Givaudan, the world leader in creating game-changing innovations in food and beverage, opened the doors to its first Consumer & Sensory Insights Centre (CSI centre) in Africa in October 2022. This CSI centre is set to bring Givaudan’s consumer and sensory research capabilities closer to their customers in Africa.
“It is an absolute thrill to open the CSI Centre right here in Johannesburg. The food industry is facing profound disruption, driven by rapidly changing consumer and customer needs. Our newly opened CSI centre will help us unlock local consumer insights and analyse technical sensory data to enhance our capabilities in creating food experiences that are loved by consumers. The centre aims to support our customers to co-create innovative products leveraging these unique insights and capabilities,” said Antoine Khalil, SAMEA Commercial Head, Taste & Wellbeing at Givaudan.
The new centre features state-of-the-art equipment and software, including sensory labs that are optimised for descriptive and discrimination testing as well as consumer research. It utilises special sensory software to run live data analysis while panelists feed in their evaluations. The centre includes an area for sample preparation, fully equipped booths for product testing and a multi-purpose meeting area for sensory and consumer discussions.
Since Givaudan was first established in Switzerland more than 250 years ago, there purpose has been to create happier, healthier lives with a love of nature. The opening of their new CSI centre can help them do just that and better connect with their African market.
Givaudan South Africa
- Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing South Africa was established in 1956.
- The South African team consists of 220 people with experts in production, sales, R&D and food sciences servicing clients across 43 African countries.
- The South African operations comprise of a sales and marketing division, research and development teams, production factory, compounding laboratories and the newly established Consumer and Sensory Insights Centre.
- The site is home to three compounding laboratories covering the sweet, savoury and beverages categories
- Givaudan operates one factory out of South Africa that produces liquid and powder flavours.
