Single Source Satisfies Multiple Demands

Single Source Satisfies Multiple Demands

“Putting a meal on the table” has many meanings in today’s society, such as cooking from scratch, preparing a frozen dinner or box kit, heating a supermarket-made entrée, grabbing fast food or being served at a restaurant. Regardless of the meal source, consumers want consistent, high-quality foods, with flavor choices that range from familiar to innovative. Satisfying these multiple demands is simplified with flavor products from a single source, French’s Flavor Ingredients.

Specializing in savory products for meat and poultry applications, the company’s consumer-recognizable flavors consist of French’s® mustards, Frank’s® RedHot® sauces, Cattlemen’s® barbecue sauces and French’s® Worcestershire and Rochester sauces. “Our products can be adapted to fit each client’s flavor and processing needs,” says Kent Caplinger, director of ingredients. “In addition to helping with applications for our familiar profiles, we will develop unique flavors for signature menu and packaged items.” Flavor products can be customized for specific cooking conditions, application method (vacuum tumbling, dry seasoning, liquid glazing, etc.) and storage challenges (e.g., freeze/thaw cycles), as well as enhanced end-product appearance.

Both the customized and standard brands are offered in numerous package sizes, including institutional- sized totes and drums, back-of-house gallons, tabletop bottles and portion packs. This variety of sizes provides many advantages, ranging from efficient tanker delivery at the plant to easy-prep portion packs for package insertion. “With a package size to meet any need, processors and restaurant operators can improve the quality of upstream preparation and increase efficiency while delivering consistent, flavorful foods,” notes Caplinger. “For instance, a frozen meal containing a chicken breast topped with one of our popular barbecue sauces allows the consumer to quickly prepare a tasty meal. At the foodservice level, our signature products provide market- approved flavor profiles without time-consuming, made-from-scratch preparation in the kitchen. And by minimizing food handling, food safety improves.”

The company’s flavor and application expertise can be demonstrated with its diverse delivery of “Buffalo,” one of the top four flavors in American restaurants, according to Chain Account Menu Survey Inc., Wheaton, IL. French’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, similar to the original wing sauce from Buffalo, NY, is available in bag-inbox, drums, totes and tankers for traditional direct application. The same formula can be modified to improve functionality, such as minimizing flavor degradation in the freezer. Unique marinades are possible using the liquid or dry form, while batter and/or breading systems can be designed with enhanced flavor retention. Portion-controlled packets lend convenience to restaurants or retail meal kits.