How to Optimise Chocolate Flavour While Reducing Cocoa Costs in Bakery and Nutrition Products
Balancing cost, consistency and flavour performance in modern formulations
Unstable cocoa prices and increasing formulation complexity are making it harder than ever to deliver a rich, consistent chocolate flavour for manufacturers, that’s affordable for the consumer.
Chocolate remains one of the most recognisable and widely loved flavours in both bakery and nutrition products. However, fluctuations in cocoa pricing, variability in raw materials, and ongoing pressure on margins mean that relying solely on cocoa is no longer the most efficient or sustainable approach, as it is hard to predict.
As a result, we are increasingly exploring how chocolate flavour systems can enhance, support, or partially replace cocoa for manufacturers, without compromising on flavour.
The Challenge of Chocolate Flavour Formulation
Developing chocolate-flavoured products today requires balancing several competing priorities:
Delivering a rich, indulgent chocolate profile
Managing ingredient cost and supply variability
Maintaining batch-to-batch consistency
Ensuring performance across different applications
These challenges are particularly pronounced in:
Bakery applications Where high temperatures and processing conditions can impact flavour performance and stability.
Nutrition products Where protein and functional ingredients often introduce bitter or off-notes that need to be masked effectively.
A Smarter Approach: Chocolate Flavour Systems
Rather than relying entirely on cocoa, many manufacturers are adopting a more flexible formulation strategy using chocolate flavour systems.
These systems can:
Enhance overall chocolate perception
Add depth and complexity to cocoa-based formulations
Mask off-notes from proteins and functional ingredients
Improve consistency across production batches
Reduce overall cocoa usage and cost-in-use
When used correctly, flavour systems work alongside cocoa, or in some cases reduce dependence on it, while still delivering the expected sensory experience.
Application Examples
Bakery
In bakery applications, chocolate flavour must withstand heat processing while maintaining a well-rounded profile.
Flavour systems can be used to support cocoa or build a fuller chocolate profile with lower cocoa dependency.
Recommended flavour profiles:
T4149 (Natural flavour) – milky, sweet and well-balanced
205896 (Flavouring) – subtle notes that enhance and deepen cocoa systems
Nutrition
In nutrition products, flavour plays a critical role in masking off-notes and improving overall palatability—particularly in high-protein formulations.
Recommended flavour profiles:
42721 (Natural flavour) – rich chocolate milk profile, ideal for whey systems
T4149 (Natural flavour) – malty, creamy notes that help round out formulations
These solutions help create a smoother, more enjoyable taste experience in challenging formats such as protein powders, bars and ready-to-drink beverages.
Why Manufacturers Are Reducing Cocoa Reliance
More manufacturers are rethinking their approach to chocolate flavour due to:
Volatility in global cocoa pricing
Increased pressure on product margins
The need for greater formulation consistency
Demand for scalable, cost-effective solutions
Flavour systems provide a practical way to maintain product quality while improving cost control and production efficiency.
How TasteTech Supports Chocolate Flavour Optimisation
At TasteTech, we work closely with manufacturers to optimise chocolate flavour across bakery and nutrition applications.
Our support includes:
Selecting the most suitable flavour profile for your application
Balancing flavour in complex formulations
Masking off-notes in protein and functional systems
Ensuring flavour performance through processing and shelf life
Get Expert Support
If you’re looking to optimise chocolate flavour while managing costs and maintaining quality, our technical team can help.
Get in touch to discuss your formulation challenges or request flavour samples
GLP-1 medications are beginning to reshape how people eat and that shift is starting to have implications for the food and nutrition industry.
Originally developed to support Type 2 diabetes and weight management, GLP-1 receptor agonists are now becoming more widely used. As accessibility increases, their influence is expected to extend beyond healthcare into everyday dietary habits. Independent estimates point to millions of adults in the UK using GLP‑1 drugs over the next few years.
For food manufacturers, this presents a new set of formulation challenges — and opportunities.
WHAT IS GLP-1?
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a natural hormone that helps regulate appetite and food intake.
It works by:
Slowing gastric emptying (how quickly food leaves the stomach)
Increasing feelings of fullness
Reducing hunger signals in the brain
GLP-1 receptor agonists are medications that mimic this hormone, helping people to feel fuller for longer and consume fewer calories.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR FOOD MANUFACTURERS
As GLP-1 usage increases, eating behaviour is changing in ways that directly impact product development.
