FDBusiness.com

Building on its long-term partnership with the University of California, Riverside (UCR), Givaudan is launching a multi-sensorial virtual reality tool for citrus beverage applications. Combining sight, sound and smell, this truly surprising experience enables customers to learn about the citrus market landscape and co-create their own flavours.

Imagine strolling through UCR’s Citrus Variety Collection, stopping to learn about unique varieties, enjoying their delicious scents and creating a new, personalised citrus flavour, all from the comfort of one’s own office. Users of Givaudan’s Virtual TasteTrek® Citrus tool will be able to do just that. Created from the combination of 360° virtual reality videos and Givaudan’s proprietary Virtual Aroma Synthesizer® (VAS) technology, Virtual TasteTrek® Citrus is a revolutionary tool with both educational and inspirational applications.

The experience takes users through a virtual tour of UCR’s extensive Citrus Variety Collection. With a large selection of educational content available at their fingertips, users can explore the groves while developing their expertise on various topics, such as the origins of citrus, its different varieties and sensory attributes, or the challenges faced by the citrus market.

Beyond education, Virtual TasteTrek® Citrus is also about sparking inspiration: during the experience, users can sample selected flavours, increase or decrease key notes and start co-creating their own flavours. The ability to provide the virtual grove experience while engaging the users’ olfactory senses and their own creativity makes this technology one-of-a-kind.

“Experiencing first-hand some of the unique and surprising aroma profiles the fruits have to offer helps our customers unleash their creativity,” says Dawn Streich, Global Product Manager for Citrus at Givaudan. “Commercialising on-trend beverages with increasingly shorter time-to-market is a challenge that every manufacturer must face. By combining Givaudan’s knowledge on more than 250 citrus varieties with the latest digitalisation technology, Virtual TasteTrek® Citrus helps create beverages that stand out on the market, in a shorter time frame.”

Virtual TasteTrek® Citrus is part of Givaudan’s Flavours’ TasteTrek® programme which aims to discover ingredients and varietals never before used in flavour creation. Givaudan’s partnership with UCR has made it possible to research and analyse rare and non-commercial varieties, which, combined with a creative approach to citrus, delivers fantastic insight for customers.