Nuritas, a global leader in AI-based peptide discovery, announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Givaudan, a global leader in Taste & Wellbeing. Together, the companies aim to revolutionise food system solutions by leveraging AI-discovered peptides found in natural plant resources and advance their shared commitment to improve the lives of people worldwide.
“In forging this groundbreaking collaboration with Givaudan, we were meticulous and intentional in identifying the ideal company to work with,” said Dr. Nora Khaldi, CEO of Nuritas. “We look forward to employing our AI Magnifier technology to identify new, natural peptide solutions that will undoubtedly advance flavor and taste innovations by Givaudan.”
Fabio Campanile, Head of Taste & Wellbeing Science & Technology at Givaudan added, “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our collective mission to address the desires and expectations of consumers around the world that are constantly changing. We strongly believe that working together with Nuritas will help to advance ingredient innovation in the short term.”
“Nuritas is excited to collaborate with Givaudan on this transformative venture,” “said Neil Foster, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Nuritas. “We look forward to igniting systemic change within this industry with our combined expertise and efforts.”
This announcement underscores the power of collaboration between industry leaders with shared values to positively impact the industry. Collaborative efforts are currently underway with additional details and project updates to be announced at a later date.
Collaboration will unlock food emotions and offer a new window into the consumer mind
Givaudan announced an agreement with neuroscience company Thimus, the developer of the exclusive TBox platform that provides an integrated collection of explicit and implicit data for exploring how humans experience food. Givaudan’s collaboration with Thimus is the first extensive use of the TBox platform in the world of food, resulting in Givaudan’s new programme, Food Emotions powered by Thimus. The agreement adds to Givaudan’s growing set of digital capabilities designed to deliver unique consumer insights and shape the future of food.
Food products are being redesigned to meet new expectations and sustainability, health, quality and emotion are crucial considerations in this re-invention. Understanding and responding to consumer preferences has never been more important, but there’s often a gap between what consumers say and their actual experience and behaviour. Neuroscience may be the key to closing that gap. A portable tool developed by Thimus is used to gain a fuller understanding of the consumer experience.
In addition to only having consumers participate in a focus group or answer a questionnaire, Thimus’ TBox provides participants with a headset to wear during taste tests.
The headset records brain signals, which are then processed by validated algorithms to measure four key mental states including frontal asymmetry, engagement, cognitive workload and relaxation.
Using proprietary software and a cloud-based database for data analysis and retrieval, the tool is able to deliver insights that were previously unavailable or unreliable.
Givaudan has used the Thimus technology extensively in several customer projects with very successful results. For example, Givaudan used Thimus technology in recent consumer tests on botanical soft drinks, comparing two prototypes. The results revealed that consumers implicitly found one concept significantly more satisfying than the other. The implicit data gathered from Thimus was used to pinpoint a negative reaction during the taste phase in the second product. The team was then able to identify a successful route to optimise the soft drink by improving mouthfeel. In this instance, the problem and its resolution could not have been uncovered by examining declarative data alone.
Givaudan, a global leader in taste and wellbeing, and Manus Bio, a leading biomanufacturer of natural products, announced the launch of BioNootkatone, a breakthrough ingredient that answers market demand for sustainable, natural, clean-label citrus flavour without the cost and supply volatility of traditional citrus extracts. In addition to these benefits, BioNootkatone offers a refreshing, natural citrus taste that can be used in a variety of food and beverages.
BioNootkatone is the result of Givaudan’s analytical, flavour, and processing expertise combined with the successful application of Manus Bio’s BioAssemblyLine™ Cell Factory engineering platform. BioNootkatone uses a non-GMO sugar source as the starting material and is made without using any citrus ingredients. It is the most cost-effective and sustainable natural nootkatone available on the market.
With a proprietary biomanufacturing and downstream process, Manus Bio and Givaudan are able to deliver a consistent high-quality product. Further, BioNootkatone is less impactful for climate change than nootkatone derived from citrus, because it is a comparatively lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission ingredient. The development is an example of both Manus Bio’s and Givaudan’s strong commitment to sustainability and their purpose-driven innovation.
