Behind the Scenes of Taste Modulation: Three Greater Asia Experts

Inside the stories, science and sensory instincts shaping salt, sweet and umami modulation. 

When consumers take their first sip of a beverage or bite of a snack, they instantly know whether it feels balanced — whether the sweetness is just right, whether bitterness is under control, whether savory depth really lasts. What they don’t see are the hours of scientific tuning, creative experimentation and cross-functional collaboration required to make those experiences feel effortless. 

That invisible work is the art of taste modulation, and across Greater Asia, three IFF flavorists are helping redefine what’s possible. From salt and sweet to umami, each brings a unique perspective shaped by culture, memory and technical mastery. 

Go behind the scenes of modulation with us and Xuess Wee, Marilyn Voon and Richard Cai — three experts advancing the future of modulation, one sensory detail at a time. 

Xuess Wee
Principal Flavorist, Savory Creation — Greater Asia

Q&A WITH XUESS 

Is there a flavor that reminds you of your childhood? 
“The aroma of freshly baked bread.” 

Growing up near a family-run bakery in Singapore, Xuess woke each morning to the warm caramelic scent drifting across the river. That simple, comforting aroma remains one of his earliest lessons in how deeply flavor connects to emotion. 

What’s the most unlikely inspiration you’ve ever received? 
“Revenge.” 

During a collaboration with Singapore’s Tippling Club for the Dreams & Desires cocktail menu, a bartender remarked that “blood is umami.” That single comment sparked Xuess’s now-iconic flavor interpretation of Revenge: a metallic, umami-forward note designed with IFF’s umami modulators. 

A flavor you personally love but wouldn’t pitch commercially and why? 
“The flavor of an ocean in deep, dark turbulence.” 

To Xuess, the air surrounding a stormy sea has a raw, powerful sensory imprint — saline, roaring, emotional. Beautiful in concept, he says, but far too intense for commercial application. 

Which would you rather live without — salt or sugar? 
Unsweetened drinks are fine with him; unsalted food is not.  

“I’d rather live without sugar — I am savory in and out. Food without salt steals the pure, hedonistic joy of eating.” 

How does this connect to customer needs? 
Salt reduction is one of Greater Asia’s most urgent challenges — especially where instant noodles serve as a staple meal rather than a snack.  

“In some homes, seasoning sachets become soup for the family,” Xuess notes. “That soup cannot be bland.” 

Through sodium-modulation workshops, he helps customers lower sodium without sacrificing comfort or impact. 

Marilyn Voon 
Flavorist, Sweet Creation — Greater Asia

Q&A WITH MARILYN 

Is there a flavor that reminds you of your childhood? 

“Biscuit dipped in Milo.” 

She remembers timing the dip perfectly — waiting for the biscuit to soften without collapsing.  

“It was messy, but it always tasted like home.” 

What’s one thing people often misunderstand about flavor? 

“Flavor is so much more than taste.” 

Marilyn points out that grape candy and fresh grapes both signal “grape,” yet the experiences feel nothing alike: “Flavor is aroma, texture, expectation and memory — it’s a whole story, not just a molecule.” 

What flavor do you personally love but wouldn’t pitch commercially? 

“Kacang ma, my grandmother’s Hakka dish.” 

Heritage-rich, herbal, slightly bitter and layered with ginger, sesame oil and rice wine, kacang ma holds deep personal meaning.  

“But it’s polarizing and wouldn’t fit mainstream applications.” 

Which would you rather live without — salt or sugar? 

“A world without sugar.” 

Working in sweet modulation, Marilyn sees sugar reduction as an invitation to innovate.  

“We can rebuild sweetness in so many ways — balance, mask, enhance and restore mouthfeel. Removing sugar pushes creativity.” 

What’s your favorite “aha” moment in sweet modulation? 

“When a small adjustment changes the entire perception.” 

Suppressing a minor off-note or adjusting mouthfeel can make a reduced-sugar product suddenly feel complete.  

“It’s like unlocking what the product always wanted to be.” 

Richard Cai 
Principal Flavorist, Savory Creation — Greater Asia

Q&A WITH RICHARD 

If your favorite flavor were a movie character, what scene would they star in? 

“Double-boiled chicken broth with a touch of wok-hei.”

For Richard, it’s the quiet co-star in a midnight hawker-stall scene—wok fire flaring, scallions popping, soy hitting the pan—followed by a clear, comforting broth.  

“Hook with top notes, hold with depth, finish with comfort.” 

Is there a flavor that reminds you of your childhood? 

“Shanghai tomato-egg noodles with pork lard.” 

Bright tomato, crispy-egg aroma, savory pork-lard warmth, browning depth and kokumi roundness all play a role: “It’s a simple dish, but serious modulation.” 

What do people misunderstand about flavorists? 

“We don’t just ‘add flavor.’” 

Heat, pH, fat, starch, protein and storage all distort flavor. Richard partners with design teams to tune aroma headspace, align with basic tastes and release curves, so flavors survive real-world processing and scale. 

Has a flavor you created ever felt like a breakthrough? 

“The Umami Toolbox.” 

Richard developed a modular system balancing glutamate, nucleotides, amino acids, kokumi and fat impact—delivering full umami while enabling significant MSG (monosodium glutamate) and I+G (inosinate and guanylate) reduction. It adapts across markets and has been commercialized regionally and globally. 

What inspires your approach to umami? 

“Travel, cooking and watching how people eat.” 

Street food, home kitchens and regional variations offer endless insight.  

“Umami isn’t one idea —it’s culture, heat, technique and ingredients working together.” 

What makes a savory system truly successful? 

“When it performs the same in the factory as it did on the bench.” 

For Richard, consistency is the true test: “A system isn’t complete until it holds up under real conditions.” 

Behind Every Great Bite, There’s Taste Modulation 

Salt, sweet and umami may sit in different corners of the taste spectrum, but for these three flavorists, the mission is the same: shape products that feel balanced, satisfying and emotionally resonant. 

Their stories reveal the human craft behind the science — rooted in memory, culture, curiosity and technical excellence. And though modulation often happens behind the scenes, it’s what ensures every sip and bite delivers exactly the experience consumers expect. 
 

At IFF, flavor isn’t just created. It’s tuned, refined and transformed.
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT TASTE MODULATION

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