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SAVOURY
The savoury food arena is no different from the sweet one in terms of trends shaping innovation and product consumption, particularly in a pandemic-stricken world. Plant-based is definitely the strongest market driver, with daily meat consumption falling by 17% in less than a decade in countries such as the UK [Source: Plantbasednews.com], and the alternative protein market up 49% in two years in EU (Smart Protein project report) with consumption growing at record levels across Europe.
Increasing product varieties, along with a growing demand for better-for-you products, including low-salt, low-fat, allergen-free, GMO-free, additive-free, are but two of the dominant trends within the savoury arena. The pandemic, particularly with the 2020 lockdown, has fuelled the demand for at home ethnic, culinary, unique, and chef-style experiences, with authentic, provenanced and regional ingredients hitting the prepared meals and the meal-kits category.
SALTED SNACKS
Consumption of savoury snacks across the world varies heavily from country to country – and if we look at Europe alone, then the UK is certainly the most dynamic and innovative arena. And Nactarome can claim a strong positioning there, with two strategic acquisitions in less than a year: CreateFlavours and most of all TasteConnection. Of course, Covid-19 has heavily disrupted the market, moving from an “everywhere, anytime” situation for snacking to “always” or “mostly at home”, which has fuelled the development of textures and flavours to suit different times of the day, or different occasions, varying from comforting elements to moments of relaxation to moments of new socialization patterns, such as on-line aperitifs, with exclusive, unique flavours and ingredients. The category has seen an acceleration in healthier, reformulated variants – not a new trend, but one gaining traction, with gluten-free, organic, vegan/vegetarian, natural, free-from claims becoming increasingly popular. Our Taste, Texture and Colour solutions for savoury snacks include:
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Fried Snacks
Our taste and seasonings solutions for fried snacks offer superior functionality, with flavour profiles built to impart impact, length, and aftertaste. Our products deliver consistent application performance throughout your production processes, with both standard profiles and bespoke blends.
Puffed & Extruded Snacks
Consumer appeal for exciting sensory and textural properties will positively impact the puffed and extruded snacks category, which represents a high potential, particularly with the development of healthier options, incorporating dietary fibres, proteins, allergen-free cereals, and grains. While cheese remains a powerful flavour profile, there is certainly room for diversification and premiumization. Our FiorioColori range comes in different formats to suit all production processes, and TasteConnection heritage allows us to deliver bespoke taste solutions, designed to truly differentiate your snacks.
Slated Nuts
Perceived as natural, healthier, texture-rich ingredients, nuts can meet the demand for vegan, high-protein content, nutrient-packed snacks. However, they are normally packed with sodium – and naturally rich in fats. At Nactarome, we have a surprising range of specialty and premium seasonings to offer healthier indulgence and taste sensations to nut based snacks.
PROCESSED MEAT & FISH
Consumers are increasingly asking for ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meat and fish products, with better taste and quality. Health concerns for traditional curing agents have pushed innovation, with new ingredients being introduced in processing. Culinary trends are pushing the use of meat as an ingredient for more complex creations, and the growing trend for better-for-you snacks will certainly impact the processed meat market, with the development of convenient, portable, taste and texture packed meat products. Convenience and ease-of-use are driving the development of breaded products, with specialty profiles bringing on-premises flavours and textures to home consumption, such as spicy chicken wings, corn-based breadings, etc. Our Taste, Texture and Colour solutions for processed meat and fish products include:
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Specialty Cuts
At Nactarome, we have created a complete offering of natural and clean label taste and colour solutions for specialty and deli cuts, like cooked ham, salami, cooked sausages. Our taste expertise has also resulted in the development of a natural smoke flavours range.
Breaded Products
We are market leaders in Italy in the production of breadings and batters, with fully integrated coating systems (pre-dust, batter, breading) and a fully customizable product range depending on the application and the process requirements, from particle-size to allergen-free options.
Culinary Meat & Fish Products
At Nactarome we have a true core chef-style approach to meat and fish products, with naturalness and premiumisation at the heart of our offering. Our latest UMAI range offers a new generation of savoury base notes to add complexity and flavour impact to gravies and meat sauces. Our marinades range offers advanced coating properties, rich and bright visuals, flexibility in terms of bases/solvents and excellent flavour distribution and enhancement upon cooking.
Fast & Street Food
From Halal certified taste solutions to specialty collections, from marinades to special breading solutions: at Nactarome we can translate every street food intriguing flavour into exclusive, easy-to-use, consumer-proof taste, texture, and colour solutions for your ready-to-cook product developments.