Nootkatone is a widely used ingredient in many citrus flavours and products around the world. Givaudan’s BioNootkatone has a superior taste profile and offers signature woody, citrus, and peely notes, without any of the off-notes often found in other nootkatones currently available on the market.
BioNootkatone will become an important component of Givaudan’s expansive Taste product portfolio, supporting its strategy to enable the co-creation of food experiences for consumers. As such, Givaudan is exclusively commercialising BioNootkatone globally with Manus Bio retaining all manufacturing rights.
The companies plan to continue their partnership, deploying Manus Bio’s powerful BioAssemblyLine™ Cell Factory engineering platform to bring other natural and sustainable ingredients to market.
Science and business join forces in Brazil to accelerate innovation in food by focusing on the sustainable use of LATAM’s biodiversity and affordable nutrition for consumers
Three leading global companies, Givaudan, Bühler, and Cargill, have formed a consortium in collaboration with the FoodTech HUB Latam and ITAL, Food Technology Institute, to build a food innovation centre in the city of Campinas, recognised as Brazil’s tech powerhouse. The “Tropical Food Innovation Lab” will be located at the Food Technology Institute, ITAL, in a fully refurbished, 1,300 square metre area.
This new hub will be the go-to place in Latin America to connect and develop sustainable, future food and beverage products. Start-ups, companies, investors, universities and research institutions will have direct access to high-end technologies for rapid prototyping and plugging into the global food tech ecosystem that will foster fast-paced innovation in the food and beverage sector.
The most current generation of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverages processing units will add complementary capabilities to the existing facilities of ITAL. When complete, the facility will feature new application labs and a state of the art demo kitchen, where consumers, food scientists, nutritionists, chefs, mixologists and marketers, among other professionals, will work together to create sustainable new products.
In a world facing major challenges from climate change, combined with a population expected to exceed 9.5 billion people by 2050, it is essential for the food industry to take positive action and work towards a regenerative and equitable food system that and provides healthy, safe and nutritious food for all, while staying within the planetary boundaries.
Brazil has the richest plant biodiversity on the planet, distributed in six major biomes and is one of the world’s main food producers. Yet immense potential remains, with regards to healthy and sustainable products, novel food and food waste reduction, contributing to Food Systems Transformation.
The Tropical Food Innovation Lab is planned to open in Q1 2023.
Establishing global leadership position in natural colours
As part of its 2025 strategy to expand the portfolio of its global Taste & Wellbeing business, Givaudan announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire DDW, The Color House, a US based natural colour company. The acquisition will enable Givaudan to become a global leader in natural colours, enhancing its ability to create “Feel Good” Food Experiences through its extensive portfolio of taste and sense solutions.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, DDW is a leading privately-held company in the natural colour industry, with 12 manufacturing facilities around the world and 315 associates. Founded in 1865, the company has developed a strong market position from its origins in the brewing industry through its market leading capabilities in caramel colours and for the last 20 years having a strong focus on natural colours for the food and beverage industry.
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and Givaudan plans to debt fund the transaction. DDW’s business would have represented approximately USD 140 million of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2020 on a proforma basis. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021.
Leveraging combined capabilities to shape new sustainable innovations for customers
Givaudan and Novozymes, the world leaders in their respective industries, are excited to announce the formation of a strategic research partnership for the development of synergistic innovative ingredients and technologies for customers. The two companies will jointly work on the research and development of innovative sustainable solutions in the areas of food and cleaning.
This new partnership is fully in line with Novozymes’ updated strategy Better Business with Biology and with Givaudan’s 2025 strategic goals to expand its offering to consumers’ brands through innovative and sustainable solutions.
Givaudan brings the highest investment in research and development in the industry, has an in- depth understanding of consumers around the world and creates the emotional signatures and food experiences for consumer brands.
