Symrise Opens Global Citrus Center in Brazil

Symrise is continuing to expand its expertise in the field of natural citrus flavorings, On November 14, 2008, the fragrance and flavoring manufacturer is opening a global citrus center in Sorocaba, Brazil.

14/11/08 The new Global Citrus Center is located in the Brazilian citrus belt in direct proximity to the world's most important regions where high-quality citrus fruits are grown. By having immediate access to such excellent raw materials and developing innovative proprietary technologies, Symrise will continue to solidify its market position in the field of citrus flavorings.

To make this happen, in Sorocaba the production capacities for spray-drying were tripled, and an environmentally friendly thermal oxidation facility was installed. With the help of optimized distillation equipment, citrus specialties can be made on a production scale. The Global Citrus Competence Center will develop and manufacture citrus flavorings and products such as terpenes, washings & extracts of citrus oils, folding of citrus oils, specialty oils and fractions via isolation and distillation, SBD dry emulsions, fruit juices and extracts.

Another addition is a pilot plant and a production plant for proprietary Symrise technologies such as SymTrap, an energy-conserving technology for recapturing top-quality natural flavoring components that are usually lost when citrus fruits are industrially processed. A specially designed “Citrus Room” will offer inspiration to clients and employees alike.

Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, Global President, Flavor & Nutrition, explains the role that the site expansion has in the company's business strategy: “For quite some time, we have been pursuing a strategy of securing paths of direct access to high-quality raw materials in our central product categories. This allows us to guarantee optimal and dependable supply lines. Our clients can count on absolute reliability and transparency in tracking the origins of our raw materials. The long-term partnerships we have had with important citrus processing sites in South America give us control over every aspect of the supply chain, so we can vouch for sustainability. In Brazil we are actively working with and seeking new cooperative endeavors with citrus processors, growers, research institutes and NGOs. These projects are designed to focus our green technologies on strategically developing the Citrus business. Along with our decades of experience, our creative competence and our knowledge of the market, this makes us an indispensible partner in the field of citrus flavorings.”

Hans Holger Gliewe, President of the Latin American region, Flavor & Nutrition, adds, “Brazil and Argentina have become the most important citrus-producing region. In the meantime, Brazil yields over twice as many fruits as Florida; over 50% of all of the world's oranges come from here. In Sorocaba, we not only benefit from good weather all year round and our network of reliable business partners, but from our energy supply there, which will remain price-stable in the long run. Having direct proximity to Argentina, the most important lemon processor, is a major issue for us as well.”

“The goals for expanding the site are to keep enhancing the authenticity, sensory properties and quality levels of the natural citrus flavorings in the Symrise portfolio, to guarantee our clients a reliable long-term supply, to intensify client support on site, and to optimize the value-added chain for citrus with a special emphasis on environmental sustainability. In our effort to create products which are inspired by the research we do about prospective mega trends, our NATURALLY CITRUS! brand reflects a blend of nature and technology. Our wide range of next-generation citrus flavors and ingredients allows our customers to reinvent their brands by adding the emotional and sensorial values that arise from trends,” says Erlon Pereira, Global Director, Citrus Business Development.

By the year 2012, two additional construction phases will be complete, and the size of the facility Sorocaba will have been expanded by a total of 30,000m².