FIRMENICH SECURES STRATEGIC RIGHTS WITH LAYN TO LEAD IN NATURAL SWEETENERS

Geneva, Switzerland, September 13, 2018 – Firmenich has entered a strategic agreement with Layn Natural Ingredients, a leader in premium, plant-based sweeteners, flavors and botanicals. Advancing its leadership in taste, this agreement will give Firmenich exclusive access to the widest range of natural sweeteners and taste modulation extracts in the industry. Based in Guangxi, China, with direct access to the country’s most pristine botanicals, Layn uses state-of-the-art extraction technologies to produce a range of natural sweeteners and extracts, such as Monk Fruit (LuoHan) and stevia, for which Firmenich will have the worldwide rights.

“With this game-changing partnership, Firmenich will have access to the broadest range of natural sweeteners in the industry,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO of Firmenich. “This critical milestone strengthens our leadership and capabilities in taste, to best support our customers in shaping natural and healthier products for consumers to enjoy.”

“We are delighted to partner with Firmenich and to build on their expertise and scale to amplify our market coverage worldwide,” said Mr Ben Jun Qin, Chairman of Layn Natural Ingredients Corporation. “This agreement will allow Layn to better serve our existing customers and reach many new ones, allowing us to invest more in agronomy and in the extraction of high performance natural ingredients,” he concluded.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Firmenich will become the exclusive distributor of Layn’s natural sweetener ingredients for all international markets outside of China and for its key customers in China, while Layn will continue to service its existing clients for the duration of those commitments. With the most complete set of natural sweetener capabilities, Firmenich is now actively involved across the entire natural sweetener value chain, from the early stages of agronomy to developing foods and beverages of the future. Consistent with Firmenich’s strategic partnerships at source, this agreement aims to ensure the highest quality, as well as the most innovative, traceable and responsibly-sourced raw materials.

Firmenich will combine Layn’s natural sweetener ingredients with its taste modulation technologies and flavors to create integrated taste solutions with a sugar-like sweetness profile and mouthfeel. The two companies will work together to ensure the widest market coverage and best service in the growing market for natural healthy products.

 

About Firmenich

Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned company in the fragrance and flavor business. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, it has created many of the world’s best-known perfumes and flavors that billions of consumers enjoy each day. Its passion for smell and taste is at the heart of its success. It is renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its thought leadership in sustainability and exceptional understanding of consumer trends. Each year, it invests 10% of its turnover in R&D, reflecting its continuous desire to understand, share and sublimate the best that nature has to offer. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.34 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2017.

About Layn

Layn Corp. is a global leader in the vertically integrated production of premium-quality, plant-based sweeteners, flavors and botanicals. Founded in 1995, Layn pioneered the natural high-potency sweetener industry, and has been advancing its innovative ingredients for over two decades. Layn’s ingredients are uniquely designed to meet the needs of global food, beverage and nutraceutical manufacturers. Its portfolio of monk fruit, stevia extracts and other functional botanicals, delivers superior taste profiles, a focus on sustainability, and proprietary formulations to satisfy a broad range of specific applications. Visit www.layncorp.com.