Novozymes brings innovation with extensive know-how in enzymes and microorganisms with substantial investments in technology and R&D. On the commercial side, Novozymes is in strong commercial partnerships with some of the largest companies in the industries of Household Care and Food & Beverages. Being the world leader within biological solutions, Novozymes drives sustainable solutions that enable differentiated product performance for consumers.
Together the two companies will work on specific projects with the aim to bring to their respective customers a differentiating solution offering. With a significant overlap of end use markets, there is a fundamental belief that the partnership can generate customer value by combining the two companies’ capabilities and solutions.
Gilles Andrier, Chief Executive Officer at Givaudan said: “We are very excited to initiate this strategic partnership with Novozymes, a much respected company that has an impressive heritage and research platform in biological solutions. Our purpose of ‘creating for healthier, happier lives with love for nature’ fully aligns with the aspiration of Novozymes for a world with 100 % biological products. Together we have the potential to grow with our respective customers while increasing our positive impact on the world with products consumers feel good about, and that preserve our planet.
As part of its long term strategy to expand its capabilities in bio-engineering technologies, Givaudan announced that it has closed the acquisition of Alderys.
Founded in 2009, Alderys is an innovative French biotechnology company headquartered in Orsay, France, employing 30 employees. Alderys develops innovative approaches to the biological engineering of valuable compounds from renewable feedstock. The projects developed by Alderys are aimed at the chemical and cosmetic industry sectors as well as nutrition. They are recognised for offering innovative technological industrial solutions with high sustainability standards.
While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Alderys’ business would have represented EUR 3 million of incremental revenues to Givaudan’s results in 2019 on a pro-forma basis. Givaudan funded the transaction from existing resources.
About Givaudan
Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances, with its heritage stretching back over 250 years, the Company has a long history of innovating scents and tastes. From a favourite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to cosmetics and laundry care, its creations inspire emotions and delight millions of consumers the world over. The company is committed to driving purpose-led, long-term growth while leading the way to improve happiness and health for people and nature. In the fiscal year 2019, the Company employed over 14,900 people worldwide and achieved sales of CHF 6.2 billion and a free cash flow of 12.7% of sales. Let’s imagine together on www.givaudan.com.
About Alderys
Alderys develops innovative approaches to the micro-organic biological engineering of valuable compounds from renewable plant resources. Committed to imaginative, robust scientific practice, they improve yeast cells to transform them into veritable micro production units. Alderys offers innovative technological industrial solutions for the fabrication of products that are indispensable for the growing world and which respect the environment. The projects developed by Alderys are aimed at the chemical, cosmetics and nutrition sectors. Thanks to their technological quality and innovation, Alderys has signed a number of partnership agreements with industry leaders in various fields. Alderys was founded in 2009 by Dominique Thomas in Orsay, France. It employs 30 people. www.alderys.fr/en/
• CHF 120 million investment to enable collaboration, co-creation and innovation
• 12,000 square metre of workspace for 300 employees designed to LEED Gold standards
Givaudan, the global leader in flavours and fragrances, has officially inaugurated its new flagship Innovation Centre in Kemptthal, Switzerland, aimed to accelerate its global efforts in creating differentiated and sustainable flavour, taste and fragrance solutions for the food & beverage and beauty, personal and home care industries.
The CHF 120 million centre, the Company’s largest investment in research to date, is part of a global innovation ecosystem designed to leverage the Company’s broad expertise in flavours, fragrances, active cosmetic ingredients and natural solutions, and enables close collaboration and co-creation with its customers, partners and start-ups.
Gilles Andrier, CEO of Givaudan, said: “Building on our 250 years pioneering heritage, our new flagship centre is the latest example of Givaudan’s strong innovation culture. As the newest addition to Givaudan’s vast network of research and creation centres, the Zurich Innovation Centre will act as a key enabler to deliver breakthrough science and technology solutions for our customers while tackling the industry’s most pressing challenges.”
