Opportunity
Make a better tasting snack seasoning
A major snack manufacturer in Southeast Asia was facing taste quality issues with its existing barbecue seasoning. This led to challenges in production and supply of its iconic snack brands. Kerry was approached to develop a seasoning concept with an improved taste profile that would solve the backend challenges while still appealing to consumers.
Approach
Using consumer insights to craft an improved barbecue taste
Our taste and snack teams took a two-step approach. First, we worked to understand the market’s barbecue taste preference, which was strong and salty from the first bite, followed by a smokiness. Then we partnered with the customer to create a winning flavour profile by tapping Kerry’s AuthenticSavoury™ portfolio, a comprehensive collection of authentic flavours and savoury tastes that includes umami and kokumi, stocks and reductions, yeast extracts, smoke and grill flavours. We proposed a formulation that delivered addictively delicious culinary tastes while also meeting labelling requirements. The customer was delighted and, because the new recipe solved the manufacturing problems, the snacks were able to go straight into production.
Impact
The seamless transition allowed the customer to keep its bestselling barbecue snack on shelves while improving the great-tasting barbecue flavour consumers already loved.
“It was great working with a team who is passionate about formulating the perfect taste solution while having fun trying to ‘crack the code’”.
—Ki Won Um, Kerry Vice President, Taste, APMEA
The Kerry Difference
By understanding the customer requirements and the barbecue flavours consumers crave, our team produced a winning seasoning with Kerry’s assured quality and supply.