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Givaudan

Givaudan S.A. is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of flavours, fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients. As of 2008, it was the world's largest company in the flavour and fragrance industry.[3][4]

Overview

The company's scents and flavours are developed for food and beverage makers, and also used in household goods, as well as grooming and personal care products and perfumes.

The company has two business segments, "Taste & Wellbeing", pertaining to the manufacture of flavors for the food and beverage industry; and "Fragrance & Beauty", which manufactures fragrances for cosmetics, household products, personal care products, and fine fragrance, in addition to fragrance ingredients.[5]

Givaudan's flavours and fragrances are usually custom-made and sold under confidentiality agreements.[6] Givaudan uses ScentTrek, a technology that captures the chemical makeup of smell from living plants.[7] The company has locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.[8] In 2024, Givaudan had sales of CHF 7.4 billion. It is one of Switzerland's 30 biggest listed companies in terms of market capitalization. In 2021, Givaudan placed first on FoodTalks' Global Top 50 Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies list.[9]

In 2024, Givaudan announced a partnership with Chinese e-retailer TMall to support growing local demand for fragrance products.[10]

Givaudan is a member of the European Flavour Association.[11] Major competitors include Firmenich, International Flavors and Fragrances and Symrise.

History

Givaudan was founded as a perfumery company in 1895 in Lyon, France by Léon and Xavier Givaudan. In 1898, Givaudan moved to Geneva, Switzerland and constructed a factory in Vernier.[12][13][14] In 1946, Givaudan opened a perfumery school, which trained a third of the world's creative perfumers. In 1948 the company acquired Ersolko SA, which transitioned Givaudan also into the flavor industry. In 1963, Givaudan was acquired by Roche and in 1964, Roche acquired one of Givaudan's competitors, Roure. Roure was founded in Grasse, France during 1820. In 1937 Roure created the first designer perfume: Shocking for Schiaparelli.[15][16] Givaudan's original United States fragrance headquarters, in Teaneck, New Jersey, was built in 1972 from a design by Der Scutt, architect of the Trump Tower.[17] The company later moved to East Hanover, New Jersey.[18]

Givaudan-Roure

In 1991 Givaudan and Roure were merged to form Givaudan-Roure.[19] Also in 1991, the company bought Fritzsche, Dodge and Olcott.[20] In 1997 Givaudan-Roure acquired another flavor company, Tastemaker, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The merger made Givaudan the largest flavor company in the world.[20] In 2000 Givaudan-Roure was spun off by Roche as Givaudan and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (Code GIVN.VX) where it is part of the SMI, SLI and SPI.[19]

2000s

In 2002 Givaudan acquired FIS, the flavors division of Nestle,[21] for which Nestle received a 10% stake in the company.[22] The following year, Givaudan purchased the cheese flavor company IBF.[20] In 2004 the company expanded its operations in China, which had been in place since the 1990s.[23]

On 22 November 2006, Givaudan announced the acquisition of Quest International to be completed Q1 2007.[24][25] On 21 February 2007, the EU approved the merger of Givaudan and Quest, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for the merger after the United States authorities approved the merger earlier in the month.[26] The merger deal closed on 2 March 2007. The acquisition makes Givaudan the global leader in both fine fragrances and consumer products; it was already the global leader in flavors and the acquisition of Quest International strengthens their position.[27] The acquisition of Quest boosted Givaudan's sales by 42% from CHF 2,909 million in 2006 to CHF 4,132 million in 2007.[28]

In 2013 Nestle sold its share in Givaudan for $1.3 billion.[22] By 2014 the company had about US$4.6 billion in revenues.[29] That year, the company had its first acquisition since Quest, purchasing Soliance.[30] Givaudan also released the TasteSolutions Richness line of flavors.[31] It also launched the Givaudan Foundation, and has a programme that works with patchouli and other grower collection networks to establish sustainable development practices, called the Innovative Naturals programme.[32][33]

Since 2014, Givaudan had acquired around 20 companies, among them Naturex, the cosmetics business of AMSilk, Albert Vieille, Fragrance Oils, and Golden Frog.

In 2021, Givaudan acquired Louisville, Ky.-based dye and coloring manufacturer D.D. Williamson.[34]

In 2022, Givaudan, the mechanical engineering company Bühler, and Migros wanted to open the Cultured Food Innovation Hub in Kemptthal. Research was also to be carried out there on cultivated meat.[35]

On March 7, 2023, Givaudan confirmed that it was the target of an industry-wide investigation by European and Swiss authorities. Investigators were looking into a possible cartel in the supply of fragrances and fragrance ingredients. Companies face fines as much as 10% of their global turnover for violating EU antitrust rules.[36]

Givaudan and the environment

On July 10, 1976, the Seveso accident, Italy's worst ecological disaster, released a toxic cloud into the atmosphere. Italy's highest court awarded moral damages to the residents for anxiety incurred. Givaudan, the parent company of ICMESA paid EUR103.9 million (US$90.3 million) in cleanup costs and compensation to those who suffered physical injuries as a result of the incident.[37]

