Over the last 12 months, Symrise has focused on enhancing health and well-being in all aspects of its business. On the flavor side, this means transforming its traditional flavor house into an augmented flavor house that creates extra value and focuses on solutions for both taste and nutrition.
Symrise’s chief executive officer Dr Jean-Yves Parisot and member of the board for Taste, Nutrition & Health Walter Ribeiro outline how the company is using several different technologies to address consumer preferences and stay ahead of supply chain shortages.
Symrise
Holzminden, Germany
2024 Sales: €5 billion
Can you give a brief overview of some key highlights and milestones that the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment reached over the last 12 months?
In 2024, Symrise's Taste, Nutrition & Health segment achieved a turnover of approximately €3.0 billion (of close to €5.0 billion in total for the Symrise Group),
Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot, chief executive officer, SymriseCourtesy of Symrise
One of these strategic initiatives relates to the transformation of our Taste, Nutrition & Health segment from a traditional flavor house into an augmented flavor house that creates extra value along the entire value chain. It focuses on solutions with natural taste, solutions for nutrition as well as health solutions. Its combined expertise in taste, nutrition and health has thus led to integrated solutions that leverage our unique capabilities in an efficient and sustainable way.
Symrise focused on enhancing health, well-being and beauty for the entire family and leveraged its global scale and active portfolio management to drive growth and efficiency. Key strategic areas included sustainable processes and products, taste optimization and sensory optimization of preparations with a varied protein matrix to meet the evolving needs of consumers seeking healthier and more sustainable food options.
Symrise advanced its taste balancing technologies to enhance the flavor profiles of products with diverse proteins, addressing the rising global demand for foods with various protein sources. The company's patented AI technology, Symvision AI™, played a crucial role in flavor trend forecasting and ingredient predictions, keeping Symrise ahead of market trends and consumer preferences.
Sustainable, resource-saving manufacturing processes were emphasized, including regenerative agriculture practices to reduce environmental impact. Symrise's projects in Madagascar focused on sustainable cultivation, optimizing vanilla yield, and reforestation to prevent soil erosion.
Facility expansions supported growth and innovation, with investments in capacity expansions, research and development centers, and efficient energy supply. Notable expansions included a Sales and R&D hub in Beijing, the Digital Immersion Co-Creation Centre in Singapore, and application laboratories in Lagos, Nigeria. Symrise also strengthened cooperation in Pakistan, focusing on innovative solutions and market expansion.
On the pet food/care side, we have also achieved a few considerable milestones. We have increased our footprint with a new plant in China dedicated to the processing of egg products for pet food. This allows us to offer high-quality ingredients manufactured using a circular economy approach. To help meet our ambitious sustainability goals Symrise Pet Food has worked on its 2030 product portfolio to reach the Scope 3 target that Symrise wants to meet by then.
How is the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment adapting to global changes in dietary habits and flavor expectations?
Symrise is actively addressing the evolving dietary habits and flavor expectations of consumers worldwide by focusing on enhancing health, well-being, and beauty
Walter Ribeiro, member of the board, Taste, Nutrition & HealthCourtesy of Symrise
Symrise offers sophisticated ingredients that ensure consumers have holistic, authentic, and intense taste experiences across various product categories, including beverages, sweets, savory foods, and plant-based dairy alternatives.
Symrise's longstanding expertise in vanilla remains strong, with expert teams crafting vanilla solutions for sweet applications tailored to specific customer needs. The company's health-oriented solutions include ingredients that improve the nutritional profile of final recipes and promote health. Symrise's Trendscope and Symvision AI play a crucial role in understanding and predicting market trends, using data from over ten years of trend research to better understand markets, consumer preferences, and trends. This multi-source, data-driven approach enables Symrise to predict taste trends and how they will develop across different regions of the world. Trendscope webinars and promotions further support Symrise's efforts to stay ahead of market trends and consumer preferences.
What recent innovations in taste and mouthfeel technology are driving the industry forward from the perspective of the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment?
Symrise is at the forefront of developing advanced taste and mouthfeel technologies to cater to evolving consumer preferences. A key innovation is taste balancing technologies that enhance the flavor profiles of varied protein matrixes, which is significant given the rising global demand for foods with diverse protein sources. Our expertise in understanding different protein types allows the creation of authentic flavors, textures and mouthfeel in matrices with diverse protein sources, addressing challenges like off notes, lacking mouthfeel, texture, appearance and reduced flavor impact. Proprietary tools like ProtiScan™ help identify protein-inherent off notes and select effective maskers efficiently. The company's circular economy approach upcycles chicken and egg byproducts into valuable ingredients, aligning with its sustainability commitment.
