Firmenich

Last updated
Firmenich International SA
FormerlyChuit & Naef
Company typePublicly listed company (as part of dsm-firmenich)
IndustryFlavors, fragrances, ingredients
Founded1895;129 years ago (1895)
Founders
  • Philippe Chuit
  • Martin Naef
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Key people
Revenue CHF 4.3 billion (Fiscal Year 2021)
Number of employees
10,000 (2021)
Website www.firmenich.com

Firmenich SA was a Swiss company in the fragrance and flavor business. The company has created perfumes for over 125 years and produced a number of well-known flavors. Founded in 1895, it merged in May 2023 with the Dutch company DSM to form dsm-firmenich. [1] [2]

Contents

It employed 10,000 people across 46 manufacturing plants and six research and development centers.

History

The company was founded as Chuit & Naef in 1895 in Geneva by chemist Philippe Chuit and businessman Martin Naef. Fred Firmenich joined in 1900 and later became the majority partner. The company was renamed Firmenich SA. [3]

Originally a fragrance company, Firmenich branched into the flavor business by creating a raspberry substitute in 1938, followed by creations of citrus and strawberry flavor. Other synthetic flavors followed for use in ultra-processed foods and preserved foods. [4]

In 1939, Firmenich Director of Research and Development Lavoslav Ružička was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on polymethylenes and higher terpenes," [5] [6] "including the first chemical synthesis of male sex hormones." [7] [8]

On May 3, 2007, Firmenich announced that it would be acquiring the flavors' division of Danisco, Noville, in a deal worth €450 million. [9] [10] The deal was expected to move Firmenich ahead of IFF as the second-largest flavor company in the world. [4]

Firmenich's board named Gilbert Ghostine as CEO to succeed Patrick Firmenich, effective October 1, 2014. [11] Patrick Firmenich was elected as chairman of Firmenich's Board of Directors as of October 12, 2016. [12]

On July 11, 2017, Firmenich completed the acquisition of Agilex Fragrances, expanding its ability to serve mid-sized customers in North America. [13]

On December 13, 2017, Firmenich announced the acquisition of Flavourome, an established privately held flavors company in South Africa, to expand its presence in Africa. [14] On February 5, 2018, Firmenich confirmed the successful completion of the acquisition. [15]

In August 2018, Firmenich acquired Campus, an innovator in the application of "natural functional ingredients for protein application", which specializes "in clean label, meat, dairy, sauces and plant-based food". The research and production facilities of Campus are located in Italy and Monterrey, Mexico. [16]

At some point, Firmenich acquired Natural Flavors, a manufacturer of flavors for the food and beverage industry.[ citation needed ]

In September 2018, Firmenich announced its intent to acquire Senomyx. [17]

In June 2020, Firmenich acquired Les Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques ("DRT"), a world leader in plant-based chemistry, mainly from pine trees, and one of the leading suppliers globally of high quality, renewable ingredients. [18]

In October 2020, Firmenich announced that it had created a flavour by means of artificial intelligence. It teamed with Microsoft who helped leverage "the entirety of Firmenich’s broad raw material database" to dissimulate "a lightly grilled beef taste" into its plant-based meat alternatives. Firmenich's "unique palette of ingredients" and "SmartProteins expertise in plant-based protein alternatives" were instrumental in the innovation process. [19]

In 2021, Firmenich was ranked second on FoodTalks' Global Top 50 Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies list, below Givaudan and above International Flavors and Fragrances. [20] Major competitors include Givaudan, IFF and Symrise.[ citation needed ]

In 2022, Firmenich announces its ambition to merge with Dutch conglomerate DSM; the merger is effective in May 2023 and the resulting company is named dsm-firmenich. [21]

Lobby groups

Firmenich is a member of the European Flavour Association. [22]

In March 2021, Firmenich, Givaudan, IFF and Symrise launched the Fragrance Science and Advocacy Council. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavoring</span> Food additive used to change its aroma or taste

A flavoring, also known as flavor or flavorant, is a food additive used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of the gustatory and olfactory systems. Along with additives, other components like sugars determine the taste of food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leopold Ružička</span> Croatian-Swiss chemist (1887–1976)

Leopold Ružička was a Croatian-Swiss scientist and joint winner of the 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on polymethylenes and higher terpenes" "including the first chemical synthesis of male sex hormones." He worked most of his life in Switzerland, and received eight doctorates honoris causa in science, medicine, and law; seven prizes and medals; and twenty-four honorary memberships in chemical, biochemical, and other scientific societies.