The centre provides over 12,000 square metres of inspiring co-creation, collaboration and innovation space for 300 employees, and integrates hosting for start-ups, labs and kitchen space providing a holistic customer experience on-site. Science and technology teams will benefit from innovative research capabilities in chemistry, biotechnology, biocatalysis, fermentation, flavour delivery technologies, sensory and application science. Creation and application related capabilities available at the centre include unique sensory and consumer insight tools and SPRINT fast prototyping methodology, to drive speed and efficiency in new solutions and enable the Company to predict and plan for future consumer trends.
As part of Givaudan’s sustainability approach, A Sense of Tomorrow, the building is one of the first facilities in Switzerland to receive a gold certificate from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the world’s most widely recognised green building certification system. It fosters healthy, enjoyable and productive work through user-oriented workplace design that reduces water and energy consumption and improves environmental and economic efficiency by up to 45 %.
The official opening ceremony took place on 14 June 2019, in the presence of 130 participants including Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, along with Givaudan’s executive management members, customers and partners.
As part of its 2020 strategy to strengthen its naturals capabilities and its presence in the high growth markets of Asia Pacific, Givaudan announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Golden Frog, a Vietnamese flavour company.
Golden Frog manufactures natural flavours, extracts and essential oils for the food and beverage industry. It offers a wide range of natural ingredients including herbs, spices, fruit and vegetable extracts and essential oils from the great biodiversity of Vietnam. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Ho Chi Minh area, Golden Frog employs 156 people and caters to the needs of the ASEAN markets.
While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Golden Frog’s business would have represented approximately CHF 10 million of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2018 on a proforma basis. Givaudan plans to fund the transaction from existing resources and is expected to close in the second half of 2019.
Creating clear market leadership in natural extracts and ingredients
As part of its 2020 strategy to strengthen its capabilities in natural flavour solutions for its customers, Givaudan announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 40.6% of the shares of Naturex, a French public listed company, for EUR 135 per share and a total consideration of EUR 522 million. This agreement is subject to all of the appropriate regulatory approvals.
Givaudan intends to launch a mandatory cash tender offer for all remaining outstanding shares of Naturex, at a price of EUR 135 per share. The Board of Directors and Management of Naturex are fully supportive of the transaction.
Naturex is an international leader in plant extraction and the development of natural ingredients and solutions for the food, health and beauty sectors. Naturex is headquartered in Avignon, France and reported sales of EUR 405 million in 2017, operates from 16 production sites around the world and employs 1,700 people.
Gilles Andrier, CEO of Givaudan said: “The acquisition of a significant shareholding in Naturex fits fully with our 2020 strategy to expand our offering to deliver natural products to our customers. Givaudan is the global leader in the space of natural flavours and Naturex further complements our capabilities with its strong portfolio of plant extracts and natural ingredients across the food and beverage, nutrition and health and personal care sectors. We look forward to working with the management and shareholders of Naturex in the coming months to secure their support for the acquisition.”
Louie D’Amico, President Designate of Givaudan’s Flavour Division said: “Consumers around the world are increasingly demanding more natural and organic products from food and beverage companies. Naturex will be extremely complimentary to the acquisitions we have announced in this space over the last few years, namely Spicetec, Activ International, Vika and Centroflora Nutra.”
Strengthens global offering of natural extracts
Givaudan, one the global leaders in flavours and fragrances, announced that it is acquiring the Nutrition Division of Centroflora Group, as part of its 2020 strategy to strengthen its global offering of natural extracts and further develop its presence in Brazil.
Centroflora’s Nutrition Division (Centroflora Nutra) manufactures botanical extracts and dehydrated fruits for the food, beverage and consumer goods sectors. It offers a wide variety of plant extracts from various regions of the world, with a particular focus on those from the great biodiversity of Brazil. With headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Botucatu, Brazil, Centroflora Nutra employs about 116 people and exports products globally.
While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Centroflora Nutra’s business would have represented approximately CHF 17 million of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2017 on a proforma basis. Givaudan plans to fund the transaction from existing resources and is expected to close early 2018.
