10 Jun 2010 --- Symrise AG is strengthening its global market leadership in the manufacture of synthetic menthol by significantly expanding production capacities. The company plans to double its existing capacity by the middle of 2012. With this project which aims at a strategically important growth market, Symrise is intensifying its alliance with Lanxess AG, which supplies Symrise with intermediate products in this segment. The move comes just over a week after BASF announced that is constructing a new production plant for the aroma chemical L-menthol at the company's Ludwigshafen site.

"We want to extend our leadership in this field," Bernhard Kott at Symrise told FoodIngredientsFirst.  "It is a growing area in which we have been present since 1993 around when we achieved a patent in the synthesis of l-menthol". Kott said that double-digit growth sales were achieved for Symrise's ingredient during the first years, but their l-menthol sales are still growing much faster than the overall flavor market growth of 3%.  "What we are offering is a blend of compounds, while BASF is offering a single ingredient, which is new for them," he explained. 

Symrise manufactures synthetic L-menthol at its plants in Holzminden and Bushy Park (USA). Menthol is an important ingredient in flavors for oral hygiene products, chewing gum and candy and one of the most important products of Symrise worldwide. The demand for menthol has been growing at a double-digit rate for years.

The capacity expansion is part of Symrise’s strategy to secure its own raw material base for important core products. The additional capacities are scheduled to be available in the middle of 2012.

Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, Chief Executive Officer of Symrise AG, said: “Symrise is already the global market leader in menthol production. The doubling of capacities sends a strong signal to our customers as we are further strengthening our competitiveness in this strategically important segment and we will further grow with menthols. Our customers will benefit from a secure supply of menthol and menthol-based flavors as well as an expanded product portfolio with new menthol properties.

“Our capacity extension represents a consequent step, given the continued strong growth in demand for menthol,” added Dr. Norbert Richter, Senior Vice President of the business unit Aroma Molecules. “We move in lock-step with Lanxess, our partner of many years, which recently announced plans to also significantly expand production capacity for menthol intermediate products. This guarantees supply security along the entire value added chain.”

Dr. Hans-Georg Schmitt, head of the business unit Basic Chemicals at Lanxess AG, said: “With this step we are further expanding the cooperative relations between Symrise and Lanxess.”