News

WILD focuses on India

11 Dec 2015

Noting that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India approved the use of steviol glycosides as a non-nutritive sweetener on November 13, 2015. WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients points out that it now offers a wide range of appropriate concepts containing less sugar and fitting a modern life style.

Around the world, most people enjoy sweet treats, the company says, and the demand for “indulgent” food and beverages is constantly growing, as well as the trend towards “healthy nutrition”. As a result, WILD believes there is huge sales potential for products which contain less sugar than the originals but still taste good. In response to this development, WILD says it has created appropriate solutions, such as products sweetened with stevia extract for the Indian market.

WILD offers products with different levels of Rebaudioside A so that each manufacturer can select the sweetening system which best complements its products and price point. The company says that it has used steviol glycosides in successfully positioning many of its customers' products ― everything from beverages to confectionery.

The stevia plant has a great deal to offer, WILD notes: it contains sweeteners from natural sources and has no calories, which makes it a promising sugar substitute. WILD points out that it began investing in stevia R&D years ago, and says it has developed technologies to master the challenges in handling stevia.

In recent years, WILD says that it has worked in close conjunction with a trained panel of sensory experts to produce a wide selection of taste optimising solutions. These products not only influence the sweetening profile of products; they can also mask a possible bitter off note. Adding bitter blockers inhibits the appropriate taste receptors in the mouth and reduces bitterness. Natural ingredients which improve the mouthfeel and finish the sweetening profile complement this concept. WILD notes that it combines different natural taste components to create great tasting products with high consumer acceptance: the taste optimisers do not contain any sugar substitutes or sugar alcohols such as erythrite, and can be labelled as “natural flavours” in the finished product. WILD says that it customises these functional flavours to each individual product in order to achieve the best possible effect.

To achieve sustainable success in India, it is essential to have knowledge of the regional market and of flavour preferences, WILD believes, pointing out that it has decades of experience in product development, knows international as well as local markets and customises its products to the respective taste favourites. This, it says, makes the company compelling to its customers in India as well, including the region's “big players” as well as smaller local manufacturers. Thanks to investments in sites and staff in the last few years, WILD notes that it has greatly expanded its capacity and product portfolio for this important future market.