Dairy flavors help product developers in many ways. They reduce the use of dairy commodities and eliminate sourcing problems, while they also provide cost-in-use and shipping savings. They also can improve manufacturing efficiencies.
More importantly, the right partner can help manufacturers develop new, on-trend applications with dairy flavors as a key component. Founded in 1914, Edlong Dairy Technologies develops and markets cheese, butter, milk and cream; cultured, sweet dairy; and functional dairy flavors in a variety of forms and solubilities.
Food formulators might wonder where dairy flavors belong in a cuisine known for intense, spicy flavors. Yet, when it comes to Mexican foods, dairy flavors can create authentic taste profiles that help processors capitalize on a sizable market opportunity and drive increases in both market share and profit.
Here are some facts and figures to consider:
Explosive Market Growth: Hispanics comprise 17% of the total U.S. population -- more than 50 million people. Of all Hispanics, Mexicans are the largest sub-group. But, here’s what’s really important to the food industry: From 2005-2010, general U.S. population spending on food grew by nearly 3%. Meanwhile, Hispanic spending sky-rocketed by more than 14% and is expected to continue to outpace the general population.
Baby Boomer and Millennial Parallels: The average Hispanic household includes four people. Hispanics are also, on average, more than 10 years younger than non-Hispanics, with a median age of 28. They have much in common with Baby Boomers from 60 years ago and today’s 18- to 34-year-old Millennial Generation. Developing products that satisfy Hispanics and adventurous Millennials provides growth opportunities for a business.
Cheese -- Essential to Mexican Cooking: Typical Mexican dishes, such as chilaquiles, esquites, enchiladas, tacos and elotes include cheeses, which can be fresh, soft or firm. Profiles for fresh cheeses are milky, curdy, rich, salty, creamy and fermented. Soft cheeses, like Chihuahua, are savory and creamy, with pronounced animal notes. Quesadilla is buttery, dairy, sour and salty. Firm cheeses have a strong aroma and are salty. They can have fermented, “cowy” (animal) and fruity notes.
Crema and Cajeta -- Other Authentic Ingredients: Crema is used in many traditional dishes. It has a rich, nutty, slightly sour taste and is similar to sour cream, with a higher fat content, thinner viscosity and sweeter profile. Cajeta is similar to caramel and is a popular dessert. It can be used to bring an authentic Mexican profile to many applications, such as creamers, syrups, toppings and desserts.
Edlong has experts in Mexican cheeses, cremas and cajetas, and can help processors achieve these authentic profiles with flavors in many Mexican food applications:
• For snacks, Edlong starts with a basic seasoning blend and then alters the profile for different flavor directions.
• Edlong can help manufacturers flavor less-expensive analog cheeses that closely resemble those from street markets.
• The company understands dairy nuances and can help identify the flavor note that gives margarine authentic taste.
• Edlong can help develop a distinct cajeta profile that satisfies both traditional and adventurous consumers.
Edlong experts continually evaluate products from stores, artisan shops and street markets. Its flavorists have developed authentic flavors to match desired attributes, and Edlong chefs are experts at translating gold-standard recipes to commercialized formulas with authentic taste.
