Boost for beverages: Symrise nets agricultural sustainability verification for hibiscus
17 Jun 2022 --- Symrise has achieved a gold level certification by SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) for sustainably sourcing hibiscus. The company claims to be the first in the industry to receive the recognition. This includes the promotion of sustainability across its agricultural practices in various crops and regions, supply chains and its use of water and soil.
The company says that verified hibiscus brings a boost to beverages as it ensures the products containing the ingredient become part of wider sustainable consumption. Additionally, verifying the hibiscus also promotes the quality of products in cosmetics using the ingredient.
This sets the foundation for sustainable success for the company, bringing it closer to its goal of 100% sustainably sourcing all “strategic” biological raw materials by 2025.
For the industry, the certification means that there is environmentally and agriculturally safe access to hibiscus as a raw material. The SAI verification audit began in December 2021.
Modern extraction
Symrise sources its hibiscus from Aswan, Egypt and has been with the local partner El Mahaba for more than 25 years.
The collaboration allows Symrise to access the raw material’s source and provide opportunities to establish sustainable supply chains. 
Symrise aims to sustainably source all its strategic biological raw materials by 2025.
“Our collaboration with El Mahaba and the local farmers supports those directly involved and the entire region. In addition, the sustainable cultivation of hibiscus that we promote conserves resources and thus contributes to climate protection,” says Laurence Briand, sustainable development manager at Symrise.
Its use of modern extraction methods also saves water consumption while increasing the yield for the hibiscus color.
Why agricultural sustainability?
The hibiscus plant is noted to grow in arid regions like Egypt and also requires considerable manual labor.
The harvest and separation of the seed from the calyx are required to reproduce the plant by hand, shares the company.
To address the needs of the next generation of hibiscus farmers, Symrise intends to advance its holistic and collaborative approach under a program to support the farmers.
Also, independent third-party audits will be carried out on the farm every three years to maintain verification. This will include asking the farmers and operating groups to evaluate and grade their social, environmental, economic, and general management practices.
As part of Symrise’s 2025 goal, it aims to add value along the supply chain and expand its portfolio of sustainable raw materials.
Hibiscus spotlights in NPD
The hibiscus plant is noted to grow in arid regions like Egypt and also requires considerable manual labor. The flower is also a superfood that can be used as a functional, flavorsome and brightly colored ingredient. Moreover, Symrise previously worked with Millennials to establish taste profiles and found that they mainly used and enjoyed mint, ginger, hibiscus, elderflower and basil.
The versatile ingredient is also featured in cocktails, water-based beverages, chocolates and confectionery, desserts, bakeries and ice cream.
In June, Bozu introduced a peach and hibiscus carbonated and sugar-free hard iced tea infused with a dash of vodka to the Dutch beverage market.
Additionally, Toodaloo combined food and skin health with its previous adaptogenic trail mix launch, containing a cacao blend of raw and sprouted almonds, cashews, coconut chips, blueberries and an “adaptogenic tonic” of hibiscus flower, sea buckthorn, white rose & goji berry tonic to support skin health and holistic balance.
Apart from food and beverages, hibiscus has also been noted to be used within hair oils for balancing the scalp microbiome by GRW for Hair. Additionally, singer-songwriter Alicia Keys Soulcare Soft Stay Brow Gel contains bamboo and hibiscus flowers.
Edited by Venya Patel
