Quality Assurance:
What quality control measures are in place to ensure consistent and reliable flavours?
Hedessent.ca takes great pride in producing high-quality flavours and we ensure that every single batch is analyzed to conform to our standards within a tight tolerance. This analysis is performed at every point along the way from our raw materials to our finished product and is monitored through our extensive HACCP Plan.
Regulatory Compliance:
Are the flavouring products compliant with relevant foodsafety regulations and industry standards?
Absolutely. Hedessent.ca operates through a HACCP/GMP/ISO 9001:2015 certified facility and maintains all manufacturing areas free of allergenic materials. We are also licensed and compliant with SFCR through the CFIA. Our flavours are manufactured using FEMA GRAS synthetic raw materials, natural flavour materials and/or food-grade essential oils.
Hedessent.ca flavours are free of the following common allergenic compounds:
• Crustaceans and molluscs
• Eggs
• Fish
• Gluten
• Milk
• Mustard
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soy
• Sulphites
• Tree Nuts
• Wheat and Triticale
Furthermore, our products do not contain any ingredients of animal origin, ethanol, high intensity sweeteners, or bulk sweeteners, mono sodium glutamate (MSG) nor are products made with any genetically modified organisms (GMOs). No Hedessent.ca products have been subject to animal testing by or on behalf of the company.
Supply Chain Stability:
How robust is the supply chain for sourcing raw materials, and what measures are in place to ensure continuity of supply?
We ensure a consistent and reliable supply chain through our qualified vendors list, which is ever-growing and evaluated annually. Suppliers go through extensive qualification criteria before onboarding and we are constantly expanding our potential sources looking for the highest quality materials available.
Technical Support:
What level of technical assistance is available for product development, formulation, and troubleshooting?
Providing technical support is central to our mission. As your partners in development, we’re committed to offering comprehensive assistance regardless of our relationship status. Whether you’re a new client or a long-standing partner, expect consistent support at every stage. We understand the complexities of development and aim to ensure you have the necessary ingredients for testing. Additionally, our team is readily available to address any inquiries or challenges you encounter along the way.
Pricing and Terms:
Wondering about our pricing, minimum orders, and payment terms?
Pricing
Our pricing is tailored to each flavour to ensure accuracy and fairness. If you are interested in pricing on specific flavours click here to submit your pricing request or contact orders@hedessent.ca and a member of our team will promptly follow up with you.
We offer volume pricing based on kilograms. Minimum order quantities for new or custom flavours may vary.
Ordering
Once your commercial account is approved, you’ll gain access to your personalized portal on our website, streamlining the ordering process. As our partnership flourishes and we gain insight into your inventory needs, we’ll collaborate closely with you to facilitate seamless reordering and restocking, ensuring your flavours are always accessible.
Payment
We accept both credit card and ACH payments, and all orders require full payment before product release. For any inquiries about your order or assistance with placing one, please reach out to us at orders@hedessent.ca.
We currently ship anywhere in Canada and the United States.
We do our best to get your order out as quickly as possible. Shipping times may vary depending on your location, time of year, and chosen method of shipping. Our estimated time of arrival is approximately 5 -12 business days. Once your order is shipped, you will receive a tracking number, so you can easily monitor delivery.
We are located in Ontario, Canada, and all of our small-batch flavours are manufactured on-site in an HACCP/GMP/ISO 9001:2015 certified facility free of allergenic materials.
Our products are best used within two years of the date of manufacture, which is printed on every bottle.
Our products do not contain proteins, fats, or carbohydrates in quantities that would provide any caloric or nutritional value in a standard serving and are exempt from the Nutrition Facts Table and Labeling Requirements. Click here for more information about our ingredients.
All of our flavours are manufactured using FEMA GRAS synthetic flavour materials and/or food grade essential oils. Our flavours may contain pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol, water, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or triacetin. Ingredients vary per flavour, depending on whether they are oil or water soluble. Our products do not contain:
- any ingredients of animal origin
- Ethanol
- high intensity sweeteners or bulk sweeteners
- monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
And are free of the following common allergenic compounds:
- Crustaceans and molluscs
- Eggs
- Fish
- Gluten
- Milk
- Mustard
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soy
- Sulphites
- Tree Nuts
- Wheat and Triticale
Understanding Flavour
We live in a day and age where we’ve been conditioned to believe that “artificial” means “bad.” There’s a lot of scientific evidence we could say in response to that.
But the simple truth is there is no real difference between natural and artificial flavours, except for the origin of the components that make up the flavourings. In fact, there are several scientific reports that argue artificial food flavours are safer, due to the regulation and testing they go through before they can be consumed – not to mention the environmental benefits.
There are many reasons why artificial flavourings may even be preferred over the natural alternative. Sustainability, ensuring the flavours remain vegan-friendly are two main reasons. In a lot of cases, it’s due to cost and availability. Geographic location, farming, weather conditions, and transport to the point of sale can make the cost to acquire ingredients too high and unaffordable for the vast majority. And other times, it becomes an environmental issue. For example, natural coconut, which can only be sourced from one type of tree that grows only in Malaysia. The equipment, manpower, and drain on natural resources make it environmentally irresponsible to pursue large quantities of naturally-derived coconut flavouring. This is of course, just one example.
We recognize the market for “natural” is on the rise, and we do offer natural flavours when it makes sense to do so and they can be sourced responsibly. But if they can’t, rest assured that the product you receive from us is identical in composition to its natural counterpart.
Salts such as sodium chloride (NaCl), trigger taste cells when sodium ions (Na+) enter through ion channels on microvilli at the cell’s apical, or top, surface. The accumulation of sodium ions causes an electrochemical change called depolarization that results in calcium ions (Ca++) entering the cell. The calcium, in turn, prompts the cell to release chemical signals called neurotransmitters from packets known as vesicles. Nerve cells, or neurons, receive the message and convey a signal to the brain. Taste cells repolarize, or “reset,” themselves in part by opening potassium ion channels so that potassium ions (K+) can exit.
Acids taste sour, because they generate hydrogen ions (H+) in solution. Those ions act on a taste cell in three ways: by directly entering the cell; by blocking potassium ion (K+) channels on the microvilli; and by binding to and opening channels on the microvilli that allow other positive ions to enter the cell. The resulting accumulation of positive charges depolarizes the cell and leads to neurotransmitter release.
Sweet stimuli, such as sugar or artificial sweeteners, do not enter taste cells but trigger changes within the cells. They bind to receptors on a taste cell’s surface that are coupled to molecules named G-proteins. This prompts the subunits (a, b, and g) of the G-proteins to split into a and bg, which activates a nearby enzyme. The enzyme then converts a precursor within the cell into so-called second messengers that close potassium channels indirectly. Just as important as ingesting the appropriate nutrients is not ingesting harmful substances. The universal avoidance of intensely bitter molecules shows a strong link between taste and disgust. Toxic compounds, such as strychnine and other common plant alkaloids, often have a strong, bitter taste. In fact, many plants have evolved such compounds as a protective mechanism against foraging animals. The sour taste of spoiled foods also contributes to their avoidance. All animals, including humans, generally reject acids and bitter-tasting substances at all but the weakest concentrations. The intense reactions of pleasure and disgust evoked by sweet and bitter substances appear to be present at birth and to depend on neural connections within the lower brain stem.
The strong link between taste and pleasure—or perhaps displeasure—is the basis of the phenomenon of taste-aversion learning. Animals, including humans, will quickly learn to avoid a novel food if eating it causes, or is paired with, gastrointestinal distress.