PLANT-BASED
Data do not lie: the global market of “fake meat” or “vegetable meat” was worth $5.6bn in 2020 and according to a recent study it could reach $14.9bn by 2027 (Researchandmarkets.com). There are multiple factors feeding the plant-based meat alternatives market: rising awareness of the indisputable damages caused to the planet and our climate by animal farming, the resource waste linked to meat and animal product supply chain, the growing number of researches linking meat consumption to human health issues, the increased sensitivity to animal suffering, they all contribute to the rise of vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians, as well as to the important investments in the meat-free sector. While the taste experience is only partially relevant in a vegan choice, it becomes key when the consumers involved are flexitarians or reducetarians, or for those who opt for a plant-based diet for reasons other than animals and environment. Therefore, it becomes crucial to work on the product formulation, to make sure that the consumer taste experience is as close as possible to the animal reference. Our Taste, Texture and Colour solutions for plant-based products include:
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Meat alternatives
Our taste, texture, and colour solutions for meat alternatives are diversified and fully tested to suit key consumer expectations. From FTNF beef, chicken, pork, and other meat cut profiles, to suitable-for-vegan natural meaty and poultry notes, including culinary modifiers and process notes, Nactarome has a true core competence in creating and manufacturing taste solutions for meat alternatives.
Fish alternatives
At Nactarome we know that the future of plant-based is fish, with key multinationals and start-ups heavily investing in innovation and product launches. Our taste solutions include specialty fish profiles, such as tuna or salmon or cod and can be combined with our FiorioNat and FiorioClean colour solutions, for optimal results.
Dairy alternatives
Dairy alternatives are attractive not only for vegans, but also for lactose-intolerants, including coeliacs. Experts estimate that about 68% of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption. Our first-hand knowledge of some of the most inspirational cheeses of the planet, in Italy as well as in France and in the UK, combined with our analytical and sensory competencies, have supported Nactarome in creating a diversified range of authentic lactose-free and suitable-for-vegans cheese profiles, for the development of premium plant-based cheeses.
PASTA & READY MEALS
Pasta has long overcome its Italian-staple stereotype, to become one of the favourite foods for billions of consumers worldwide. It appeals to a wide range of lifestyles, budgets, and age groups because it is versatile, easy to prepare, readily available, nutritious, and cost-effective. The pandemic pushed families to shelter at home, and adjust to a new normal, where pasta is synonym to comfort food, healthy Mediterranean cuisine, as well as affordable meal in times of uncertainty. On the other hand, consumers yearning for restaurant-style meals have pushed pasta experimentation to unusual, gourmet, unique formats, shapes, and flavours. Ready-meals have followed a similar path, leaving the convenience trend behind, to the long-forgotten hectic work-routine, and have moved to offer ethnic, restaurant-style, chef-branded meals. Healthier trends are strong in these areas too: low-sodium, low-fat, plant-based, additive-free are the most used labelling claims, and respond to growing consumer requests for “store-cupboard” natural and traditional looking and tasting products. Our Taste, Texture and Colour solutions for the pasta and ready meals segments include:
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Soups
Natural and healthy, without compromising on taste, are the key drivers behind our latest development, UMAI savoury base notes, that can add meaty, umami, roasted or vegetable notes to stocks, soups, broths, and bouillons. Of course, our Taste Modulation Systems can turn useful when formulating better-for-you soups, with less sodium or less fat, to provide rounder, richer taste experiences.
Ready Meals & Meal Kits
Our specialty collections, marinades, UMAI, as well as our texture and colour solutions, perfectly respond to the growing demand for premium, ethnic, culinary experiences transferred to home consumption.
Filled Pasta
Besides our complete range of natural flavours and colour solutions, at Nactarome we have a proven and established expertise in developing filling solutions and ideas for Italian-style stuffed pasta like tortellini and ravioli.
SAUCES & DRESSINGS
An increasing shift toward the consumption of spicier, hotter food products – often related to salt reduction and needs for taste compensation – will boost the demand for specific ingredients and profiles. The dips segment will see the richest innovation activity, particularly the ethnic and healthy-perceived products, such as hummus and vegetable-based dips. Low-fat and high-protein, combined with vegan and gluten-free, are gaining traction amongst consumers. The pandemic has also triggered a return of hot cheese-based dips for home consumption. Our Taste, Texture and Colour solutions for sauces and dressings include: