My name is Jason Braithwaite. I've been with Sensapure for officially a year now. I am the Apps Lab Manager. I graduated from BYU Idaho in 2018. So I have a bachelor's in food sciences and technology. Being in R&D, when you tell people that you're a food scientist, everyone kind of like their eyes pop and they get really excited to talk to you, and they're all like, “what does that mean? What do you get to do?” And I kind of just respond with, “I get a taste a lot of gross things and make sure you don't have to taste it.” Hobbies: I love to exercise and play video games. I like to travel a lot. I love to go to any of the Disney parks. What drew me to Sensapure was the people and kind of just the culture of the company. I felt very confident knowing that coming into this company that I would have a secure job, but also really love the environment that I'm in. I think my favorite part of working at Sensapure is honestly the workload. There's just so many different varieties of work that comes in; different projects, different flavor requests. And a lot of freedom to create whatever flavors you would like to do. A lot of customers will say, “I like this one, this one. And whatever you want.” Being able to be part of a flavor house company, to kind of direct what potentially could be trending and having a whole lab of flavor chemists at your disposal, really gives you a good opportunity to kind of just get into playing with whatever flavors you'd like. I love getting to work with clients. When they come in, I like to call those ‘protein barista days.’ You just get to go in and say, “Do you want to try this?” And then they'll say, “I want to change,” and you’re like, “Great. Let me run a make that for you and come back.” Yeah, 7+ years in the industry and going strong.

The difference between RTMs, and RTDs is your base formulation. RTMs, you scoop in your protein powder, throw it into your shaker bottle, shake it up on the go. You get to work with the powders, so you don't have to worry about degradation. You don't have to worry too much about processing. Don’t have to worry about water activity, not worrying that the food's going to spoil too much. You would have to worry about if your product is going to absorb a lot of extra water while packaged. RTD beverages convenient forms of Ready-To-Mix drinks, essentially. This one is most likely a refrigerated product. It comes ready to drink. So, you have to do is twist off the cap. It's really about convenience for the customer, but more back work for manufacturer.

The next biggest challenge for flavoring RTMs, especially ones with lots of actives, will be just maintaining the same taste quality for the lowest price point as possible. That is the terrible trade off of flavor industry, you can make something taste as good as you want, but if the price isn't right, then it doesn't matter. Introducing a lot of different actives, whether they be botanicals, whether they be some new fermented product, whatever it may be, the more you add into your products, the more it's going to have an interesting, albeit unique taste that is not desirable. Maintaining high quality flavor with new ingredients that boast great benefits at a price point that is reasonable is the biggest challenge. Cognitive and nootropic products are evolving based on what is being driven by customer demand in the market. A saying that we have here, and I think most people can agree with it, “You could have the best, most healthy product that can work wonders for you, but if it doesn't taste good, you're not going to sell any of it.” Nootropics and cognitive products sometimes tend not to taste great. So because of that demand, I think the industry is evolving to keep up with those demands for that market.

We have a wide variety of bitter blockers here at Sensapure. There are a handful that I like to kind of start with first. We have one, a blocker and sweetness enhancer, so it really helps dial down the bitterness and bumps up the sweetness, so you don't have to worry too much about adding too much sweetness. If you kind of are stuck with some regulations on what sweeteners you can use. So that really helps bring down the bitter, bring up the sweet, and kind of make it more likable. We have this new one that was made up I absolutely love it; our flavor chemist developed it a couple weeks ago. I've seen it do wonders with botanicals. Blocking a lot of bitterness, undesirable notes, and it's just been a fantastic product that I really like to kind of work with. If I know if I have something very bitter or astringent. Our astringency masker is also a fantastic one. Takes away any of that dryness or perceived bitterness. The last one that I like to use, our flavor chemist created a pea protein masker, and I think it does a wonderful job. Pea proteins tend to have just that really gritty, earthy notes that come through. This does a wonderful job masking those notes. in some cases can add like a very nice cereal note to the product. So depending on which flavor you'd like to work with, it can really amplify those notes. Most common off notes, honestly, are just those very strong bitter notes that come through, astringency. And just using our wide variety of bitter blockers to kind of just address what would work. Sweetness works. And then salt is also a fantastic one as well for looking for more budget friendly ways to block or mask off notes.

Innovations that are driving trends of hydration products — there's a few things. One, you have a large brand that fulfill the need to a market: runners or people who are very, very active. And they created something that had a good technology behind it that they could market well, and they made flavors that tasted really good. There are just so many different hydration companies out in the market, which I think offer fantastic products. Not only have they just stayed with the one work here to hydrate you, they went from sugar-free to hydration with different benefits. So either it was calming or immune system boosting or energy with caffeine. Then they also started targeting towards kids as well. So it's a product that managed to get on the market to fulfill a need that everybody feels, and they also taste great. They go well with whatever. You don't have to have them just for running. You can have them with the meal. You can have them just during your day. Everybody loves to carry around a huge water bottle with them. So if you're able to make that taste better, great. The reason why flavoring powder products (just adding to water) are popular are because you kind of have more control as a consumer. I, for one, am someone who likes something sweet. I like to have like a higher flavor impact. I like to have that experience. I know other people can be more or less intense than I am. So they want something that is, you know, “I don't want sweet or I don't want an impactful flavor.” So kind of gives that control to the consumer. Any company, they have their flagship products. Once you have that, I think branching out into LTOs is a fantastic way to kind of test the waters of what's popular or what's not. And then things to avoid would be formula changes. Easier said than done. give yourself enough time to make sure that product is the same if you've had to change anything in the formula.

The current state of natural sweeteners in the market is a decline. Sugar has the most desirable sweetness. Most people want it to taste like sugar, but they don't want the calories of sugar. I've seen a rapid decline in stevia being used because it has a terrible aftertaste. Monk fruit is under scrutiny. I know some countries don't allow monk fruit in their product. There is a decline in those as there is a fall in whatever product is most popular. Right. Stevia and monk fruit became very popular. People started scrutinizing them. Studies started coming out. People started believing what they wanted to believe, they started moving away from different areas. Sugar alcohols are starting to take over if not already have taken over majority. Honestly moving back towards just cane sugar for sweetness... I think it's okay. Any unpopular opinions? I think natural sweeteners are terrible. I dislike them greatly. I think artificial sweeteners are fantastic. Anytime a customer says we can use artificial sweeteners, it makes my job that much easier. That is probably because I just like really sweet things. So if it's sweet, I really enjoy it. Sugar alcohols are okay. Sucralose and Ace-K are fantastic. They just taste better, too. We for sure are seeing an uptick in clean label, naturally-derived ingredients. There will always be a part of the market asking for a cleaner, more natural label. Keeping up with that is a challenge. The differences between natural, organic, and artificial flavors all depends on the sources that are being used within those flavors. So organic has to have everything under the organic certified approval. Natural artificial flavors, or NNA's or then just your natural flavors also follow similar suit of what is being used in those and how is it labeled. So if you have some sort of synthetic additive that comes into the natural artificial, then it will be labeled natural and artificial. Typically it's a blend of artificial flavors along with naturals.

Trends with alcohol and cocktails: that's kind of two part. One: a lot of people are more health conscious, so they're looking at it in the sense of how many calories am I getting in? A lot of products have gone from your typical seltzer that has 100 calories per drink. I've been seeing it evolve into, “We like these seltzers. They're a hundred calories, but they could taste better.” There's just been an introduction of more unique flavors. Cocktails will always be kind of whatever product you want it to be, however you want to create it. So moving in that direction, it's really kind of as I said earlier, kind of like a protein barista, but more of an alcohol. bartender. You get to kind of create whatever you'd like. They're always kind of just fun drinks that offer different flavors, different experiences for the customer to try. There has been a decline in alcohol consumption for Gen Z. They've been drinking less alcohol. So mocktails have been on the rise. They can look like a cocktail. They can look like a can seltzer, but they are essentially their own. They're just kind of marketed more to be like that. Can mocktails be functional? Yes. Have I seen that? No. The function of them is more of a social aspect People who choose to be sober or choose to drink less would still like to feel included. And so having something that is a similar feel to what everybody else is drinking. Can they be functional? Yes. I think that's just kind of typical juices or other drinks that are out there. They're just marketed differently.

GLP-1, it's the semaglutide that helps slow down digestion within the body. People are losing a lot of weight; that means they're also not eating as much. And so their nutrition is dropping somewhat rapidly. And I know that there's been some adverse side effects that people have been experiencing because of that. Adding in sources of protein, fiber, and vitamins will be a fantastic way to do that within either like a quick, easy shake, or like, a ready-to-mix or ready-to-drink. Taking like meal replacement shakes, I think those are fantastic. Some don't have enough fiber, so get more fiber in there. Get more protein in there. The way that we can make protein appeal better — there are just a wide variety of protein products. You have here concentrates, you have your isolates, you have your whey base, your plant based, fermented proteins, there's now clear proteins for whey or plant. So there is a wide variety of what proteins you would like to use as a source. Depending on which source you'd like to use, we are well equipped to block any off notes, and we have a wide variety of flavors that blend well with any and all of these flavors. High sweetness — that'll mask a lot. You can do a lot of different flavors with that. Fruit notes are a really more popular flavor that seem to be arising in protein powders as of late. So keeping up with new trends and creating new trends.

There is a growing rate of meal replacement consumption because of the convenience; it's quick, it's easy, you don't have to eat so much to get all of your nutrition. And they can be cheaper. Being able to control more of the nutrition that they're intaking, how much they're eating, and create new habits around their lifestyle. Meal replacement shakes can help you feel full. They can help you gain weight. It all depends on how you use them. Single use powders over bulk tubs are more popular as of late. They're quick, they're convenient, they're easy. if you're able to sell bulk amount of single use products, you would have a product that is going to do very well.

Yes. A few of the products we've talked about do require emulsifiers. It's very easy for products to separate, Protein is kind of a large one. I just worked on a new protein source that after about a couple of minutes, you can see the separation happen. You have two types of people, right? With RTMs, they'll drink as fast as they can, or they'll sip on it to enjoy it. And so emulsifiers will play a great role in keeping your products together homogenous; keep everything suspended where it's supposed to be.

When planning for non-RTM products, So like baked goods or pies. I think a lot of what they need to plan for is the jump from lab to production. And hopefully having a pilot that will be there in the middle before you run to production There is a lot to be considered. So when planning, make sure you have somebody who has a good grasp; they can talk about the pain points that are coming up, recommendations they would have. And will that person who worked on it in the lab be present for pilot and production, just to make sure that things are consistent throughout? One of the biggest struggles of working with high protein products is just the bulk of the product. if you want it to have a certain amount of protein content. However, you also have to have certain amount of other ingredients to help get it to that point of becoming a bar. Looking at how you're processing your product as well. So with bars, you can have just a regular blender, you can have an extruder. If you have an extruded product, then you are going to have purely just—you cannot add any puffs to that product. They have to be added post, which then it's not in the bar, it's on. Really understand what your process is going to be before you start producing or start building. Water activity plays a very big part in the shelf life of high protein snacks. So water activity essentially is the free water within a product that is not bound to anything. So essentially bacteria can use this to grow, develop, and then you'll have spoilage in your product. So you need to be highly aware of what your water activity is in your baked goods, because if you are not, if you have too high of a water activity, then you are going to essentially have something that's going to be moldy, that's going to go bad very quickly. If you have too low water activity, you are going to have a product that's going to go stale, be brittle by the time it hits the shelves, or it just won't stay as fresh as long.