Smaller portions, higher expectations
Consumers are eating less, which means:
Every bite needs to deliver flavour
Nutritional density becomes more important
There is less tolerance for bland or unbalanced products
Shift in taste preferences
Some consumers report:
Reduced desire for very sweet or fatty foods
Increased sensitivity to bitterness or off-notes
Changes in overall flavour perception
This creates challenges for food manufacturers where foods contain:
High fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) products, where consumer preferences may shift
Functional or fortified products, where active ingredients can introduce off-notes
High-protein formulations, which are increasingly important but can present challenges in taste, mouthfeel and flavour balance
Increased focus on nutrition
With reduced food intake, products need to work harder nutritionally. Key areas of focus include:
Higher protein content
Increased fibre
Functional ingredients linked to health and wellbeing
Product categories under pressure
Traditional high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products may become less appealing for some consumers using GLP-1 medications.
At the same time, there is growing demand for:
Functional foods
Nutritionally optimised products
Smaller, more effective formats
THE FORMULATION CHALLENGE
This shift is not just about trends — it creates practical formulation challenges.
Manufacturers must now balance:
Taste and palatability
Nutritional requirements
Ingredient functionality
Processing performance
All within smaller portion sizes.
WHERE ENCAPSULATION AND FLAVOUR TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP
This is where ingredient technology plays an important role.
Encapsulation and flavour systems can support in the following ways:
Flavour impact in smaller portions: Ensuring flavour remains noticeable and well-balanced, even when product size or consumption volume is reduced.
Masking off-notes: Helping to balance bitterness or undesirable notes from:
High protein systems
Functional ingredients
Sweetener systems
Flavour delivery and perception: Supporting how flavour is experienced during consumption by maintaining balance and consistency, particularly in more complex formulations.
Stability during processing: Protecting flavours and actives during heat, moisture and storage conditions.
EMERGING FLAVOUR DIRECTIONS
As preferences shift, certain flavour profiles are becoming more relevant.
Calming and functional flavours
Often associated with comfort and digestive support to ease nausea and to make the pills more palatable:
Ginger
Mint (peppermint)
Cucumber
Camomile
Bold, high-impact flavours
Helping deliver full flavour in smaller portions:
Citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot)
Spices (cinnamon, clove, black pepper)
Floral notes (hibiscus, orange blossom)
LOOKING AHEAD
GLP-1 is still an evolving space, but its influence on food formulation is likely to grow. Key questions for manufacturers include:
How do we maintain product appeal with smaller portion sizes?
How do we balance nutrition and taste more effectively?
How do we support consumers beyond medication use?
HOW TASTETECH CAN SUPPORT CUSTOMERS
At TasteTech, we are working to explore how these shifts impact product development.
This includes:
Supporting flavour performance in reduced formats
Enabling sugar reduction without compromising taste
Addressing off-notes in functional and high-protein systems
Providing encapsulated ingredients that deliver consistent performance during processing and throughout shelf-life
CONCLUSION
GLP-1 is not just a healthcare trend – it represents a broader shift in how consumers approach food.
For manufacturers, this means rethinking how products are formulated, ensuring they deliver both nutrition and enjoyment, even in smaller quantities.
Ingredient technology and flavour expertise will play a key role in meeting these evolving expectations.
Improving palatability of nutritional products with high vitamin and mineral content
Our customer was a nutritional product manufacturer producing powdered health supplements. The issue they faced was that the poor taste and odour of the product was affecting consumer acceptance.
The Challenge
Vitamins such as D and C, plus minerals like magnesium and iron, caused bitterness, sourness and metallic aftertaste. Combined in one product, these off-notes made the supplement unappealing to consumers.
The TasteTech Approach
Worked with the NPD team to:
Analyse flavour issues
Select effective masking ingredients
Balance acids & sweeteners
The Solution
Tailored flavour systems to mask off-notes
Optimised flavour levels for cost-in-use
Used natural colours to enhance visual appeal
The Outcome
Improved taste and aroma
Increased consumer appeal
Boosted repeat purchases
Once a favoured ingredient of athletes and bodybuilders, creatine is beginning to take on a more mainstream image thanks to new research into its benefits for both body and mind. Here, we’ll take a look at creatine’s rise and where we think the trend will go next.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound which plays a key role in producing energy during high-intensity exercise. It’s produced in the liver, kidneys and pancreas and is then stored in the muscles and brain. However, our bodies can only produce around 1g per day, which isn’t enough to meet our daily requirements. Creatine is also present in nuts and seeds, legumes, red meat, poultry and fish – but even with these dietary additions, most of us still aren’t getting enough.
