Fi Europe 2025 live: Givaudan showcases synergistic offerings by “decoding emotional associations with F&B”

Givaudan is presenting its portfolio of natural solutions across beverage, savory, and sweet applications at Fi Europe 2025, which starts today in Paris, France. Demonstrating synergies between its ingredients, colors, and flavors, the company is showcasing how its consumer understanding and application knowledge come together to create food and beverages that are functional and don’t compromise on taste.

Food Ingredients First speaks with Givaudan about its innovations live from the show floor.

Decoding consumer desires 

For Fi Europe concepts, Givaudan drew inspiration from its Moods & Emotions 2.0 research. This proprietary study, involving 76,000 consumers across 13 European countries, uses behavioral data to reveal how different sensory cues influence mood states and emotional expectations. 

According to Givaudan, these insights helped shape concepts that bring to life the company’s philosophy of “taste the goodness, feel the benefits,” ensuring each creation delivers both delight and emotional resonance. 

By decoding emotional associations, Givaudan helps brands align more precisely with consumer expectations and perceptions, ultimately increasing product liking. 

Margit Van Hasselt, global marketing manager, Givaudan, Taste & Wellbeing, tells us: “Our Moods & Emotions 2.0 is an advanced framework for understanding and applying consumers’ emotional associations in F&B design. The study captured both explicit and implicit behavioral measures across a panel of European consumers, enabling an evidence-based understanding of how ingredients influence emotional, functional, and conceptual responses.”

Beverages ideations 

The value of the company’s proprietary consumer research is brought to life through one of Givaudan’s beverage concepts, “Sunrise Salut.” Van Hasselt says it is “an uplifting blend of citrus and botanical notes designed to revitalize both body and mind — perfect for an energizing start to the morning or a refreshing afternoon boost.”

Insights from the Food for Health consumer study reveal that yerba maté and Panax ginseng are strongly associated with energizing benefits, she outlines. “Ginger adds taste and complexity to the recipe, while our Moods & Emotions 2.0 research shows that consumers link ginger with gut health and emotional energy. To further enhance the concept, we incorporated the natural flavour yuzu, which consumers also associate with energy and vitality.”

Givaudan’s range of functional beverages delivers hydration and energy from natural sources and is enhanced by vibrant colors such as Vegebrite black carrot concentrate. 

Givaudan’s application experts have created a series of functional beverages, savory, and sweet goods concepts to be unveiled at Fi Europe.According to Van Hasselt, consumers today demand more from their food and beverages; producers need to deliver everything — great taste, naturalness, balanced nutrition, visual appeal, emotional uplift, and credible functional benefits. 

“That’s where Givaudan’s multi-sensorial approach creates real value,” she shares. “By combining botanical ingredients, natural color solutions, and advanced flavor technologies, the company helps brands to achieve this harmony in a single formulation. The science behind its Moods & Emotions 2.0 insights guides what flavors, colors, and botanicals best evoke emotions, while its technical expertise ensures performance and stability across product types.”

Active and indulgent offerings

Two other standout examples from Fi Europe demonstrate how Givaudan integrates natural functionality with emotional and sensorial appeal: Sporty‑T and the new chocolate concepts.

One highlight is a functional beverage inspired by active lifestyles, designed to hydrate, restore, and uplift, while maintaining a clean, natural profile. It combines coconut water, nature’s botanicals, natural flavors, and vivid natural colors for a healthy yet uplifting sensorial experience.

“On the indulgent side, Givaudan’s chocolate concepts show that wellness and pleasure can absolutely coexist,” Van Hasselt continues. “They explore new combinations of plant‑based ingredients, bright natural hues, and flavor pairings that evoke feel‑good emotions. Fruit inclusions bring visual appeal and a multi-sensory experience.”

“Together, these creations offer a taste of what today’s consumers demand — multisensory, emotionally engaging, naturally functional concepts,” says Van Hasselt. 

“Flavor identity and intensity aside, color is central to how consumers experience emotion and mood. Givaudan’s Vegebrite and Michroma ranges, both of which draw on botanical sources, including black carrot and beetroot, as well as safflower and caramel, help create vibrant, stable hues that meet the demand for clean, recognizable ingredients.”

“It’s about translating emotional intent into visual cues that signal wellness, positivity, and authenticity. At Fi Europe, visitors are invited to explore how we bring to life the power of color, flavor, and ingredients, co-creating and collaborating on new creative possibilities for F&B innovations,” she explains. 

“From naturally sourced botanicals such as yerba mate and ginseng to energizing ingredients like acerola for natural vitamin C, and gut-friendly ingredients like OatWell for wholesome snack applications and ginger tailored for refreshing beverage formats, we offer and bring together a uniquely comprehensive toolbox.”

With additional reporting by Joshua Poole at Fi Europe 2025 in Paris, France