Kerry launches Great Culinary Taste ingredients initiative

Kerry Group has unveiled an initiative called Great Culinary Taste which aims to bridge the gap between the taste consumers are looking for in prepared meals and what the company’s customers can produce at scale.

 

 

The firm said it is responding to consumer demand for restaurant-quality meals made from ingredients they know and trust.

 

Great Culinary Taste aims to take the ingredients prepared meal manufacturers already have available, add a little bit of culinary magic and know-how, to enable them to enhance the taste of existing consumer favourites or add to their range by creating other product variants including more authentic dishes.

 

The Great Culinary Taste range includes plant proteins, natural stocks, infused oils, natural flavours, natural extracts and marinades, pastes and glazes.

 

In a statement, Kerry said: “Being able to introduce this variety, authenticity and ethnicity to your range, using clean-label ingredients is critical to the success of prepared meal reformulation.

 

“The latest research we have undertaken tells us that over 70% of European consumers now check the back of pack labelling when shopping for groceries, with 73% of consumers looking for more natural ingredients in their prepared meals; 42% say they are highly influenced by products that claim to be authentic, homemade or made with real ingredients.”

 

Kerry marketing manager for savoury Grace Keenan said: “Informed consumers are demanding more from the foods they eat, but taste remains a key driver of consumer choice. They want simple, transparent ingredients and reassurances that what they are buying is good for them and their families. This creates complexity for the developers of prepared meals, who need to create taste experiences, at scale and without compromising on labelling or nutritionals.”

 

Thomas Duffin, development chef for Kerry taste and nutrition, added: “Food is my passion. Going to work every day brings new and exciting taste adventures and culinary challenges to be solved. What really gets me up in the morning is working with other chefs to create delicious dishes that consumers will enjoy from the first taste to the last. 

 

“But what really brings that extra buzz is partnering with our customers to push the envelope, to deliver products that meet consumer demands such as clean label, more natural ingredients or authentic taste, yet continue to deliver pure deliciousness and most importantly, repeat purchase.”