Givaudan 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 industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Flavors & Fragrances</span> U.S. materials company

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) is an American corporation that creates products across taste, texture, scent, nutrition, enzymes, cultures, soy proteins, and probiotics categories, which it markets globally. It is headquartered in New York City and has creative, sales, and manufacturing facilities in 44 different countries. The company is a member of the S&P 500 index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symrise</span> German chemical company

Symrise AG is a German chemicals company that is a major producer of flavours and fragrances with sales of €4.618 billion in 2022. Major competitors include Givaudan, Takasago International Corporation, International Flavors and Fragrances and Döhler. Symrise is a member of the European Flavour Association. In 2021, Symrise was ranked 4th by FoodTalks' Global Top 50 Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies list.

Quest International was a major producer of flavors, fragrances and food ingredients with sales of £560 million in 2005 before its acquisition by rival Givaudan. Quest created and marketed flavours and fragrance concepts and solutions for the fast-moving consumer goods industries. With operations in 31 countries, Quest made ingredients for foods, snacks, beverages, personal care, fine fragrances, and home hygiene products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfumer</span> Expert on creating perfume compositions

A perfumist is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a nose due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained in depth on the concepts of fragrance aesthetics and who is capable of conveying abstract concepts and moods with compositions. At the most rudimentary level, a perfumer must have a keen knowledge of a large variety of fragrance ingredients and their smells, and be able to distinguish each one alone or in combination with others. They must also know how each reveals itself over time. The job of the perfumer is very similar to that of flavourists, who compose smells and flavourants for commercial food products.

Takasago International Corporation is a major international producer of flavours and fragrances headquartered in Japan, with presence in 27 countries and regions worldwide. Takasago ranked 8th overall and 1st in Asia on the Global Top Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies list published by FoodTalks in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sensient Technologies</span> Manufacturer of Fragrances

Sensient Technologies is a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their products are used in many foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, home and personal care products, specialty printing and imaging products, computer imaging and industrial colors. Sensient reported revenue of $1,468 million in 2013. Subdivisions include the Sensient Flavors & Fragrances Group and the Sensient Color Group. Within the Flavors & Fragrances Group is Sensient Natural Ingredients. In 2021, Sensient was ranked 10th on the Global Top 50 Food Flavors and Fragrances Companies list.

Headspace technology is a technique developed in the 1980s to elucidate the odor compounds present in the air surrounding various objects. Usually the objects of interest are odoriferous objects such as plants, flowers and foods. Similar techniques are also used to analyze the interesting scents of locations and environments such as tea shops and saw mills. After the data is analyzed, the scents can then be recreated by a perfumer.

Synthetic musks are a class of synthetic aroma compounds to emulate the scent of deer musk and other animal musks. Synthetic musks have a clean, smooth and sweet scent lacking the fecal notes of animal musks. They are used as flavorings and fixatives in cosmetics, detergents, perfumes and foods, supplying the base note of many perfume formulas. Most musk fragrance used in perfumery today is synthetic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Flavors</span>

Wild Flavors, Inc. is a manufacturer of flavors, colors, and food and beverage ingredients. Its headquarters is in Erlanger, Kentucky and the firm is affiliated with Rudolf WILD GmbH & Co. KG and Dr. Hans-Peter Wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Kraft</span> German chemist (born 1969)

Philip Kraft is a German organic chemist. Since 1996 he has been employed by Givaudan, a leading Flavor and Fragrance company, where he designs captive odorants for use in perfumes. He has lectured at the University of Bern, the University of Zurich, and the ETH Zurich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Kaiser</span> Swiss chemist

Roman Kaiser is a Swiss fragrance chemist. Since 1968 he has been working at Givaudan, the world's largest company in the flavour and fragrance industry, where he analyzes and reconstitutes natural scents for use in perfumery using the headspace technology which he pioneered and which as a new concept made significant impact on the analysis of natural products.