High heat applied to your products will affect your flavor, depending on what type of flavor that you're using. And by that, I mean, for powders, you have spray dried and you have plated. Plated tend to be more aromatic. You can still have good flavor. But from what I've seen is not as impactful. Spray dried is somewhat opposite. It's not as aromatic, but the flavor tends to last a little bit longer. The higher heat that you're introducing your product to, the more likely things are going to burn off from it. And by that I mean, you have vitamins in there, your vitamins are going to drop down. Your flavors potentially will have less flavor impact. It can drop the impact of the desired benefits of the product. So to overcome that, add overage: throw in a little bit extra flavor. Look at what your contents are for your claims, for your raws, your active ingredients. Try to understand what heat does to those before you get to that point.

It's important to choose the right flavor provider. Having someone like Sensapure, great example, is the fact that if you need something different, if you need changes, we are able to jump on to that quickly. We're able to provide that customer service and say, “I know that we gave you these three different flavors. We can combine these into one offer at a lower price.” If someone says, “I don't really like this flavor, I don't like the strawberry. Do you have something else?” You're going to have people who are going to have to reach out to other people like us to send them those flavors, whereas we can say, “You don't like that strawberry, that's fine. We have a variety of other ones. Do you want more fresh? Do you want more candied? Do you want it to be more green? Like, what kind of strawberry you wanting?” And we can create that. Looking at other flavor-providing companies: who do they have in-house? And by that, I mean what flavor chemists do they have? Do they have a flavor chemist at all? If not, I would highly recommend moving to one who does, because they will be able to provide that expertise, that service to you, of you can give them a product and say “I want it tastes just like this.” They have that ability, that training, that knowledge to then replicate that flavor. We have a team of scientists here who can help bridge that gap.

I'd say my one piece of advice is to be unique. Honestly, if you're a new brand and you're trying to create a memorable product that tastes great and boasts great benefits, make sure it tastes great. Sensory panels are a great option. Looking at what has been done, where the market is moving to, what is new and fun and exciting. I know as a consumer, as I walk through the grocery store, when I see something that is new, the flavor will always be the first thing I look at. And if it sounds interesting, more than likely I'll grab it off the shelf. Any other unpopular opinions? People just aren't willing to take risks with flavors. You can see what trends are coming, essentially. I mean, fall comes around and everybody wants pumpkin spice. It's summer so everybody wants grapefruit. You can look at the different seasons and know what flavors are coming. I think companies have a really great opportunity to spearhead what flavors they could create. Pumpkin spice was once that—it kind of became established as, like, the fall flavor, everybody was like, “I have to have it. I have to have it.” Being able to play around with what products you have, if you're able to, to create new flavors, will really excite your customer base and me, as a scientist who gets to flavor your stuff. Other than that, I would say if you're looking to start a new brand or new source, don't overdo your products. People just want something that they can look at, understand within a brief look and then run with it. Being able to supplement other nutritional values into your diet with more intensity is a fantastic and wonderful idea. Looking at trends, there is a large market for fiber intake to be included in a lot of different products. There's just not enough fiber included in people's diets. And I think it helps solve a lot of health concerns. I would love to see products that are like, “we have protein, we have fiber.” That is kind of a big miss in the industry right now. I also think that simplified ingredients...I've seen that trend of companies that are able to say “Here's our ingredient deck, and we're not hiding anything.” Right? Simple and clean natural label is a good way to go. Things I'm passionate about: honestly just being able to create any new products. If somebody comes in and says, “I have this new product and I want to try to get it launched,” that is exciting to me. We just had, a customer come in saying, “We have this new fermented protein we're able to do this, this and this.” I mean, they're claiming that it can be made on Mars, right? And so it's like a very clean, sustainable, source of protein. And so while it tasted terrible, it was so fun to be able to make it taste great and see the excitement that came with customers, of them just being able to say, “We love this. We're excited to show it.” What I love about R&D is just being able to create products and have other people fall in love with them. Just being able to take a product and just say, like, “I've worked on this,” and just be able to show that to people. Any new product that you want to take a risk on, we're happy to work with you on that, just because it's a lot of fun. Thank you for listening. I really appreciate your time. Hope to see you here at Sensapure soon.