IN Brief:
- Biospringer by Lesaffre has acquired ModuMax taste modulation technology from dsm-firmenich.
- The portfolio targets bitterness, off-notes and mouthfeel in high-protein drinks, plant-based alternatives and reduced-sugar products.
- Biospringer plans to integrate ModuMax into its global research, applications and commercial network.
Biospringer by Lesaffre has acquired the ModuMax taste modulation technology portfolio from dsm-firmenich, expanding its ingredient offering for food and beverage manufacturers reformulating products with more protein, less sugar or lower fat content. The technology will be incorporated into Biospringer’s global application and research network, alongside its established yeast-derived ingredients. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
ModuMax is designed to reduce bitterness, astringency and unwanted flavour notes while improving sensations such as body and creaminess. Biospringer identifies high-protein beverages, plant-based milk alternatives, reduced-sugar drinks and lower-fat dairy alternatives among the intended applications. In each case, changing the composition of the product can also change its taste and physical characteristics, so meeting a nutrition target involves more than replacing a single ingredient.
Concentrating protein in a drink may change viscosity, flavour release and aftertaste, while plant proteins can contribute characteristic notes that remain perceptible after sweetening. Sugar reduction alters sweetness and the balance between acidity and bitterness. Removing fat can affect mouth-coating behaviour and perceived fullness. A modulation ingredient is used within that wider formulation system to adjust how these characteristics are experienced in the finished food or beverage.
Biospringer already supplies yeast-derived ingredients used to develop savoury depth, umami and kokumi characteristics. Umami contributes a recognisable savoury taste, while kokumi is commonly used to describe the impression of continuity, fullness and depth created by certain compounds in a flavour system. The company expects ModuMax’s modulation functions to complement those properties, allowing its formulation teams to approach background notes and mouthfeel alongside the main flavour profile.
Flavour addition and taste modulation perform different tasks during recipe development. A fruit or dairy flavour can establish the intended character of a beverage, while bitterness from the protein base or reduced creaminess from fat removal may still affect the result. ModuMax is intended to modify those underlying sensations, complementing the umami and kokumi characteristics of Biospringer’s existing yeast-derived ingredients. The combination needs to be assessed in the complete recipe rather than as isolated ingredients in water.
Acidity, heat treatment and interactions among proteins, stabilisers and sweeteners all affect the result. After laboratory screening, developers must test mixing, homogenisation, thermal processing, filling and storage to establish whether the desired flavour and texture remain stable. Serving temperature and shelf life can change sensory performance as well. Specific dosing and performance will therefore be established through trials for each formulation, using the manufacturer’s intended ingredients and processing conditions.
Biospringer will integrate ModuMax into its go-to-market organisation and global research and applications network. Its teams can then evaluate the acquired modulation technology alongside yeast extracts in customer development programmes, including recipes where multiple undesirable notes need to be controlled at once. The transaction broadens the company’s formulation and technical-service portfolio; the operational work will centre on applications testing, ingredient selection and transferring suitable recipes into existing production processes.
Lesaffre has previously acquired ingredients activities from dsm-firmenich. In October 2024 it completed the purchase of the latter’s yeast extract business, adding savoury ingredients and associated know-how. ModuMax is a separate acquisition, extending the range into sensory modulation. Biospringer’s Nordic distribution arrangements serve another function again, bringing existing products to customers through local channels rather than transferring ownership of an ingredient technology.
A high-protein beverage may require controls for sedimentation, stability and changes in taste after storage, in addition to its nutrient specification. Reduced-sugar drinks need appropriate sweetness and acidity balance throughout shelf life. Plant-based dairy alternatives can be particularly sensitive to the interactions between flavours, fat substitutes and stabilisers. Formulators will need to examine these properties alongside the effect of ModuMax so that an improvement in one sensory characteristic does not create a processing or quality problem elsewhere in the recipe. Sensory screening can be paired with viscosity measurement and sediment checks during shelf life studies, allowing a processor to detect whether adjusting taste also affects physical stability. Scale-up then requires a specification for the modulation ingredient, including its dosing and incorporation point, so that test-batch performance can be reproduced on the production line.
Biospringer’s acquisition puts ModuMax alongside its existing yeast-extract portfolio within customer research and application work. Initial reformulation trials can establish combinations suitable for high-protein, plant-based and reduced-sugar products. The next production decisions will depend on measured taste performance, ingredient compatibility and stability after the actual mixing, heat treatment, packaging and storage conditions used by each food manufacturer.