How is the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment utilizing advancements in sensory science to improve flavor and texture experiences?
Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health leverages advancements in sensory science to enhance flavor and texture experiences. Using Molecular Listening, Symrise analyzes molecule interactions in real time, identifying key drivers of taste, smell, and sensory perception. This allows for precise formulation adjustments, creating a deeper connection between the product and the consumer.
The Digital Immersion Co-Creation Centre in Singapore is a high-tech space where Symrise collaborates with customers to co-create innovative solutions using digital tools and technologies. The center's capabilities include real-time data analysis, virtual prototyping, and interactive workshops, enabling rapid product development based on sensory feedback and market trends. Symrise integrates digital technologies with sensory science to enhance flavor and texture experiences.
What does the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment see as the primary obstacles in formulating products that meet consumers' desires for reduced sugar, salt, or fat without compromising taste?
Formulating products with reduced sugar, salt, or fat presents significant challenges in maintaining the desired taste and mouthfeel that consumers expect. Reducing these components often alters flavor profiles and texture, negatively impacting the overall sensory experience. For instance, sugar provides sweetness and also contributes to texture and mouthfeel, while salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative, and fat adds creaminess and richness.
Replacing these components with alternative ingredients that replicate their sensory properties is complex. Artificial sweeteners may have off-notes or aftertastes, salt substitutes may lack flavor-enhancing properties, and fat replacers may not provide the same mouthfeel. Additionally, consumer acceptance is a hurdle, as healthier products may deliver a different taste experience. Ensuring these products meet consumer expectations in terms of taste and texture is crucial for their success in the market.
How is artificial intelligence currently being implemented in the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment's flavor creation and business operations?
Symrise utilizes its patented AI technology, Symvision AI™, to forecast flavor trends and predict ingredient preferences by analyzing data from market research and consumer insights. This helps us stay ahead of market trends and develop flavors that resonate with consumers, particularly for a broad range of proteins. AI-driven analytics optimize supply chain, production processes, and resource management, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
Symrise's AI tools support strategic planning by providing insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape. AI accelerates innovation from idea generation to product development, ensuring rapid market introduction of new products. AI-powered platforms enhance customer engagement by providing personalized recommendations and improving overall customer experience.
What are some of the current obstacles the flavor industry is facing in terms of sourcing from the Symrise Taste, Nutrition & Health segment's perspective? We’ve seen an influx in citrus oil replacers as well as cocoa, can you share how the market is adjusting to these technologies? Are there other segments affected by low yields of raw materials you can speak to?
The industry faces challenges with fluctuating availability and high costs of natural citrus oils, leading to an influx of citrus oil alternatives. Symrise has introduced sustainable natural citrus taste solutions to reduce reliance on traditional citrus oils, ensuring cost-effectiveness and authentic taste profiles.
Cocoa is also affected by low yields and high demand, prompting the industry to explore alternatives. Symrise develops sustainable and innovative taste solutions for high-quality cocoa products, leveraging advanced technologies and sustainable sourcing practices. Other natural raw materials face challenges due to climate changes, which Symrise addresses through regenerative agriculture practices, focusing on sustainable cultivation and optimizing yields.
What key consumer trends do you believe will shape the future of flavor preferences and development?
Consumers are increasingly prioritizing health and wellness, seeking products that offer functional benefits and support their overall well-being. This trend drives demand for taste solutions derived from natural ingredients, superfoods, and botanicals. Symrise responds by developing health-oriented solutions that improve the nutritional profile of recipes and promote health.
Sustainability is also a major focus, with consumers looking for environmentally friendly and ethically sourced products. Symrise commits to sustainability through regenerative agriculture practices and resource-saving manufacturing processes.
The rise of diets with a broad range of protein sources shapes flavor preferences, with consumers seeking flavors that enhance products with diverse protein sources. Symrise develops taste balancing technologies to improve taste in varied protein matrixes. Consumers seek indulgent flavors that provide comfort and evoke nostalgic memories. Personalization is increasingly important, with consumers looking for customized flavors. Tools like Symrise's Trendscope™ and Symvision AI™ help decode consumer trends and predict flavor trends and ingredient preferences, creating personalized flavor solutions.