Why the sudden interest?
According to Grand View Research, the global creatine market is currently worth $1.11billion, and is growing at a CAGR of 25.2%.
First researched as a supplement in the 1970’s by Roger Harris, a professor from Aberystwyth University in Wales, creatine has become one of the most popular and widely researched natural supplements – although most of this research is in sports performance.
More recently, scientists have begun to look into creatine’s other benefits. Beyond building muscle, creatine creates energy. It is also believed to improve memory, mood, problem solving and quick thinking. There’s also growing recognition of its safety, thanks to approval from the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA).
How can it be used?
Creatine is an incredibly versatile ingredient. For a long time, it has been marketed in powder form as a sports nutrition supplement, but we are now seeing it used in a range of applications to appeal to a broader market.
Creatine energy bars and gummies are now widely available on the market. Flavoured creatine powders are also becoming popular, as well as powders blended with complimentary ingredients, such as peptides or HMB for sports performance.
Where next?
To answer this question, we looked to our friends at Nutrition Integrated, whose founder Nick Morgan gave a talk called Creatine Reinvented: A Life Beyond Sports Nutrition, Muscle and Strength at VitaFoods this year. Nick believes that there are a few clear routes for creatine manufacturers to explore.
Greater Scope in Performance
“Creatine has always been synonymous with sports nutrition,” says Nick. One way to extend this market is to target under-served audiences within the sports performance area, such as women, older people, and those with specific dietary needs.
Beyond Sports Performance
The newfound interest in creatine for brain health will create a wealth of products aimed at this market. As more research is conducted in this area, products may carry new health claims around focus, memory, mood and more. As we’ve seen in other areas, we’re likely to see creatine blended with complimentary ingredients for mental performance.
Weight management is also a huge market, and we are likely to see a number of companion products targeted at those on weight loss medications. “Expect creatine to be used more and more in GLP-1 specific products as they emerge on the market,” says Nick.
Active Nutrition and Agelessness
As consumers look to be more proactive in taking care of their health, we will likely see creatine used in products targeting a more mainstream market. The current interest in longevity and agelessness will likely see creatine products targeted towards those who want to maintain their youth for longer.
Creatine + Flavour
Another area for development for creatine products is flavour. Nutrition Integrated’s data shows that most creatine products are unflavoured – especially powder formats, which are designed to be flavourless so they can be mixed into drinks.
While some flavoured options are available, currently less than 30% of creatine products have more than one flavour option.
Here at TasteTech, we are experts in flavouring active ingredients – including creatine – and helping to develop new products to help you stand out from the competition. Get in touch to find out more.
Creatine is currently undergoing a rebrand, and the opportunities are vast. We look forward to seeing how brands are able to bring this incredible ingredient into new markets.
The days of taking a handful of supplements each morning are dwindling away as consumers now expect fortification to be an integral part of everyday foods. Our range of functional flavours can help solve issues in fortified snack manufacturing and create better products that consumers will buy again and again.
61% of consumers want snacks that contain vitamins and minerals (+5% versus 2021)
59% expect snacks to contain additional health benefits (+4%)
48% want snacks that deliver probiotic benefits (+9%)
This rise in demand for fortification has created an explosion of NPD in functional products, from ashwagandha gummies to caffeinated chewing gum and high-protein, low-sugar muffins.
Masking Flavour
Taste is still the most important factor for consumers – even for fortified snacks. The problem is that many of these functional ingredients are accompanied by an inherent bitter note. A product that satisfies all of a consumers’ daily needs in a convenient format but tastes awful will only be purchased once. At TasteTech, we understand this complex issue and in response we have developed our Masking Flavour.
Proven to work in a wide variety of applications, Masking Flavour balances with the undesirable flavour characteristics to create a neutral base. This allows us to add another layer of more desirable flavours, such as jammy strawberry or banoffee. Masking Flavour is available in powder and liquid formats.
Sweetness Enhancer
The issue of sugar reduction has been on our radar for a while now, especially since the UK government introduced regulations to limit promotions on products with High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) content. To tackle this issue, we have developed a range of three Sweetness Enhancers in powder formats.
These functional flavours restore sweetness in reduced-sugar applications, allowing manufacturers to remove as much as 40% of sugar from their products.