A captive odorant, or short captive, is an odorant or aroma chemical retained by the originating manufacturer for exclusive use in their own perfumes to protect them from imitation.

TheInternational Fragrance Association (IFRA) is the global representative body of the fragrance industry. It seeks to represent the collective interests of the industry and promote the safe use of fragrances through regulation.

Robertet Group is a French fragrance and flavor manufacturer that specializes in natural raw materials founded in 1850. Robertet is a member of the European Flavour Association. In 2021, Robertet ranked 12th on FoodTalks' Global Top 50 Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies list.

Robert M. Amen served as president of International Paper from 2003 to 2006. He served as the chairman and CEO of International Flavors and Fragrances from 2006 to 2009. He is Chairman of the Deming Center Advisory Board at Columbia University. He is chairman of Verso Paper.

The Anthea Group is a private group of companies engaged in the manufacture and export of a range of speciality chemicals based in Mumbai, India. The Group is a major producer of Fragrance & Flavor chemicals, catering to key F&F multinationals. It markets its goods in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, the Anthea Group produces speciality chemicals which are used in a range of applications such as pharmaceuticals, flame retardant polymers and agrochemicals.

European Flavour Association (EFFA) is a non-profit European-level trade association of the flavor industry, based in Brussels, Belgium. Founded in 1961, the organisation originally focused on both flavours and fragrances, but has focused solely on flavours since 2006. Its members include 12 national and 10 direct member companies.

References

  1. ↑ "DSM and Firmenich announce merger agreement". FoodBev Media. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  2. ↑ Afanasieva, Dasha (2023-05-08). "DSM, Firmenich Close Merger Deal Weeks After Antitrust Raid" . Bloomberg Law.
  3. ↑ Shyndriayeva, Galina (2015). "Perfume at the Forefront of Macrocyclic Compound Research: From Switzerland to Du Pont" (PDF). International Workshop on the History of Chemistry. Tokyo.
  4. 1 2 "Flavor & Fragrance Industry – Top 10". leffingwell.com. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1939".
  6. ↑ "Forward-thinking research for fragrance & flavor expertise". Firmenich. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  7. ↑ Hillier, Stephen G.; Lathe, Richard (2019). "Terpenes, hormones and life: Isoprene rule revisited". Journal of Endocrinology. 242 (2): R9–R22. doi: 10.1530/JOE-19-0084 . PMID   31051473.
  8. ↑ Nieschlag, Eberhard; Nieschlag, Susan (2019). "ENDOCRINE HISTORY: The history of discovery, synthesis and development of testosterone for clinical use". European Journal of Endocrinology. 180 (6): R201–R212. doi: 10.1530/EJE-19-0071 . PMID   30959485.
  9. ↑ Heller, Lorraine (July 3, 2007). "Danisco completes flavours sale to Firmenich". Food Navigator. William Reed Business Media. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ "All News". foodnavigator-usa.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Firmenich Names New CEO Gilbert Ghostine, Effective Oct. 1". perfumerflavorist.com. 19 August 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Firmenich Appoints New Chairman, Board Members". wwd.com. 12 October 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Firmenich to Acquire Agilex Fragrances". perfumerflavorist.com. 16 June 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Firmenich Acquires Flavourome". firmenich.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Firmenich Acquires Flavourome". perfumerflavorist.com. 13 December 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Firmenich Acquires Campus". firmenich.com. 7 August 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Firmenich Acquires Flavourome". firmenich.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Firmenich to Acquire DRT from Ardian". Firmenich. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  19. ↑ "Firmenich Announces AI-Created Flavor". Allured Business Media. Perfumer & Flavorist. 2 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Fu, Rice (2021-04-06). "2021年FoodTalks全球食用香精香料榜50强" [Global Top 50 Food Flavours and Fragrances Companies]. FoodTalks. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  21. ↑ "dsm-firmenich | DSM". @corporate. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  22. ↑ "About EFFA". EFFA. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  23. ↑ "Firmenich, Givaudan, IFF, Symrise Launch Fragrance Council". Allured Business Media. Perfumer & Flavorist. 16 March 2021.
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