Showcase: vanilla and chocolate flavors; nuts and inclusions

Prepared Foods, July, 2004

Everybody loves birthdays. Kerry makes every day o celebration with the "It's My Birthday Cake" ice cream flavor concept. Appealing to both kids and adults alike, "It's My Birthday Cake" features vanilla frosting-flavored ice cream that is loaded with tender "birthday" cake pieces and tasty chunks of pink and blue frosting. Kerry's flexible fat-based refining enables production of customized colors and confectionery chunks and chips. Kerry, Karen Holliday, 800-255-6312, kholliday@kerrygroup.com

Popular and soothing, vanilla combination flavors come in a variety including Vanilla Caramel, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Cream and Vanilla Custard. Vanilla Almond, Vanilla Mint and Vanilla Orange are popular as well. Virginia Dare's vanillas can improve the sweetness perception by rounding out and cutting the edge off other flavors. Bakery applications benefiting from vanilla and vanilla combinations include snack cakes, muffins, frostings and fillings. Dairy applications include ice cream, frozen desserts, yogurts and dips. Vanilla adds variety to breakfast foods such as cereals (both hot and cold), English muffins, waffles, pancakes and French toast. Virginia Dare, Paulette Kerner, 410-569-9766, pkerner@virginiadare.com

A substantial cost savings can be achieved when using a line of natural vanilla WONFs to replace pure vanilla extract in most applications. These flavors can be used as direct replacements for bakery, candy, nutraceutical, beverage and dairy applications. Many varieties are available, including Bourbon, Tahitian, and Indonesian types. Gold Coast Ingredients also has a full line of pure extracts, N&A and artificial flavors. Gold Coast Ingredients, 800-352-8673, www.goldcoastinc.com

Perk up ice cream, beverages, nutritional products, bakery items and other sweet foods with chocolate, vanilla, nut and fruit flavors. Chr. Hansen's chocolate flavors come in dark, regular, milk, fudge and white versions, and can become something really special when layered with other sweet flavors such as mint or fruit. Vanilla is wonderful alone or can be used to enhance almost any flavor, such as a variety of Chr. Hansen fruit and nut flavors. Chr. Hansen, Karen Wood, 800-558-0802, kwood@chr-hansen-us.com

As the vanilla market continues to face continuing weather problems and more governmental regulations, the food and beverage industry looks for new solutions. With strong expertise in creating great-tasting flavors, WILD has a wide variety of N&A and artificial vanilla flavors as well as Natural Vanilla WONF flavors. The company can create the right profile of vanilla for your specific application: ice cream type, French vanilla and sweet vanilla. Samples available. WILD Flavors Inc., Donna Hansee, 859-342-3526, dhansee@wildflavors.com

Recent studies have shown compelling evidence that, almonds provide important health-promoting benefits. Excellent sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, almonds also ore rich in magnesium, a good source of fiber and protein, and contain calcium, zinc, iron and folio acid. Food technologists also rely on almonds to add texture and "crunch" to savory and sweet products, as well as a distinctive and appealing taste. Consumers perceive added value in foods with almonds, both for taste and for health. Almond Board of California, 209-549-8262, www.almondsarein.com/atwork

Chocolate is a favorite flavor and inclusion. ADM Cocoa markets its products globally under the brands: Ambrosia, De Zaan[R], and Merckens[R]. Ambrosia's coatings, chunks, liquors and other chocolate products are used in the confectionery, baking, dairy, ice cream and foodservice industries. Ambrosia is also a major producer of private label baking chips. De Zaan's cocoas are known for their premium quality, narrow product specifications, and ability to work in various customer applications. Merckens offers a product line of premium chocolate products formulated for chocolate confectioners and wafers geared for cake decorators and home candy makers. ADM Cocoa, Bill Lansing, 414-358-5700

Unique extraction processes result in intensified vanillas that require a lower use rate than regular extraction. David Michael & Co., a leading vanilla supplier, offers innovative items such as Premier Process[R], Supreme[R], Super Supreme[R] and David Michael's Superb[R] vanillas. It also offers custom-designed Philadelphia Style System[R] vanilla slurry units. By combining vanilla extract, with bean specks, this slurry offers a convenient, way to manufacture "Philadelphia Style" vanilla ice cream. >From a one-fold to a twenty-fold to oleoresins, the company provides a full range of natural, N&A, or artificial liquid or dry vanilla for your every application. David Michael & Co., Total Customer Satisfaction Department, 215-0632-3100, dmflavor@dmflavors.com, www.dmflavors.com

A new line of indulgent flavors adds decadence to product development projects. Robertet Flavors Inc. has introduced a line of classic chocolate flavors with profiles including milk, white, semisweet, bittersweet and bitter types. For product developers seeking something a little more unusual, try the company's new specialty chocolate flavors. The profiles include Mayan Chocolate, Ibarra Chocolate Type, Chocolate Mint and Fudge Cream. Applications include beverages, confections, dairy, desserts, soy-based products and more. The flavors are water-soluble and are available in liquid, dry, natural and N&A versions. Robertet Flavors, Gretchen Schleck, 732-981-8300

Vanilla's characteristic, complex flavor is the perfect accent to chocolate and fruit-enhanced frozen treats. The refreshing flavor of ice cream novelties is made even better with the addition of pure vanilla extracts, natural and artificial vanillas and natural vanilla WONF from Nielsen-Massey. The vanillas are classic flavorings for ice cream bars, sherbet cups and gelato. Custom-blended products also ore available. Whether targeting sophisticated adult tastes or aiming at the children's market, vanilla flavors offer versatility and diversity. Nielsen-Massey, Dan Fox, 800-525-7873, www.nielsenmassey.com