Fresh Flavour Standard

The FlavorActiV Fresh Flavour Standard replicates the aroma, taste, and mouthfeel of fresh green vegetation using encapsulated flavour compounds. When released into a neutral liquid, it creates a controlled reference point for:

– Sensory panel training
– Off-flavour detection
– Product calibration
– Beverage quality assurance

It is especially valuable in non-alcoholic beverages, where fresh off-flavours commonly originate from water contamination.
 

WHAT IS FRESH FLAVOUR?

Fresh flavour is a green aromatic profile commonly associated with:
– Newly cut grass
– Leafy plants
– Crushed green vegetation

It is typically described as:
– Sweet
– Pungent
– Green
– Herbaceous

In controlled amounts, freshness can be perceived as positive. However, when excessive or unintended, it becomes an off-flavour defect, particularly in beverages.
 

WHAT CAUSES FRESH OFF-FLAVOUR?

The most common cause of fresh off-flavour in non-alcoholic beverages is:

– Water contamination with vegetation
– Plant matter entering water systems
– Organic residues during processing

These contaminants release green aromatic compounds that result in unintended fresh, grassy notes, leading to product rejection or inconsistency.
 

USING THE FRESH FLAVOUR STANDARD FOR SENSORY TRAINING

Sensory professionals use the Fresh Flavour Standard to:

– Train tasters to identify fresh flavour defects
– Calibrate panels with a consistent flavour reference
– Improve detection thresholds for green aromatics
– Establish acceptable vs. unacceptable freshness levels in beverages

This ensures panel accuracy, repeatability, and product consistency across production batches.
 

HOW TO RECOGNISE FRESH FLAVOUR: SENSORY TERMS

Standard descriptive sensory terms include:

– Leaf trimmings
– Mowed lawn
– Crushed green leaves
– Fresh grass
– Green vegetation

These descriptors align with the WCR Sensory Lexicon, ensuring consistent use of sensory language.
 

WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATIONS OF THE FRESH FLAVOUR STANDARD?

The Fresh Flavour Standard serves multiple professional applications:

– Beverage quality control teams use it to detect and assess unwanted fresh off-flavours linked to water contamination, ensuring flavour consistency and preventing grassy or vegetal defects from reaching consumers.
– Water treatment and bottling specialists rely on it to monitor how source water quality, filtration efficiency, and storage conditions affect final product taste, particularly in bottled and purified water.
– Soft drink and functional beverage manufacturers use it to verify that clean, neutral flavour profiles are maintained and that plant-derived contamination does not compromise product integrity.
– Product development and R&D teams use it during formulation trials to understand how fresh, green notes interact with flavour systems and to prevent unintended vegetal characteristics during scale-up.
– Sensory analysts and professional training coordinators apply it in structured sensory training programmes to build detection accuracy, align panel performance, and support ongoing calibration across production sites.
 

OTHER INFORMATION

The Fresh Flavour Standard helps train tasters to balance sweet and pungent flavours. Its encapsulated compounds also aid in beverage quality control.

FlavorActiV refers to Fresh as Freshly Cut Grass.