Making better nutrition taste better: Inside one of Glanbia's flavour innovation hubs
Glanbia is home to leading brands and high-quality ingredients that reach millions of consumers worldwide. By combining nutritional science, market insights and application expertise, we help customers develop products that deliver both health benefits and excellent consumer experiences. But even the most innovative ingredients need one essential quality to succeed: great taste. That's why flavour innovation plays such a critical role across Glanbia's global Innovation and Collaboration Centre network.
Located in Sharonville, Ohio, Glanbia's Innovation and Collaboration Centre, is home to Flavor Producers, a Glanbia company with decades of flavour expertise. Together, flavour applications specialists, flavour chemists and the company's unique sensory science team to help customers transform ideas into market-ready products. Working alongside Glanbia's premix experts, the team can support every stage of product development, from ingredient selection through to finished concepts that customers can experience, refine and ultimately launch.
"We're building products together from the beginning," says Alex Cahoon, Director of Flavor Applications, Sensory & Portfolio. "Our applications team works closely with premix to develop complete concepts, giving customers one place where they can develop both the nutritional profile and the flavour."
That collaboration becomes especially valuable as functional nutrition continues to expand into new categories. Consumers increasingly expect protein, hydration and other health benefits in everything from beverages to coffee creamers, chewing gum and even mints. Delivering those benefits successfully depends on creating products people genuinely enjoy consuming.
"Consumers may buy a product because of the nutrition claims on the label," says Alex. "But if it doesn't taste good, they won't buy it again."
One capability that sets Sharonville apart is its dedicated sensory science team. Rather than relying on opinion, sensory science applies structured consumer testing and statistical analysis to understand how products are experienced. The team measures whether people notice differences between products, which version they prefer and how they describe flavour attributes, providing customers with objective insights to support product development and marketing.
For example, a customer developing a functional, non-alcoholic cocktail might work with Glanbia to source ingredients, develop flavour concepts and then spend time onsite refining the product through collaborative tasting sessions. As recipes evolve, sensory testing helps validate flavour choices and ensures the finished product delivers the intended consumer experience.
Behind the scenes, innovation continues in the flavour laboratories. Glanbia's flavour chemists explore unique natural ingredients, such as trending flavour like ume plum, while also advancing research into flavour stability and ingredient interactions. Understanding how flavour compounds interact with proteins and other functional ingredients, or preventing delicate grape notes from breaking down over time, helps deliver better tasting products throughout their shelf life.
The team also continues a long-standing commitment to natural and organic flavours. Building on decades of expertise, Glanbia has developed a broad portfolio while also helping customers meet growing demand for cleaner, more transparent labels. Innovative botanical blends allow companies to communicate familiar ingredients on-pack while protecting proprietary flavour formulations.
As part of Glanbia's global Innovation and Collaboration Centre network, Sharonville works closely with colleagues across Glanbia to share knowledge, technical expertise and emerging insights. Exposure to different markets helps the team better understand how flavour preferences vary, strengthening its expertise and supporting future customer innovation.
By combining flavour science, sensory expertise and close collaboration with customers, Sharonville demonstrates how Glanbia's global innovation network is helping turn better nutrition into products consumers love to taste as much as they value their health benefits.