Less is more
Emmi Caffè Latte is our best known and most successful product. It has become the benchmark in its category since its launch 15 years ago, which is why the recipes have to date been left basically untouched. But now the time is ripe: many Emmi Caffè Latte products are now made without additives. That’s quite a milestone.
Until now, these ingredients were considered indispensable – specifically the stabilising agent sodium phosphate and the thickening agent carrageen. These additives ensure that the (alkaline) milk does not curdle in the (acidic) coffee and that the drink has a pleasantly creamy mouthfeel.
There have been major developments in production technology during the 15 years since Emmi Caffè Latte was launched. As a result, we identified an opportunity to manufacture our Emmi Caffè Latte without additives, but without significantly changing the taste or consistency. The road to “naturalness” was far from simple, however.
“We’d been testing different processes, temperatures and milks for months.“
A delicate mission
We are very satisfied with the new Emmi Caffè Latte products. However, we have decided not to make a big deal out of the new recipes. “You don’t just taste with your tongue; you taste with your head,” says Suzan Durgut, Global Marketing Manager and responsible for the ongoing development of Emmi Caffè Latte, outlining the main reason for this caution. In blind tastings, consumers didn’t notice any significant difference between the new and old products. However, they became sceptical as soon as they were told about a change to the recipe.
Positive experiences in Spain
In Spain, we made the switch to the new recipe back at the start of the year, which is why the label “100 % ingredientes naturales” can be seen on many Kaiku Caffè Latte lines.
"We’ve received hardly any comments since the change, which makes us very happy,” says developer Matthias Haldimann. Since October, “100 % natural ingredients” has also featured on many Emmi Caffè Latte products in the rest of the world, including Switzerland.
Why don’t they all bear this label?
The Balance and Protein varieties do not bear the label because they contain artificial sweeteners. In addition, it is unfortunately not yet possible to manufacture the almond-based vegan Emmi Caffè Drink without additives.
