Top 5 Fragrance Headlines of December 2024

1. Why Unilever is Building an In-house Fragrance House

Consumer goods company Unilever has announced a €100 million investment into its own fragrance house to drive in-house innovation. The move also resets its relationship with fragrance suppliers. The company is planning to recruit expert perfumers in the United Kingdom, United States, and India to work across the global portfolio of brands. Additionally, the new fragrance house will use digitally enabled fragrance design through new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

2. The Rolling Stones Launch Debut Fine Fragrance

Rock band The Rolling Stones announced the launch of their first fine fragrance, RS No. 9. This fragrance was created in partnership with Nirvana Brands and Bravado. The fragrance is inspired by the band’s memories of London’s Soho in 1962, when the Rolling Stones played their first show. Further, the name and bottle design are inspired by the band’s storefront on Carnaby Street.

3. Pantone Announces Scent Collab with Pura to Debut 2025 Color of The Year, Mocha Mousse

On December 5, 2024, Pura, the smart home fragrance company was announced as one of Pantone’s official brand partners in celebration of Pantone’s selection of 17-1230 Mocha Mousse as the Color of the Year 2025. Mocha Mousse is “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness,” according to Pantone, offering a nurturing gourmand impression evoking comfort. As Pantone’s first home fragrance brand partner, Pura will launch a limited edition diffuser matching the Mocha Mousse colorway in addition to a set of two fragrances inspired by the color, Mocha Moments and Mocha Suede, available January 21, 2025.

4. dsm-firmenich AG Sells All Stake in Robertet S.A.

On November 21, 2024, Swiss flavor and fragrance company dsm-firmenich AG announced that it successfully sold all of its ordinary shares in supplier Robertet S.A. dsm-firmenich now no longer retains any shares in Robertet.

5. Sabrina Carpenter Announces Launch of Me Espresso Eau de Parfum

Grammy-nominated singer Sabrina Carpenter announced a new addition to her collection of fragrances with Scent Beauty: Me Espresso Eau de Parfum. This scent is described as sexy, feminine, and sweet, and features the brand’s signature chocolate bar-shaped packaging.

Top 5 Flavor Headlines of December 2024

1. dsm-firmenich Announces ‘Milky Maple’ as the Flavor of the Year for 2025

Flavor and fragrance manufacturer dsm-firmenich announced “Milky Maple” as the flavor of the year for 2025. This flavor combines the softness of milk with the natural sweetness of maple. Maple is a staple flavor in North America, derived from the sap of select maple tree species. This natural flavor offers a sweetness with warm, earthy undertones and a deep brown color. Consumers have increasingly turned to maple as an alternative to traditional sweeteners. dsm-firmenich’s trend analysts have observed the increased appeal in maple flavors since 2019 as it becomes a versatile ingredient used in Europe and Asia.

2. 2025 Food & Beverage Trends: A Cohesive Look at Evolving Consumer Preferences

Unfortunately, the flavor industry doesn’t have a crystal to predict consumer trends, but thankfully what it does have is high-level research platforms to evaluate current purchasing behaviors that can inform future habits. Toward the end of 2024, headlines were buzzing with 2025 trend predictions, P&F+ looked through each to align these predictions into 4 aligning trends. This convergence of trends is shaped by cultural dynamics, health awareness, and a craving for unique, personalized experiences. Reports from FlavorSum, Mintel, and ADM offer a comprehensive view of how brands are innovating to meet these demands.

3. T. Hasegawa Releases 2025 Flavor Trends, Announces Flavor of the Year

Flavor supplier T. Hasegawa released its annual Flavor Trends report for 2025. This report outlines trends related to flavors, consumers, and ingredients, as well as predicting a flavor of the year. Brown sugar is the 2025 flavor of the year, according to the analysts at T. Hasegawa. This flavor was chosen for its variety of applications across culinary traditions, including baked goods, breakfast foods, and sauces.

4. Solutions for Natural Citrus Flavors Amid Supply Disruptions

Across the food industry, solutions are needed to overcome challenges associated with environmental changes, while also keeping what’s best for the planet in mind. This holds especially true for the citrus arena. As the planet becomes hotter and drier, the citrus-producing regions of the world are struggling with unpredictable crops of core fruits, including orange, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and lime. At the same time, citrus greening disease has spread rapidly, lessening the yields of already-challenged harvests in Brazil, Florida, Mexico and beyond.

5. 9 Little Used Aroma Chemicals to Create A Luxurious Vanilla Flavor According to A Principal Flavorist

What flavor chemist isn’t a little bored with vanilla flavors? Principal Flavorist at Bell Flavors & Fragrances Cyndie Lipka outlines nine compounds that can be used when making a vanilla-flavored product.