COUNTRYSIDE, IL, June 28, 2022— Sokol Custom Food Ingredients, a family-owned company that has been developing custom food formulations for 125 years, recently highlighted a Certified Savory product line of Anchovy Products. These ingredients provide consistently superior, savory qualities that produce an unmistakable flavor burst that help manufacturers set their products apart from the competition.

Umami is used to describe the unmistakable delicious and meaty, mouthwateringly brothy taste of glutamates and nucleotides. It earned its status as a scientifically recognized taste sense in 1985, though it was first coined by Kikunae Ikeda in 1903. Today consumers are seeking out products full of flavor, making Sokol Anchovy Products a great alternative to boost flavor without high levels of sodium.

“Umami has been trending with consumers for a while now with no sign of slowing down,” said Shannon Pimmel, Marketing Manager, Sokol. “In fact, Kroger and the Food Institute have named umami as a trending profile for 2022. While the most classic example of anchovy applications is a Caesar salad dressing, these products can be used for numerous applications where umami is desired. We are also seeing increases in anchovies being used in home cooking, which in turn increases the demand for the flavor profile in food manufacturing.”

Sokol’s Certified Savory Anchovy Products are cured for one year to develop an excellent amino acid profile that provides a rich, full and delicious umami taste. Product offerings include:

• Fish Sauce-the main flavoring in Southeast Asian foods. Nam Pla and Nuoc Mam are commonly used in dipping sauces, appetizers, soups and entrees.

• Anchovy Paste-commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine and is a major component of the Caesar flavor profile. Anchovies used in Certified Savory anchovy products are cured for six months or more and have been selected for their savory qualities and minimal fishiness.

• Anchovy Powder-perfect for dry seasoning applications where anchovy is required. This product is freeze-dried fish sauce and has good paste-like flavor rendering. It offers all the umami taste of fish sauce without the volatile flavor and odor components.

“Sourcing of the raw material is paramount in supplying the highest quality finished Anchovy Products, that are delivered on-time and without interruption,” said Pimmel. “We have been supplying this product commercially for over 60 years. In that time, we have developed valuable, long term relationships with our suppliers. Through this experience we have gained expert technical knowledge of the process from beginning to end. Our work also includes a rarely issued patent for our formulations and flavor enhancement.”

Sokol Certified Savory Anchovy Products enhance the flavor system of foods, with benefits that include:

• Accentuates top notes and component flavors

• Improves flavor balance

• Provides clean brothy, meaty flavors

• Stabilizes the flavor system in extended shelf-life applications

• Helps reduce total sodium requirements

“Our experience in this category has also taught us that consumers like the savory, umami qualities of fermented fish, but don’t like the aromatic fishiness that sometimes comes with the product.,” said Pimmel. “Our Anchovy Products provide that memorable umami taste, without the fishiness because we have developed analytical tests that allow us to accurately quantify the key umami compounds. We carefully select only the finest fermented materials identified by those tests for further processing. Our state-of-the art oxygen barrier packaging prevents the formation of post-processing, oxidized fishy flavors in our Certified Savory Anchovy Products.”

Sokol offers a wide range of packaging options to fit customers’ needs for convenience and shelf life. They can also provide complete turnkey co-manufacturing solutions that ensure high-quality, consistent products. Services can include ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, inventory control, and shipping. They can also accommodate any need for Kosher, Halal, gluten-free, organic and non-GMO manufacturing.

Learn more about how Sokol Anchovy Products can bring out the best in your next product formulation here.

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About Sokol Custom Food Ingredients

Sokol Custom Food Ingredients is a family-owned company that has been developing custom food formulations for retail, industrial and foodservice industries worldwide for 125 years. Through a century of evolution and adaptation, Sokol, along with an impressive portfolio of retail and private label products such as Solo Foods retail brand, has evolved into a multifaceted food company focused on long-lasting strategic partnerships. Sokol’s team of formulation experts, quality ingredients, optimized production process, packaging solutions and dedicated customer service team give customers a unique experience and the ability to tap into current market trends and get to market quickly.