USA – Swiss multinational food ingredients supplier Givaudan is on track to acquire DDW, The Color House, a US-based colors company, as part of a 2025 strategy to expand the company’s global Taste & Wellbeing business.
Headquartered in Kentucky, US, DDW is a privately-held company specializing in natural colors, with 12 global manufacturing facilities.
The company has developed a crucial market position from its origins in the brewing industry through its capabilities in caramel colors.
Its acquisition is expected to help Givaudan become a key player in natural colors, diversify its color portfolio and elevate food experiences through taste solutions.
Louie D’Amico, president of Taste & Wellbeing at Givaudan, says the combination of both companies will enable Givaudan to become the number two global player in natural colors.
He believes the move will help build a worldwide natural color platform and strengthen the company’s ability to create multi-sensorial food experiences.
“DDW’s product portfolio provides an extension to Givaudan’s current offering and footprint in colors and will bring many complementarities to our current business,” D’Amico notes.
D’Amico further highlights how DDW will bring Givaudan a broad portfolio of products across natural colors, coloring foods, caramel colors and burnt sugars.
“DDW has a robust innovation pipeline for stable natural blue, natural brown, green and red, which supports the development of a diversified color portfolio,” he adds.
Demand for natural colours rise
Earlier, Nathalie Pauleau, global product manager for natural colors at Givaudan, noted that consumer demand for natural products with perceived benefits has increased as consumers look to improve their lifestyles to reinforce immunity.
According to Pauleau, the demand for natural colors is on the rise outside of traditional concepts such as confectionery.
In the same month, Givaudan revealed it was reorganizing its Taste & Wellbeing product portfolio, centering on three food experiences that “inspire, feel good and do good” for consumers.
In this space, “layered wellness” and functional ingredients were tipped to star in NPD, as previously highlighted by Givaudan.
Last week, the flavors supplier unveiled its research on “mindful drinking,” sharing insights into what consumers are looking for in low- and no-alcohol drinks.
Givaudan 9-month sales rise 7%
Meanwhile, in the first 9 months of this year, Givaudan recorded sales of CHF 5,067 million (US$5,461 million), an increase of 7.7% on a like-for-like basis and 5.8% in Swiss francs.
Taste & Wellbeing sales were CHF 2,716 million US$2,928 million), an increase of 7.2% on a like-for-like basis and an increase of 4.8% in Swiss francs.
The company reveals that strong growth was achieved across all product segments and geographies, with the mature markets growing at 6.6% and the high growth markets at 9.2% on a like-for-like basis.
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