beverage,” leaving flavor as a rather broad category. With this definition, the flavor can include the taste, texture, perceived temperature (as with chili’s heat or mint’s cooling sensation), or even dryness (as with tannins in wine and coffee). The flavor contains a broad spectrum of effects, so flavorists and chemists have derived categories or organized and quantified specific flavor compounds and the impact they can impart to a food product.

Natural vs. Artificial Flavors

“Natural” and “Artificial” flavors are terms derived by food chemists to specify the design and creation process of a particular flavor compound. While all flavors in food can be distilled from their natural source to a specific chemical or set of compounds, not all flavors have to be derived from the natural ingredient.

According to FEMA, natural flavors are “ingredients that come from natural sources,” typically a fruit, vegetable, plant, or animal product. While different countries may have varying definitions of what is considered a “natural flavor,” it is required to meet the FEMA and FDA requirements to be labeled as a natural flavor in the United States. For example, vanillin — the compound behind vanilla flavor — can be processed as a natural flavor derived from real vanilla bean pods. Conversely, acetanisol — a vanillin alternative — is derived from beaver products but can still be considered a natural flavor.

Artificial flavors, on the other hand, are any flavoring that doesn’t meet the guidelines to be an artificial flavor. While the flavor compound’s structure may be identical to its natural flavor counterpart and may taste the same in food, artificial flavors are designated as such because the source of the flavors is not a plant or animal product. For example, vanillin can be derived naturally from vanilla beans. Still, the same chemical of vanillin can be artificially produced in a lab or made even more vanilla-y as with ethyl vanillin. Since neither artificial vanillin nor ethyl vanillin is derived from a natural source, they must be labeled as “artificial flavors.”

Natural vs Organic Flavors

When defining a flavor in food as “natural” or “organic,” things become a little more complicated. Other countries may have varying guidelines or governing bodies to manage their organic foods, but in the United States, these guidelines are overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For a flavor to be labeled “organic,” it must meet the FDA definition of a natural flavor. It must not use synthetic solvents, carrier systems (the substance the flavor contains, like alcohol), or artificial preservatives. This information, as outlined in the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), provides clear and accessible guidelines for designing and distributing organic flavors. In addition to the requirements for production, the NOP also designates several “incidental additives” that typically show up when producing natural flavors that cannot be in an organic flavor, such as propylene glycol, mono/diglycerides, polysorbate 80, and more.

All in all, organic flavors are not very different from the natural flavors you typically find in food ingredient lists, but they do require a more careful and specific production process to meet the proper guidelines and exclude unwanted compounds.

Use Cases for Natural, Artificial, and Organic Flavors

Now that the different kinds of flavors in food are established, why would you choose natural or artificial flavors over organic flavors?

For one, there is a cost consideration. Due to the extensive process of producing natural or organic flavors, they often cost more than their artificial counterparts. This can be an essential consideration for manufacturers who make food at scale and typically seek to produce the most food for the lowest cost. The increased cost of using natural or organic flavors in food can take its toll, mainly when making thousands of units daily.

Using derived flavors also enables food manufacturers to design their food products deeply. The journey of taste can be altered by having a punchy burst of flavor initially or allowing the flavor to linger slightly, encouraging the consumer to savor the product for longer. Flavors can also assist with making a product taste as it should after it has been treated in other ways, such as the pasteurization process, which can lower the intensity and volatility of the naturally occurring flavors on a product.

Whatever flavoring you use can be instrumental in designing the perfect product. From covering up health additives to highlighting sweetness or acidity in a product or simply adding a little “oomph” to the flavor mix, natural, artificial, and organic flavors alike can make all the difference when included in a food recipe.