Both our Masking Flavour and Sweetness Enhancer are 100% natural and can be described as ‘natural flavours’ on the back of pack.
In a groundbreaking study, TasteTech collaborated with Aelius Biotech to delve into the release profile of encapsulated caffeine in a powdered format. This study was designed to provide invaluable insights into how caffeine is released in the human digestive system when encapsulated using Aelius Biotech’s model gut system (MGS).
Caffeine, one of the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substances, is well-known for its stimulating effects. It’s not just the morning coffee that owes its popularity to caffeine; it’s also a key ingredient in various food and beverage products.
As a leading manufacturer of controlled release flavourings and ingredients, we’ve been at the forefront of developing innovative microencapsulation solutions. These technologies enhance product shelf life, taste, and texture while ensuring the preservation of active ingredients.
The Study
To explore the release profile of caffeine, three distinct encapsulation delivery systems were examined, and their results were compared to a control group using pure caffeine. The study simulated the oral, gastric, and small intestinal phases of digestion, thereby recreating the complete process in vitro. The following conditions were tested:
Control – no sample
Caffeine Control – 200mg Pure Caffeine
TasteTech 400 mg CR100 CAFFEINE 50%
33 mg COMPETITOR 60 MICROCAPSULES WC
66 mg COMPETITOR 75 MICROCAPSULES GC
Samples were taken at various time points during both the gastric and small intestinal phases to monitor caffeine release. Each sample was centrifuged and subjected to HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) analysis, a method capable of detecting caffeine at extremely low concentrations.
Results
Fig 1. The release of TasteTech's 50% encapsulated caffeineFig 2. The release of the competitors 60% encapsulated caffeine
As shown in fig 1, TasteTech’s 50% encapsulated caffeine achieved a sustained release profile through the gastric and small-intestinal phases.
31% of the caffeine was released at 60 mins (62/200mg)
97% of the caffeine was released by 120 mins (193/200mg) and then plateaued
As shown in fig 2, the competitors 60% encapsulated caffeine achieved a rapid release profile of the caffeine payload in the gastric phase only.
50% of the caffeine was released at 60 mins (100/200mg)
88% of the caffeine was released by 120 mins (168/200mg) and then plateaued
Sustained Release
Our 50% encapsulated caffeine was shown to achieve a sustained release profile. This means that the caffeine was slowly and consistently released during digestion, so the consumer gets a steady release of energy over a longer period of time.
Conclusion
The collaboration between TasteTech and Aelius Biotech provided a deeper understanding of the release profile of encapsulated caffeine. This study not only validated the efficacy of HPLC for caffeine detection but also showcased the versatility of microencapsulation technology in modulating the release of caffeine during digestion.
The findings suggest that encapsulated caffeine can offer controlled and sustained release, enabling various applications in the food and beverage industry, including:
Chewing Gum
Protein Bars
Viscous powder shakes
Compressed tablets
Soft Gels
Pouches
Our ability to fine-tune the release profile of caffeine opens up exciting possibilities for formulating products with precisely controlled caffeine delivery, catering to a range of consumer preferences.
If you’d like to read the full whitepaper, you can request a copy below.
Technical Paper Request
Protein is no longer a niche market.
TasteTech has years of developing flavours for protein shakes and other nutritional products. We help brands optimise current products and develop exciting new ranges to help them stand out in a crowded marketplace.
High-protein offerings are widely available across the globe, with many big brands producing high-protein versions of their standard range.
But how do we work with customers to ensure they have the best possible solutions?
Understanding the challenges
Every project is different. We might assist in the creation of a flavour range for a new brand. Or we might develop a replacement for a flavouring that the customer is already using. Each project has a completely different goal, so understanding our customers’ needs is paramount to meeting the brief.
Our food technologists and flavour experts will get to know the technical specifications of the final product and how this might affect our development work. One customer may want a whey protein shake that uses standard flavourings to keep the cost low. Another may be developing a range of vegan protein drinks using only natural and kosher ingredients.
Understanding these challenges is key to any project and is always our starting point. Then we move on to the really exciting part of creating and tasting new products!
Working closely
Often, we will be sent a protein base (i.e. the protein blend recipe, sometimes with sweetener already included) and asked to create an appropriately flavoured final product.
A customer might be looking for an alternative or additional supply of strawberry flavours for protein shakes. However, if this is for an existing successful commercial product, we need to ensure that our flavourings make no discernible change to the current flavour profile.
