Sensient Technologies New Zealand
The ground-breaking team at Sensient Technologies NZ is facing 2025 with a renewed commitment to being as natural-product-focused as possible.
This leading global manufacturer and marketer of colours, flavours and other specialty ingredients is ingrained in the New Zealand manufacturing industry and well aware its Kiwi consumers are increasingly health-centric.
Sensient Auckland-based General Manager Nicolas Sawyer said consumer demands have changed over recent years in terms of increased interest in fresh, natural and authentic tastes.
He said people previously weren’t so concerned about how things were made; they just wanted things that tasted good. But consumers take a more holistic approach these days. Sizing up labels, checking the source of ingredients, reviewing product freshness, and considering the impact of consumption on health and well-being has become a more mainstream activity.
“From a flavour perspective, we have seen this present with consumers demanding fresh, real, authentic flavours from their beverages. That demand has grown exponentially and, correspondingly, Sensient will further develop positive endeavours to meet this requirement,” said Sawyer.
“The New Zealand consumer deserves to have the freshest and most appealing products available to them. We, in turn will continue to do our part in ensuring local manufacturers have access to ingredients that will meet their customers’ expectations.”
The beverage sector can rest assured, he said, that 2025 will see Sensient utilising as much local, primary produce as possible, including rescuing products that would have gone to waste. The company has recently invested in natural extracts processing capability, which enables it to manufacture fresh local extracts.
“We have always made our natural flavours in New Zealand, but extracts are another way we can utilise fruit. We have had extracts in the past but have not necessarily focused on the source of their fruit. Now we want to be in control of where they’re grown, tracking their journey through to end manufacturing.”
He was proud to speak of Sensient’s natural, repurposed fruit extracts - a success story involving citrus from Gisborne. Peels and skins - which ordinarily have no commercial use and/or were considered waste products – are being given another lease of life, with the Sensient Food Technologists instead extracting a flavouring component from them.
“So far, we have had real success in utilising this citrus product, which many of our beverage and alcoholic beverage customers have used in their products, to help differentiate their products on the shelf, but we don’t intend on stopping there. We are working on a number of other options involving different fruits, so watch this space.”
Sensient Technologies Corporation has an American parent company with manufacturing sites all over the world, including New Zealand, where about 90 staff are employed in various parts of the country (primarily in Auckland).
Last year, Sensient NZ celebrated 40 years of manufacturing food ingredients, specifically flavours. Sensient NZ’s Mt Wellington manufacturing facility has expanded over the years with more expansion planned.
While many competing ingredient manufacturers aren’t necessarily producing in NZ, Sensient is proud to do so. Most of its ingredients are manufactured in New Zealand from primarily local and some imported ingredient products.
A strong technical team on hand at the company’s manufacturing facility, coupled with New Zealand’s incredible local fruit supplies, means Sensient can respond quickly to consumer demand.
“We try to be as agile as we can in terms of what our customers are after – and ultimately their customers (the shopper).”
Sensient has built a robust reputation over the years as a leader in collaborating with food and beverage manufacturers to craft inspired answers to product puzzles. Those answers – certainly in New Zealand – are increasingly wellness-focused.
A quick glance at the company’s website showcases Sensient’s commitment to health and well-being, with articles covering topics such as better-for-you flavours, tips for reducing sugar, a stealthy approach to sodium reduction, fermented flavours and natural and clean tastes, and the future of plant-based foods and taste solutions (to name but some).
(Janaury 2025 Supermarket News)