As consumer demand grows for cleaner labels and more transparent ingredients, manufacturers across New Zealand’s food and beverage sector are increasingly turning to natural flavour solutions.Auckland-based Pacific Flavours & Ingredients Ltd is at the forefront of this shift, offering a broad portfolio of flavour options and a strong focus on technical development.
“Pacific Flavours & Ingredients supplies both natural and nature-identical flavours in liquid and powder forms,” explains Ali Spencer, co-owner of the company. “We work closely with manufacturers across New Zealand and Australia to develop tailored flavour solutions that meet both their formulation and production needs.”
Tailored solutions with technical expertise
Spencer emphasises the company’s strong technical expertise. “We’re much more than just flavour suppliers; we’re problem solvers. Our team invests heavily in R&D to understand how flavours interact with different bases, heat, pH levels, and processing conditions. This helps us ensure consistent taste, stability, and compliance across a wide range of products.”
Natural flavours have seen a particular surge in demand as clean label initiatives become mainstream. “Just about every formulation project we’re involved in now includes some clean label target – and flavour is often the first place brands start,” she says. “Consumers want to see ingredients they recognise on the label, which means natural flavour options are increasingly sought after.”
At the same time, Spencer notes that synthetic flavours still play an important role. “Nature-identical flavours offer cost-effective and stable alternatives, especially in complex applications. We help our customers choose the best option for their product goals, price points, and shelf-life requirements.”
Collaboration, innovation driving growth
The company’s R&D capabilities extend beyond flavour selection. “We work alongside manufacturers from the early trial stages, testing flavours in real production conditions,” says Spencer. “This hands-on approach lets us troubleshoot issues like bitterness masking, sweetness modulation, and flavour retention, ensuring the final product tastes exactly as intended.”
Pacific Flavours & Ingredients serves a broad spectrum of categories including beverages, dairy, bakery, confectionery, plant-based, and nutritional products. “Each category has its own challenges,” Spencer explains. “For example, flavours in high-protein or low-sugar products can behave very differently and require special formulation techniques.”
The company also keeps pace with evolving consumer trends, such as the growing popularity of botanicals, native fruit flavours, and indulgent profiles like caramel and cocoa. “We’re constantly developing new flavour concepts to meet market demand and help brands stand out,” she adds.
Beyond flavour, Spencer highlights the importance of collaboration. “We see ourselves as partners in innovation. By understanding our customers’ production processes and brand positioning, we deliver solutions that not only taste great but also support their business objectives.”
Sponsored content: For more information visit www.pacific-flavours.co.nz.
