News

Coca-Cola and Chromocell exploring new flavor options

December 12, 2010

The Coca-Cola Company and Chromocell Corporation have teamed up for an innovative sweetener technology collaboration. The partnership will include the identification and development of sweetness enhancers and natural sweeteners.

Chromocell, headquartered in North Brunswick, N.J., is a company that uses proprietary technologies to discover and develop new flavor ingredients for the food, beverage and ingredient supply industries.

Christian Kopfli, CEO of Chromocell, said the collaboration will specifically focus on zero and reduced-calorie beverages.

Under the terms of the agreement, The Coca-Cola Company will have worldwide, exclusive rights for the use of all flavors, sweeteners and sweetness enhancers in all non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink categories. In addition to research funding, Chromocell will receive royalty payments based on sales of products that contain technologies discovered during the partnership.

“Throughout our history we have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of beverage innovation, something we’ve been able to achieve by listening to our consumers and customers and pursuing the right choices with the very latest proprietary knowledge and technology to drive our research and development,” said Bilal Kaafarani, senior vice president of global research and innovation for The Coca-Cola Company. “This collaboration with Chromocell will help us build a robust pipeline of innovation across categories and sweetness options so we can deliver to our consumers a variety of great-tasting beverages.”

Chromocell’s Chromovert technology allows the testing of extracts and ingredients from fruits, herbs and vegetables for unique ingredients with desired taste qualities.

The Coca-Cola Company is no stranger to sweetness – or beverage – innovation,  launching Stevia extract in 2008. Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that is now used in more than 20 Coca-Cola products worldwide. The launch stemmed from a partnership with Cargill.

Coca-Cola has also expanded the rollout of its proprietary Freestyle dispenser, technology that distributes 106 flavor varieties, including derivatives on the classics; and continues to test its flexible tea brewer.