Food

Recent developments

Performance and demand

Symrise H1 2026 sales reached €2.54bn with Q2 organic growth of 4.5% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 21.8%. Food & Beverage advanced mid‑ to high‑single digits; Pet Food softened as pricing normalized; logistics costs were higher amid Middle East tensions. Clariant posted an 18.2% Q2 EBITDA margin, with pricing up 3% and volumes down 3.3%.

Portfolio reshaping

IFF agreed to divest botanical extracts, vitamins & minerals, and food enhancement activities to SuanNutra (about $170m 2025 revenue; ~600 employees across five sites in Europe, the United States and Latin America), with closing targeted by end‑2026. Symrise submitted a binding offer for Floral Concept to expand premium naturals in Fine Fragrance.

Supply chain and energy

A government review at the Port of Rotterdam evaluated containerized food logistics resilience and discussed investment constraints including grid congestion and nitrogen‑related permitting. The tour included Holland Hydrogen 1, described as Europe’s largest green‑hydrogen project using offshore wind power, highlighting planned low‑carbon hydrogen supply for industrial users.

Regulatory and legal

Clariant gained expanded FDA approval for rigid PVC food‑contact uses of Licocare RBW. The Amsterdam District Court also dismissed damages claims by Shell and Stichting Ethylene Claims related to alleged buyer information exchanges and ethylene MCP effects, while Clariant advanced cost measures and reported lower Scope 1–3 emissions.