Our team taste the original product and then select a potential strawberry flavour that they believe has the correct tonality. This is mixed with the base at various dosages to find the level that matches the original. The customer then does their own tests before sign off.
However, this is just one example of how the process can work – we tailor the service to meet the needs of our customers. Some want us to suggest new flavours for protein shakes and other products, others want to visit us at our site in Bristol to get a better understanding of how flavourings work, whereas others may want advice on sweetener levels. The point is that we are on hand to help you develop the perfect product! Whether it’s a whey or vegan protein, a CBD product, meal replacement or something else entirely, we have the products, knowledge and technical abilities to help you push ahead in this crowded marketplace.
This process doesn’t just apply to nutrition. We pride ourselves on being an extension of your R&D team, so if you need assistance with your nutrition, bakery, beverage, chewing gum, chocolate or other confectionery products, TasteTech is here to help.
To find out more about how we work with customers, get in touch.
Our latest creation - a range of mocktail-inspired pre-workout drinks.
In 2018, the Independent published an article stating that one in five drinkers now choose cocktails over beer or wine. This popularity has led to a massive increase in cocktail bars.
Now, this trend is reaching beyond the beverage industry and into food, appearing in everything from chocolates to cakes and even nutritional products. On the market, you can find piña colada biscuits, strawberry daiquiri desserts, gin fizz flavours for home baking kits and cocktail-flavoured chocolate selection boxes.
What about nutrition?
Nutrition products are mostly aimed at the health and fitness markets, so it might not be the first food category that comes to mind when you think of cocktails. However, most classic cocktails contain blends of flavours that are popular with or without alcohol.
Our team of flavour and nutritional product experts are always looking for the latest exciting flavours to try, and their most recent experiments have led to a range of pre-workout drinks with mocktail flavourings.
Each one of these ‘Mocktail Pre-Workout’ drinks is designed to taste like an alcohol-free version of a popular cocktail, and utilises our range of natural-type flavourings. They use an industry standard pre-workout base blend which includes BCAA’s, beta-alanine, caffeine and creatine.
The flavours we have created are:
Virgin Mojito
Virgin Cosmopolitan
Virgin Peach Bellini
Virgin Margarita
Virgin Dark ‘n’ Stormy
Virgin Pornstar Martini
Get in touch if you would like to try these prototype pre-workout samples for yourself.
Click here to request samples of our flavourings and ingredients.
Protein bars are a sector of the nutrition market that is expanding fast, with an ever-growing number of products on sale.
In the UK, 27% of people consumed a sports nutrition product in 2017.
Of these products, the top three were protein bars (11%), protein powders (10%) and energy bars (9%). (Source: Mintel).
This trend for growth is reflected globally, with a 17% increase in product launches of sports nutrition bars in 2017 compared to 2013. With the trend only set to increase in the coming years, now is the perfect time for new product development.
What is causing this growth?
A large part can be put down to the increasingly mainstream perception of these kinds of sports nutrition products. Consumers are looking to make better informed, healthier decisions in all aspects of their lives and are finding that products traditionally aimed at sports nutrition fulfill this need. They are more aware of what they are consuming, choosing products with specific ingredients and advantages, whether that is high protein, vegan, natural or other functional benefits.
Flavour innovation
As the market expands, manufacturers are looking for innovative ingredients to help their products stand out. Flavourings play a key role – they mask the bitter flavours of some functional ingredients whilst producing an end product that tastes amazing.
Prototype protein bars
TasteTech has over 25 years of experience creating flavourings for the food industry. Our dedicated team of flavourists and food technologists work closely with our customer’s R&D departments. We have developed a strong range of flavourings and microencapsulated ingredients that are specifically designed to meet the formulation challenges of nutrition bars.
To support continuous innovation our technologists have developed some prototypes to showcase our products in equivalent market-ready applications. These prototypes represent just a fraction of the flavours we have available for bars and includes:
Fig 1. The release of TasteTech's 50% encapsulated caffeine
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Fig 2. The release of the competitors 60% encapsulated caffeine
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close up of man with protein shake bottle and jar
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Cropped portait of young man sitting in gym and holding a bottle of water and a classic fitness shaker with pre-workout drink in it. Sports nutrition concept. Horizontal shot. Side view
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Mocktail PreWorkout Flavourings - TasteTech
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Mocktails_blog_aug_pic2_20
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GLP-1 medications are beginning to reshape how people eat and that shift is starting to have implications for the food and nutrition industry.
