To help food manufacturers respond to growing consumer demand for authentic local flavours across processed foods, Freddy Hirsch Nigeria has introduced a new flavour platform that can be applied across multiple food categories while maintaining a consistent taste profile.

The company said the innovation is aimed at supporting manufacturers and quick service restaurant operators in developing products that deliver familiar local flavours across applications such as noodles, sauces, pasta, marinades, snacks and ready meals.

Unveiled at the company’s Everything Smoky Jollof industry event, the Smoky Jollof flavour system was demonstrated to food manufacturers, FMCG brands, procurement professionals and product development experts as a solution that combines flavour consistency with commercial scalability.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Freddy Hirsch Nigeria, Kojo Brifo, said the flavour system was developed to preserve the smoky taste and aroma associated with homemade jollof rice while making it suitable for industrial food production.

According to him, the company sought to bridge the gap between homemade cooking and commercially manufactured food by developing a flavour profile tailored to the preferences of African consumers.

“The idea was to preserve the authentic smoky jollof experience many Nigerians grew up with and make it commercially viable without losing its identity,” he said.

Brifo said the company also increased local sourcing of spices following the supply chain disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that ingredients such as chilli, turmeric and onion sourced locally not only strengthen supply chain resilience, but also better match Nigerian consumers’ taste preferences.

He added that Freddy Hirsch operates as a business-to-business company, supplying flavour systems to manufacturers and food service operators rather than directly to consumers, while local production enables customers to buy in naira, reduces foreign exchange exposure and shortens delivery timelines.

Head of Product Development and Ingredients at Freddy Hirsch Nigeria, Aishat Lamidi, said developing the flavour system required addressing the different technical requirements of various food applications while ensuring the flavour retained its identity and delivered consistent performance.

She said the objective was to provide manufacturers with a solution that combines authenticity, versatility and reliability across product categories.