# Givaudan

Givaudan S.A. (pronounced) 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.

## 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 areas:
* Taste & Wellbeing offers flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions for the food industry (savoury, dairy, sweets and beverages).
* Fragrance & Beauty creates fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions for personal care, fabric care, hygiene, home care, fine fragrances, and beauty.
Givaudan's flavours and fragrances are usually custom-made and sold under confidentiality agreements. Givaudan uses ScentTrek, a technology that captures the chemical makeup of smell from living plants. The company has locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. 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.
In 2024, The Swiss group has announced a partnership with e-retailer TMall to support growing local demand for fragrance products.
The company’s purpose of ‘Creating for happier, healthier lives with love for nature. Let’s imagine together’ is focused in four domains: creations, nature, people and communities. The company's ambitions include doubling its business through creations that contribute to happier, healthier lives by 2030, becoming climate positive before 2050, becoming a leading employer for inclusion before 2025 and sourcing all materials and services in a way that protects the environment and people by 2030. Givaudan’s purpose goal areas are in line with its strategy and ambitions for 2025.
Givaudan is a member of the European Flavour Association. Major competitors include Firmenich, International Flavors and Fragrances and Symrise.

## History

From its historic roots in Grasse in 1768 to the acquisition of Custom Essence in 2021, Givaudan has pursued a historic policy of invention and acquisition, of creativity, passion and innovation, enriching the world of scents and taste. The company was founded as a perfumery company in 1895 in Lyon, France by Leon and Xavier Givaudan. In 1898, Givaudan moved to Geneva, Switzerland and constructed a factory in Vernier. 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. 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. The company later moved to East Hanover, New Jersey.

### Givaudan-Roure

In 1991 Givaudan and Roure were merged to form Givaudan-Roure. Also in 1991, the company bought Fritzsche, Dodge and Olcott. In 1997 Givaudan-Roure acquired another flavor company, Tastemaker, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The merger made Givaudan the largest flavor company in the world. 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.

### 2000s

In 2002 Givaudan acquired FIS, the flavors division of Nestle, for which Nestle received a 10% stake in the company. The following year, Givaudan purchased the cheese flavor company IBF. In 2004 the company expanded its operations in China, which had been in place since the 1990s.
On 22 November 2006, Givaudan announced the acquisition of Quest International to be completed Q1 2007. 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. 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. The acquisition of Quest boosted Givaudan's sales by 42% from CHF 2,909 million in 2006 to CHF 4,132 million in 2007.
In 2013 Nestle sold its share in Givaudan for $1.3 billion. By 2014 the company had about US$4.6 billion in revenues. That year, the company had its first acquisition since Quest, purchasing Soliance. Givaudan also released the TasteSolutions Richness line of flavors. 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.
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.
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.
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.

## 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.
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.