The Lakeland Florida-based company said that the ingredients block negative taste properties that it believes can result from preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.
Both preservatives are common and cost effective, according to the ingredients company, but a drawback is that when used at high levels, they tend to impart a bitter taste.
A spokesperson for Taste Advantage told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “Taste Advantage products work by interacting with the taste receptors to reduce or remove entirely the typical burn, bitterness and throat lump associated with the use of sorbate and benzoate based preservatives.
“Many of today’s consumers are demanding great tasting foods and beverages that contain functionalized ingredients. Unfortunately, many of these functionalized ingredients don’t have the best taste.
“It is for this reason that flavor modulating ingredients are such an important part of the tool box of today’s product development teams.
“Flavor modulators that can block the negative attributes of a product, while enhancing positive ones are often the key to offering foods and beverages containing functionalized ingredients that taste great.”
Beverage applications
The sort of products that tend to utilize sorbate and benzoate preservatives include various beverages, cheese, wines and yogurts.
The spokesperson added: “Our masking ingredients are primarily targeted at beverage applications, but can be used effectively in other applications as well.”
The Taste Advantage Bitterness, Acidity and Astringency Blockers are described as natural, Kosher ingredients (by both US and EU standards) and GMO-free.
They come mainly in oil and water soluble liquid form but can be offered as powders for large volume requirements.
The Natural Bitterness Blocker for sorbate or benzoate costs $15.62 / kg with a suggested use rate of 0.001-0.040 percent for most applications.
Taste Advantage LLC is a joint venture between the ownership group of Natural Advantage, and AM Todd company.