Botanical ingredients have been key components in culinary traditions worldwide for centuries, not only for their unique flavors but also for their ability to enhance and balance the taste profiles of various dishes. Spices and herbs, in particular, are powerful tools for both flavor enhancement and masking off-flavors.

Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on foodservice new product development in an interview with Michael S. Zeller, Senior Corporate Executive Chef, R&D, at Simplot Food Group.

In the context of Asian cuisines, extracts and essences are typically used sparingly due to their high potency. This allows for significant flavor enhancement using minimal quantities. Primary examples include soy sauce and fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla). 

Planteneers’ new space can host customers for collaborative product development sessions with a full plant-based meat laboratory and a plant-based dairy laboratory (coming online soon-). The Aurora building also houses sales, distribution, marketing, product managers and R&D team members.

Conagra is using generative AI, intelligent automation and strategic collaboration with Microsoft and EY to enhance its IT, Supply Chain, R&D, Demand Science, Brand and Design operations. 

This 28,000sq-ft expansion represents an $8.5 million investment to scale up Flavorman’s state-of-the-art “Beverage Campus” and facilitate its rapid growth in the beverage industry.

Students Anandu Chandra Khanashyam, Abrielle Schnurr, Nghi Huynh and Suchismita Roy are studying food science and earned the first-place prize of $10,000. 

Almonds are a key ingredient that can help broaden dietary options in snack products through their wide variety of forms that help introduce new flavor experiences and offer many health benefits.

Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on new product development from Stacey Kinkaid, US Foods vice president of product development & innovation.

“The prices for all ingredients can be very high,” affirms Andrea Bayne, owner and head baker of BoriMami Bakery in Melbourne, Florida. “Demand for organic products exceeds supply, which can cause price increases and make consistent sourcing an issue.”