Custom Natural Flavour Development
Brief to commercial. Our flavourists work the bench in Queensland, tuned to Australian and New Zealand palates and the brands you are building. Liquid and powder formats.
Natural Flavour SupplierNatural flavours,
Natural flavours,
made in Australia.
VKA® Australia has been crafting flavours since 1998. We are an Australian flavour house in Southport, Queensland. We develop and supply natural flavours to food and beverage makers across Australia and New Zealand. Samples and applications work in Southport, with AU/NZ regulatory and labelling support.
What "Natural Flavour" Actually Means
The plain reading, under Australian and New Zealand food law.
Most of what gets written about natural flavours online is US-style guidance. Here is how it really sits in Australia and New Zealand.
The Code names "flavour", not "natural".
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, a flavouring substance can be declared as 'flavour' or 'flavouring' under s 1.2.4—7(4). The Code does not separately define or restrict the term "natural" for flavours.
Natural, nature-identical and artificial are industry terms.
Natural, nature-identical and artificial are trade terms. The Code does not define them; on the label all three are declared as 'flavour' or 'flavouring'.
The ACCC polices "natural" on the front of pack.
Saying a finished product or a flavour is "natural" is a representation under the Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC expects the claim to be true, accurate and able to be supported. We treat any "natural" wording on a product spec or label the same way: back it with the formulation, not the marketing copy.
Sources: foodstandards.gov.au (FSANZ), legislation.gov.au (Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code), accc.gov.au.
What We Supply
Custom natural flavours, the way you actually order in Australia.
We are a B2B supplier. Your NPD or procurement team sends the brief; samples and supply come back to you from our team in Southport.
Application Support
Beverages, dairy, bakery, confectionery and savoury. We trial each flavour in the application so it holds up through your process, your pack and on shelf.
Developed and Made in Southport
Manufacturing sits alongside R&D in Southport, Queensland. Lab, applications and production in one site, so the people who made the flavour are close to the people who pack it.
Samples Despatched from Southport
Samples picked, packed and despatched from Southport. We aim to come back inside one business day with a fit read, then ship from here.
Why Source from Southport
An Australian supplier, from brief to shelf.
Flavours made and stock held in Southport, Queensland.
Shorter Lead Times
Flavours made in Southport, with samples and production running on Australian lead times.
AU and NZ Technical Support
Our technical team is reachable by phone in Australian business hours. When your QA needs to talk to ours, the call connects.
AU/NZ Regulatory Fit
Specifications, allergen information and labelling guidance written for the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, not retro-fitted from a US or EU base.
Supply Continuity
Stock held and flavours made in Southport, Queensland.
Where Our Flavours Go
Across the categories you ship in Australia and New Zealand.
We work across the categories that move on AU and NZ shelves. Each application page goes into the specifics.
Beverages
Soft drinks, juice blends, RTDs, dairy drinks, plant-based beverages and functional formats.
Snacks
Seasonings and topical flavours for extruded snacks, chips and crackers, plus inclusions for bakery snacks.
Dairy, Bakery, Confectionery and More
Custom briefs across dairy, bakery and confectionery. Tell us the application; we'll talk specifics.
Frequently Asked
Questions you are likely to ask first.
Straight answers to the questions that come up before the first sample request.
Do you make natural flavours in Australia?
Yes. We develop and blend flavours in Southport, Queensland. Our R&D, applications lab and manufacturing sit on the one site. The team is here, the samples are made here, and the supply ships from here.
How do I request a sample?
Start at our /contact page or email our team with the application, the target profile and any constraints (label position, allergen profile, format). We aim to come back inside one business day with a fit read.
What is your minimum order quantity?
Minimums depend on the flavour, the format (liquid or powder) and the application. We are set up to support you at small commercial volumes in AU and NZ, not just very large orders. Send us the brief and we will quote on the actual job.
Which categories do you supply?
Beverages, dairy, bakery, confectionery, snacks and savoury. See /solutions for the per-category detail and /capabilities for how we develop and trial each flavour in the application.
Are your flavours suitable for AU/NZ labelling?
Yes. Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, a flavouring substance can be declared as 'flavour' or 'flavouring' under s 1.2.4—7(4). We provide specifications, allergen information and labelling guidance written for the Code, and our technical team works through any specific claim wording with your QA.
Is a "natural flavour" a legally defined term in Australia?
No. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code does not separately define "natural" flavour. The Australian Consumer Law, enforced by the ACCC, still requires any "natural" representation on a label or in advertising to be true, accurate and able to be supported.
How quickly can you turn a brief around?
First fit read and sample direction usually inside one business day. First samples in the lab depend on the brief, but a typical custom development cycle runs through brief, creation, application trial and refinement. We'll give you a real timing read once we have the brief in front of us.
Do you supply to New Zealand?
Yes. We supply across both Australia and New Zealand. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code applies in both countries; FSANZ develops the standards and state, territory and New Zealand agencies enforce them.
Can you work to a specific allergen, kosher or halal profile?
Tell us the profile up front. We will set out what we can build to today.
How long have you been operating in Australia?
VKA Australia began operating in 1998. We develop and supply flavours from our Southport, Queensland site. R&D, applications work and manufacturing all sit on the one site.
Bring Us A BriefBring us a brief.
Bring us a brief.
We'll come back with a direction.
Tell us the application, the target profile and any constraints. We'll come back inside one business day with a fit read, from our team in Southport.