Givaudan inaugurates new Science and Technology Sensory Centre of Excellence in UK

Global flavour and fragrances company Givaudan has opened a new Science and Technology Sensory Centre of Excellence at its Ashford site in the UK.

The Switzerland-based firm’s new centre aims to bring together the evaluation and measurement of perfume benefits.

For the use of the Sensory Analysis, Measurement Science and Sensory Neuro science teams, the new facility is equipped with laboratories and evaluation rooms.

Givaudan fragrance division head Michael Carlos said odour evaluation is the firm’s core business.

"This investment gives our scientists state-of-the-art facilities in which to measure fragrance performance and to precisely understand the effect of different climates, conditions and equipment upon perfume performance," Carlos added.

The firm said the new facility has been developed with digital management systems, which facilitate precise temperature and humidity control, and can mimic the expected conditions of any given environment.

According to the company, the specialist evaluation rooms and controlled testing booths are enabled with malodour experiments to aid the development of fragrance functionality for personal and homecare products in realistic environments that ape end product use.

The building’s air handling system is designed to keep an odour-neutral environment.

Givaudan said the set of fragrance evaluation booths supports uniform odour evaluation by trained panellists involved with testing fragrance for everything from shampoos and fine fragrance to household laundry and cleaning products.

The firm is planning to provide the data collected at the new facilities to its perfumers and fragrance development managers, as well as vital information for its research programmes.