For the second time, a group of perfumers traveled to Madagascar. They researched raw materials, sought out inspiration for fragrance creations and developed unique qualities that are superior to standard materials. They also got to better know the island and its biodiversity and promoted contact with farmers and raw material producers.
The journey is often its own reward in the field of perfume creation. With this in mind, the travelers worked their way through a range of Madagascar’s flora during their Scent Expedition. Whenever possible, the scent researchers took the opportunity to study the exotic blossoms, leaves, woods and roots in their natural environment. After all, on this island off the coast of Africa, each corner of the rainforest has its own distinct smell. The perfumers carefully examined these scents and the raw materials they are made of. Their encounters with new fragrances, in turn, has inspired their creations. The explorers’ impressions will turn up in fragrance creations for customers around the world – in fine perfumes and countless applications for personal care and household perfumes.
Top-notch natural materials are key to creating quality fragrance applications. Therefore, the experts studied the quality of examined raw materials from various producers. In addition to evaluating a material’s quality, the Scent Expedition group also considered factors such as commitment to sustainability and the site’s working and cultivation conditions. These factors will play a role in deciding whether Symrise works with a particular producer.
A highly desired raw material for fine perfumes is bourbon vanilla, cultivated in Madagascar. At the Symrise location in Benavony, the expedition participants learned more about the extraction of this valuable raw material. The perfumers visited more local producers to study the qualities, cultivation and the production sites of further raw materials. Some of these natural materials made it into the Symrise perfume portfolio right away.
If they are cultivated sustainably, these raw materials have a good chance of gaining entry at Symrise’s raw material portfolio. This will also further backward integration at Symrise, where the company emphasizes working with local producers who are involved in sustainability programs. Symrise also values cooperation with non-governmental organizations and local farmers’ cooperatives.
“It partially depends on whether the essential oils themselves come from sustainable sources. When they do, Symrise ensures that it is supplying customers and consumers with top-quality products in keeping with Symrise’s high quality standards. This allows us to develop unique qualities that are superior to standard materials,” Dr. Torsten Kulke, Head of Fragrance and Oral CareResearch at Symrise says.
“Consumers today are paying close attention to whether their fragrances contain sustainable raw materials,” Béatrice Mouleyre, SVP Global Fine Frangrance at Symrise, explains. “The raw materials and inspirations brought back from Madagascar meet this demand excellently. Be it fine perfumes, personal care, household perfumes, fragrances, oral care or cosmetic ingredients, we take all these aspects into consideration in our fragrance creations.”
The excursion was a success: Symrise was able to enrich their raw material palette and improve backward integration. The trip also supported Symrise’s further development of one-of-a-kind fragrance creations for consumers. Through their adventures, the perfumers gained experience and knowledge from Madagascar’s many worlds of fragrance.
About Symrise
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic base materials and substances, as well as functional ingredients. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of nutritional supplements and pet food.
Its sales of more than € 2.1 billion in the 2014 fiscal year place Symrise among the top three companies in the global flavors and fragrances market. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Group is represented in over 40 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Latin America.
Symrise works with its clients to develop new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked as part of this process. Symrise thus takes sustainability into account in every part of its corporate strategy. The company was awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2012. In 2013, Symrise was certified as a “Green Company” by DQS. Symrise – always inspiring more…
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Christina Witter
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E-mail: christina.witter@symrise.com