In November 2024, an explosion occurred at the Louisville, Kentucky Givaudan Sense Color (formerly D.D. Williamson). Two workers died as a result of the explosion, and a dozen were injured.[38]

References

  1. Givaudan SA Reuters, retrieved 2026-03-01^
  2. Our Management givaudan.com^
  3. Flavor & Fragrance Industry - Top 10 leffingwell.com^
  4. About Givaudan www.givaudan.com, retrieved 2025-11-09^
  5. Givaudan SA, GIVN:SWX profile - FT.com markets.ft.com^
  6. Raffi Katchadourian. The Taste Makers The New Yorker, 2009^
  7. Bram Büscher, Veronica Davidov. The Ecotourism-Extraction Nexus Routledge, 2013-08-15^
  8. File Viewer | Givaudan retrieved 7 August 2015^
  9. Rice Fu. 2021年全球食用香精香料50强 FoodTalks, 2021-04-06, retrieved 2022-01-29^
  10. Parfumerie : Givaudan s'allie à TMall – Alibaba. Journal du Luxe, 5 June 2021, retrieved 22 May 2024^
  11. About EFFA EFFA, retrieved 3 March 2018^
  12. Wolfgang Legrum. Riechstoffe, zwischen Gestank und Duft: Vorkommen, Eigenschaften und Anwendung von Riechstoffen und deren Gemischen Springer-Verlag, 2015, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  13. Leading Sensory Innovation Chemical Engineering Progress, 2008, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  14. Thom Votteler. International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 43 St. James Press, 2001, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  15. Bruno Ziglioli. La mina vagante. Il disastro di Seveso e la solidarietà nazionale FrancoAngeli, 2010, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  16. N. Groom. New Perfume Handbook Springer, 1997-06-30^
  17. Chadderdon, Lisa. "The Sweet Smell of Success: A building in Teaneck, New Jersey is the source of some of the world's most popular fragrances. Meet Givaudan Roure's perfumers, the 'ghostwriters' behind your favorite scents.", Fast Company (magazine), March 1998. Accessed 22 August 2007. "In fact, more than 30% of the world's fine perfumes for women can be traced to Givaudan Roure - and to an inconspicuous brick building set back from the street in suburban Teaneck, New Jersey. Inside the building, designed by Der Scutt and constructed in 1972, is an environment that fosters creativity."^
  18. Howard Prosnitz. Major Teaneck ratable remains vacant North Jersey Record, November 26, 2009, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  19. David Rowe. Chemistry and Technology of Flavours and Fragrances John Wiley & Sons, 2009, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  20. Succeed or Sink: Business Sustainability Under Globalisation Elsevier, 2011, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  21. Nestlé drops Givaudan from balance sheet Swiss Info, December 6, 2013, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  22. John Revill. Nestlé to Sell Its 10% Stake in Givaudan Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2013, retrieved April 22, 2015^
  23. Jean-François Tremblay. Givaudan Smells Opportunity in China Chemical & Engineering News, November 10, 2004, retrieved April 23, 2015^
  24. Givaudan - engage your senses givaudan.com^
  25. CNBC Interview with CEO Gilles Andrier on Quest acquisition retrieved 27 February 2007^
  26. Anthony Fletcher. EC approves Givaudan's acquisition of Quest Food Navigator, 22 Feb 2007, retrieved 29 September 2022^
  27. Quest acquisition closure 2 Mar 2007^
  28. Corporate publications givaudan.com^
  29. John Revill. Givaudan Scents Tough Conditions Continuing in 2015 Wall Street Journal, January 29, 2015, retrieved April 23, 2015^
  30. Givaudan buys France's Soliance in first acquisition since 2007 Reuters, 3 June 2014^
  31. Sarah Hills. Givaudan breaks down flavour components for 'home-cooked' taste FoodNavigator.com, 26 Jun 2014^
  32. Lucy Whitehouse. Givaudan launches charitable foundation CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, 12 Jun 2014^
  33. Deanna Utroske. Givaudan furthers patchouli collection network CosmeticsDesign.com USA, 20 Jan 2015^
  34. Megan Jacobs. Acquisition Complete: DDW Joins Givaudan - Givaudan Sense Colour 8 December 2021, retrieved 12 November 2024^
  35. Riechstoffkonzern - Givaudan, Bühler und Migros spannen bei pflanzlichem «Fleisch» zusammen www.cash.ch, 2021-09-15, retrieved 2022-07-27^
  36. Foo Yun Chee. EU, UK, Swiss probe suspected fragrance cartel, Givaudan confirms cooperation www.reuters.com, 7 March 2023, retrieved 2023-05-30^
  37. Victims of toxic cloud over Seveso entitled to "moral damages," claims could reach tens of millions of euros highbeam.com, retrieved 22 July 2010^
  38. Louisville police setting up 'triage area' after Clifton residents report 'explosion' WDRB, 12 November 2024, retrieved 12 November 2024^