Symrise AG, a leading global supplier of flavours and fragrances, as well as cosmetic and functional ingredients, delivered a solid performance in the first half of 2026, with organic sales growth improving through the second quarter despite a still soft macroeconomic environment. Accelerated organic sales growth was supported by continued strength in Food & Beverage, Consumer Fragrance and Aroma Molecules, well supported by rebounding momentum in North America and Asia Pacific.
For the first six months of 2026, Symrise reported sales of €2,539 million and an organic sales growth of 2.0 %. Organic sales growth accelerated to 4.5 % in the second quarter. H1 adjusted EBITDA was €553 million with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 21.8 %. Profitable sales growth and efficiency measures supported earnings development, partially mitigated by investments in the ONE SYM transformation and logistics costs driven by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Adjusted Business Free Cash Flow was up by 450 bps and reached €347 million, corresponding to a margin of 13.7 %.
Symrise continued to execute its ONE Symrise Strategy and further sharpened portfolio quality by submitting a binding offer for Floral Concept. The envisaged acquisition will strengthen Symrise’s position in Premium Naturals within Fine Fragrance. At the same time, the company accelerated the next phase of its ONE SYM Transformation program to drive faster progress towards higher profitable organic sales growth. Symrise is increasingly focused on accelerating the delivery of efficiencies and strategically reinvesting these savings into growth opportunities across the business.
Dr. Jean Yves Parisot, CEO of Symrise AG, said: “We saw increasing momentum in the second quarter, driven by disciplined execution across our businesses and strong demand in Food & Beverage, Consumer Fragrance and Aroma Molecules. We also will strengthen our portfolio through the planned acquisition of Floral Concept. We will leverage our proven Naturals capabilities, built through the acquisition of Diana and successfully established in Food & Beverage, to further expand our offering in Fine Fragrance and create differentiated solutions for our customers. At the same time, we continued to accelerate the next phase of our ONE SYM Transformation to further enhance commercial excellence, innovation and digitalization to support faster profitable growth. Based on our first half performance and current momentum, we remain confident in delivering our 2026 outlook and creating durable long-term value.”
Taste, Nutrition & Health
In the second quarter of 2026, the Taste, Nutrition & Health segment delivered organic sales growth of 4.9 %. Reported sales increased to €782 million compared with €748 million in the prior-year quarter.
The Food & Beverage division delivered market-leading mid-single-digit organic sales growth, driven by high-single-digit organic sales growth in Savory and Naturals, and mid-single-digit organic sales growth in Sweet.
The Pet Food division reported a slight organic sales decline, reflecting continued Nutrition price normalisation.
For the first half of 2026, Taste, Nutrition & Health achieved organic sales growth of 3.2 %. Reported sales amounted to €1,530 million compared with €1,527 million in the prior-year period. The segment increased adjusted EBITDA to €375 million and improved the adjusted EBITDA margin by 10 basis points to 24.5 %.
Advancing ONE Symrise strategy and accelerating ONE SYM transformation
As part of its active portfolio management approach, Symrise announced the planned acquisition of Floral Concept, a premium naturals house based in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, Pays de Grasse, France. The transaction will strengthen the company’s position in the attractive premium naturals market and will create an opportunity to extend its success story of naturals in flavours into fragrances. This contemplated acquisition thus matches the company’s strategy of focusing on differentiated, higher value growth opportunities.
Symrise continued to accelerate the execution of its ONE SYM Transformation program. The Company is strengthening its value chain through prioritised commercial excellence, innovation, operations and supply chain management. At the same time, Symrise is building a more scalable operating structure through standardised processes, clearer process ownership and increased digitalisation across the organisation. The company reinvests efficiency gains generated by its transformation program to support future growth opportunities while maintaining its margin ambitions.