Prova launches natural vanillin alternative Provanil-US7

The price of vanilla is expected to go higher due to supply shortages. Prova steps in with the launch of a new vanillin ingredient that falls within FDA labeling guidelines for ‘natural flavor.’

The ingredient is marketed as a natural alternative to synthetic vanillin, which is cheaper than vanilla pods or extract. It is an iteration of a product that has existed in Prova’s portfolio for many years, though the original is a combination of both artificial and natural vanillin.

“What we’ve been pushing here in the US is, ‘can we make something like this but using all natural vanillin?’” Bill Graham, vice president of sales North America at Prova, told FoodNavigator-USA. The answer to that question, according to Graham, is the launch of Provanil-US7. “It’s vanillin that’s been enrobed with oleoresin vanilla.”

Designed to withstand heat and high-fat items

According to the company, Provanil-US7 can better withstand high baking temperatures and high-fat systems. “The finer crystals that comprise Natural Provanil-US7 allow for a higher degree of dispersion, without pre-dilution, resulting in a better flavoring yield while improving fat solubility and contributing to better heat resistance,” Graham said.

Because vanillin comes from natural sources, this allows finished products to put ‘natural flavor’ on pack, catering to the rising tide of consumers steering clear from synthetic and artificial ingredients. But what motivated the development of Provanil wasn’t just clean label demand, it was also the short supply (and rising prices) of vanilla.

“We came out with this product as we started having a real crisis these past two years in vanilla,” Graham said, referring to the shortages of vanilla pods globally, further dwindled by a cyclone that hit Madagascar (the world’s second largest vanilla producer after Indonesia).

“Our technical team has brought together technology and affordability in Natural Provanil-US7, making it the ideal natural vanillin alternative for chocolate, compound coating, bakery, biscuit dough, fat fillings, cereals and other applications,” he added