Synergy Flavors taps taste modulation for high-protein and low-sugar drinks

Amid a consumer demand for healthier, reduced-sugar drinks and high-protein options, Synergy Flavors highlights the importance of taste modulation. The company says its Smart Sugar Control technologies can improve sweetness perception in beverages with limited or zero sugar. Solutions within this proprietary platform are designed to influence how consumers perceive a product’s sensory attributes, such as sweetness, mouthfeel, texture, and aftertaste. 

The company explains that taste modulation can reduce the presence of off-notes and undesirable textures, such as the astringency or “chalkiness” common to high-protein beverages or the unpleasant taste left by some synthetic sweeteners, to offer a “cleaner” taste.

Its tools are tailored to help consumers more effectively manage blood sugar spikes, prevent energy crashes, and make better food choices that support a balanced diet.

Nutrition Insight speaks to Tom Cleghorn, European Category development manager at Synergy Flavors, about how taste modulation technology can support reformulations, while highlighting the latest trends in functional beverages with added benefits to accompany sugar reduction.

“Changing legislation is massively impacting manufacturers around the globe,” he underscores. “The UK and Europe are further restricting sugar quantities in beverages, and we’re seeing new legislation coming into effect in the US as part of a global strategy to target consumer health.”

For example, the UK Soft Drinks Levy is shifting from 5 g to 4.5 g per 100 mL from January 2028 and expanding to include milk-based drinks with added sugar, which will drive many manufacturers to reformulate to stay within these limits to avoid paying the tax.

“Across Europe, many countries, including France, Italy, Belgium, and Spain, have long enforced additional taxes on beverages that contain higher levels of sugar, with the Netherlands and Estonia more recently implementing the levy,” says Cleghorn.

“While the US is not enforcing a sugar tax at the federal level, many cities are enforcing local sugar taxes to target consumer health — including Berkeley, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Seattle, Washington.”

Taste modulation

Synergy says taste modulation can help manufacturers tackle reduced sugar content demands from consumers. “Sweetness modulators are key to supporting manufacturers in sugar reduction, and help to improve sweetness in reduced- or zero-sugar beverages by improving overall taste perception,” says Cleghorn.

The UK Soft Drinks Levy will lower its threshold to 4.5 g/100 mL and include added-sugar milk drinks starting January 2028, driving widespread reformulations to avoid the tax.The company has conducted extensive sensory testing using trained panelists to evaluate the effectiveness of sweetness modulators in soft drinks where sugar is reduced.

“One study evaluated a carbonated orange soft drink that had been reformulated with 7.8 g less sugar, without any taste modulation applied,” Cleghorn highlights. “Panelists rated the ‘base’ beverage (reduced-sugar beverage) and then rated the same base with a sweetness modulation solution applied, demonstrating clear improvements across multiple taste attributes beyond sweetness.”

Across all measured attributes in the study — fruity, juicy, sweetness, acidity, overall flavor, and preference — the differences between the base alone and the base blended with the solution were statistically significant, notes Cleghorn.

“As expected, the base with the taste modulation solution performed much better in terms of sweetness,” he details. “The beverage made with this base also showed improvements in ‘fruity’ and ‘juicy’ notes, and a reduction in acidity — a positive outcome as acidity is considered a negative attribute.”

“This demonstrates that the sweetness modulator balanced the entire taste profile, as opposed to just improving ‘sweetness,’ resulting in improved ‘overall flavor,’ and the majority of panelists exhibited a preference for the base with the solution.”

Cleghorn adds that particular taste associations may be used to signal a health benefit. “Many consumers associate citrus fruits with boosting immunity, as they contain high levels of vitamin C, and many manufacturers create citrus-flavored beverages with an immunity claim.”

“By reviewing consumer preferences and overlaying this with product launch data, many launches featuring immunity claims contain orange flavors, aligning with the citrus association. Our research shows that consumers are equally interested in lemon-flavored and lime-flavored immunity beverages, which are significantly less represented, highlighting a clear opportunity for innovation.”

Reducing sugar while adding protein

Another major consideration for the flavor market is the growing impact of GLP-1s. “Many consumers who are using GLP-1 medications are increasingly aware of their overall dietary intake, in addition to facing specific taste challenges as a direct result of the medication,” notes Cleghorn.

“Recent research carried out by Synergy among GLP-1 users found that 46% of respondents reported some change in the way taste is perceived, specifically calling out sweetness as the most impacted sense of taste. As a result, more than 30% of the cohort who faced challenges with sweet taste expressed a preference for less-sweet flavors — highlighting a clear opportunity for manufacturers to innovate with beverages where sweetness isn’t the primary focus.”

Smart Sugar Control is also adaptable for protein fortification innovations. Although this is particularly relevant for GLP-1 users facing rapid muscle loss, demand for high-protein products has also grown among other consumers. “Once a niche proposition, protein has now firmly entered the mainstream,” underscores Cleghorn.

“Consumers outside of gym-goers have recognized the importance of protein in areas of health and wellness, including women’s health and healthy aging, and, as a result, there has been a surge in innovation to increase nutrient density in everyday choices.”

Weight loss patients on GLP-1 medications often struggle with eating to meet their nutritional needs due to lessened appetites, which taste modulators can address in products formulated for this consumer segment.In 2024, Synergy Flavors conducted an in-depth consumer study on functional beverages together with Innova Market Insights, in which 82% of consumers said they were interested in food and beverage products that contain protein.

“Of nine key functional benefits identified by Innova Market Insights, women’s health was the smallest category, accounting for just 3% of launches in Q1 2023,” Cleghorn adds.

Additionally, he says that women’s health is projected to be one of the fastest growing categories. “With a rapid growth forecast, it’s therefore unsurprising to see more brands innovating in this space with ‘her health’ targeted products.”

Functional benefit synergies

Cleghorn highlights that the beverage industry has been responding to the sugar backlash by innovating with new ingredients that offer added functional benefits. Innova Market Insights data reveal that the European functional ready-to-drink beverage market has seen an average annual increase of 26% over the last three years.

Natural sources of energy are driving innovation, as consumers seek energy boosts without caffeine. “As consumers become increasingly aware of ingredient lists and labeling, especially in functional beverages such as energy drinks, the focus has shifted to cleaner and lasting energy sources. As a result, sugar-free is becoming more popular, as consumers seek sustained energy without the crash,” says Cleghorn.

“Matcha is one ingredient that continues to appear in product launches, as consumers move toward caffeine options that do not cause spikes and crashes. Matcha’s caffeine content is lower than coffee, and contains naturally occurring L-theanine, which sustains focus and a natural energy boost.”

Cleghorn concludes that brands can stay ahead of evolving regulations and consumer demands by incorporating taste modulation approaches in both new and existing products. “While functionality is increasingly important to consumers, repeat purchase does not come at the expense of palatability or overall nutritional value.”

“Manufacturers can ensure that products retain great taste by using solutions that improve overall flavor delivery without extending ingredient lists, adding artificial sweeteners, or introducing new ingredients that offer additional taste challenges.”