According to recent research over 60% of global consumers expressed a desire to improve their eating habits throughout 2024, with the focus shifting to products that offer functional health benefits such as immunity and digestive health support.
The study also revealed that 30% of consumers are willing to pay more for healthier food and beverage options. Food manufacturers are therefore under increasing pressure to create products that not only taste great but align with the health-conscious demands of modern consumers.
The global wellness market is growing between 5-10% annually2, with weight management driving a strong consumer interest in health-forward products. This interest increases significantly at the beginning of a new year, with a recent study3 finding that nearly 8 in 10 New Year’s goals involve ‘improving health’.
With this in mind, Daria Pashkova, Product and Marketing Manager at Ohly who are experts in taste improvement solutions, explains how the food and beverage industry can develop ‘better-for-you’ formulations without compromising on flavour and texture.
Supporting regulatory and nutritional goals
Unsurprisingly, stricter regulations around sodium, sugar, and artificial additives are prompting manufacturers to innovate and refine their product ranges. Coinciding with these regulations, consumer expectations for healthier – yet tastier – options require the industry to strike a delicate balance.
Yeast extracts can play a significant role in delivering taste when formulating healthier products. They can help to amplify umami flavours, allowing for a decrease in sodium without sacrificing taste. Functional ingredients such as dietary fibres, probiotics, and natural antioxidants are also becoming increasingly common in food and beverages.
Probiotics and fibres in particular contribute to better digestive health. When fortifying their products with functional components food manufacturers can feature statements such as “promotes gut health” or “rich in antioxidants,” on their labels to appeal directly to health-conscious consumers.
Enhancing flavour while reducing salt content in products
Certain yeast extracts can reduce the need for salt by highlighting the natural savoury taste in foods. They are naturally rich in glutamic acid and nucleotides, which bring umami and savoury flavours.
When yeast extracts are added to food, their glutamic acid content interacts with specific taste receptors on the tongue known as umami receptors or T1R1/T1R3 taste receptors. This interaction enhances the overall umami taste perception in the dish, reducing the need for salt.
Herbs and spices have the potential to add flavour, depth and complexity to products, whilst enhancing taste without the need for excessive sodium application. Aligned with the growing demand for clean-label and health-conscious foods, culinary powders derived from natural sources also offer a convenient solution to deliver concentrated vinegar, mustard or fruit flavours.
Supporting sugar reduction without compromising on taste
Excessive sugar consumption is a key factor in the rise of obesity, tooth decay and diabetes. Reducing the consumption of added sugars can also have health benefits like improvements in mood or slower ageing4. As health concerns amongst consumers have grown, there has been a big push in for food manufacturers to reduce sugar in their recipes.
When developing reduced sugar products, it is often necessary to balance out the flavour and mask bitter or sharp notes typically associated with both artificial and natural sweeteners. Yeast extracts offer a complementary, natural solution by masking those bitter notes and rounding out flavours in low-sugar formulations.
Supporting the rise in plant-based and clean-label solutions
One of the biggest hurdles manufacturers face in plant-based food innovation is replicating the rich and savoury tastes of meat and dairy products.
Yeast extract has long been prized for its ability to impart a robust umami taste, which is also associated with the savoury notes found in meats and cheeses. Due to yeast extracts being rich in nucleotides and glutamic acid, they can deliver savoury umami depth that improves the mouthfeel of plant-based foods whilst also masking off-notes.
Many plant-based dairy alternatives can have undesirable earthy or beany notes due to the ingredients used. Yeast extract’s savoury and umami-rich profile can effectively mask these off-notes, making the products more palatable and similar to their dairy counterparts. Yeast’s ability to provide a well-rounded flavour profile helps to create a smoother and more appealing taste too.
By incorporating yeast extract into plant-based meat and cheese substitutes, manufacturers can achieve a more authentic and satisfying flavour profile. This allows consumers to enjoy products that closely mimic the taste and texture of traditional animal products, making the transition to plant-based eating more seamless and enjoyable.
Alongside this, consumers are increasingly aware of what goes into their foods. Transparent messaging and recognisable ingredients are a high priority for consumers; by utilising yeast extracts to enhance their reduced sodium and sugar foods, manufacturers can meet regulatory requirements while catering to consumer preferences.
Daria Pashkova, Product & Marketing Manager at Ohly says:
“Consumer expectations are ever-evolving, and a key trend we see heightened at the beginning of each year is a focus on healthier options. Therefore, The food industry is under pressure to balance regulatory compliance, consumer demand, and sensory appeal.
To comply with regulations while keeping customers engaged, manufacturers need to innovate. A primary objective is to lower salt and sugar content while maintaining flavour integrity, and ingredients like yeast extracts offer a wide range of solutions when used in the correct application.”
