Viscosity is commonly measured and sought after in food formulations. It describes a product's resistance to flow, and how thick it appears on a spoon or how slowly it pours from a bottle. For food scientists, it can be quantified with tools like rheometers and viscometers, making it a go-to benchmark for product consistency.
While important, viscosity doesn’t tell the full sensory story. High viscosity might look indulgent and give the appearance of quality, but appearance alone doesn’t guarantee satisfaction.
Some high-viscosity products break down quickly in the mouth, leaving behind a watery sensation that falls short of consumer expectations. Or, they may have a chalky finish despite having an appropriate viscosity.
That’s where mouthfeel comes into play. To have a truly indulgent eating experience requires both proper viscosity and an appetizing mouthfeel.
Mouthfeel captures what viscosity alone cannot. It refers to the tactile sensations a product creates during consumption, from initial contact in the mouth to the finish. For example, it's the lingering creaminess you experience when eating full-fat dairy, and the roundness and richness that coats the tongue, signaling indulgence.
This is where many formulations fall short. A soup or sauce might look rich and creamy on the spoon, for example, but feel thin or gelatinous in the mouth. From a chemistry perspective, the difference comes down to how protein structures and ingredients interact with water and saliva. Starches, gums and milk proteins often form rigid gel networks that create initial thickness but collapse quickly during oral processing. As these networks break apart and combine with enzymes in the mouth, water is released, causing a thin or watery perception. Poor hydration can also leave undissolved protein that feels chalky or gritty.
In contrast, ingredients that mimic the emulsifying and fat-binding properties of full-fat dairy maintain a stable structure, coating the palate evenly and prolonging the sensation of creaminess.
Consumers aren’t able to describe it in technical terms, but they know it when they taste and feel it.
A product that starts thick and stays creamy throughout consumption signals indulgence and quality, even without added fat. Mouthfeel is especially critical in applications like yogurt, cream sauces, dips and dressings where the finish must deliver on the promise of visual texture.
Developers often rely on gums, starches and thickeners to improve texture and viscosity in creamy formulations. But ingredients like guar gum, modified corn starch and methylcellulose have fallen out of favor with clean-label consumers. And their performance in applications fails to match the real thing: full-fat dairy.
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Developers may also try to use commercial whey or milk proteins to improve texture in creamy formulations. The result is often disappointing. While these commercial ingredients may build viscosity as an alternative to artificial-sounding thickening agents, the gel structure that is formed breaks down quickly in the mouth and doesn’t have that satisfying, lingering creamy sensation.
Attempting to clean up labels using commodity whey protein concentrates (WPCs) or milk proteins without accounting for their fast breakdown or gritty texture when under-hydrated is a major challenge.
At Grande Custom Ingredients Group, we developed Grande Bravo® to perform differently. It delivers a full, creamy mouthfeel from first bite through finish. Bravo mimics the sensation of fat with a lasting, indulgent creaminess, without the added fat or stabilizers. It’s a natural fat mimetic.
Clean-label Grande Bravo is unlike commodity WPCs, enhancing both viscosity and mouthfeel. It supports a premium texture that doesn’t compromise label claims. It can partially replace full-fat cream or other dairy, and is used as an alternative to gums, emulsifiers, and modified starches.
A compelling case study further illustrates how Grande Bravo elevates mouthfeel and structural stability in clean‑label yogurts. A global manufacturer battling syneresis — pooling liquid atop cultured yogurt — sought a natural alternative to gums and starches while preserving sensory appeal.
At just 2–4% inclusion, Grande Bravo not only eliminated visible liquid separation but also enhanced gel integrity under shear, heat, and acidic conditions. Just as importantly, the reformulated yogurt delivered a lingering creaminess and indulgent mouthfeel without added fat or stabilizers.
The results were so significant that the brand redesigned its packaging to highlight "creamy texture" on the front label.
Read the Full Yogurt Reformulation Case Study
Today’s consumers expect both a clean label and a satisfying eating experience. Grande Bravo makes it possible to deliver both. For cheesy applications, our Grande Gusto can do the same. If your current creamy formulation looks great but lacks an indulgent mouthfeel, it’s time to explore a new approach.
Grande’s R&D team partners closely with formulators to solve texture challenges and optimize for processing conditions. We offer formulation guidance, pilot batch support and product samples to help you get to market faster, with a product that’s thick, creamy, and clean-label approved.
Make Your Formulation Creamier. Cleaner. Better.
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