Global flavours, fragrance and ingredients firm Mane marks its 150th anniversary

French-based flavours, fragrance and ingredients business Mane is celebrating its 150th anniversary, with the company having developed a number of solutions aimed at the confectionery sector, reports Neill Barston.

The company, with its employee base of 6,500 has extensive global facilities totalling 50 research centres, 27 production sites and operating in 39 countries across the broader food and drink sector, as well as operating within consumer goods markets.

Its flavours division in particular has developed strong applications within the confectionery sector, working within candies, snacks and other product ranges including chocolate spreads.

Last month, the business opened its latest Innovation Centre at Angamaly, India (below), which was inaugurated at a virtual ceremony by Jean Mane, President of MANE on the 16th of September 2021. Mr. Geemon Korah, Director, CEO at Mane Kancor also addressed the employees during the virtual event.

The 24,000 Sq.ft building is set in a vast stretch of land and is one of the biggest buildings of the company’s campus. The advanced facility integrates all the research activities and product development initiatives in one comprehensive site with the support of expert analytical teams and top-of-the-line technologies.

As the company explained, its key area of focus will be in natural shelf-life solutions, natural colour solutions, culinary taste solutions, personal care ingredients and nutraceutical products. To support the research and development activities the centre has dedicated areas for sophisticated analytical instruments and storage solutions for raw materials, solvents, control samples, utility, sample preparation and more.

Proud history

With its broad area of specialism, the business can trace its roots to 1871, when Victor Mane who  lived near Grasse in the south of France, famed for its natural beauty was his inspiration to start producing fragrant materials from local flowers and plants.

Beginning as a small distillery, his venture has since become one of the world’s leading specialists in flavours and fragrance. Throughout its history, the company has been continually managed by the Mane family.

Victor’s sons, Eugène and Gabriel, modernised the business and began its international growth. In 1959, Eugène’s son, Maurice Mane, took the company reins, and successfully oversaw its continued expansion until his retirement in 1995. He then became Chairman of the Supervisory Board, leaving his eldest son, Jean, as President of the Mane Group, and his other son, Michel, as President of the Americas Region.

“To paraphrase Goethe, we have continually shaped a better future by building on the foundations of the past,” explained Jean Mane of the company’s achievements.

Today, Samantha Mane, Jean’s daughter, serves as Director of the EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa) Region. Over the last decade, the fifth generation of the Mane family has started to join the Group to continue the family business.

In terms of the extent of its contributions, the business has delivered a number of innovations. This includes inventing Jungle essence, a unique technique for capturing fragile scents and tastes. It went on to create E Pure Jungle Essence, using an eco-friendly extraction
process, modernising the tradition of enfleurage to render the true profile of fresh flowers.

The company  has also developed its own proprietary encapsulation processes, allowing its customers to tailor their products to a wide range of needs. The company’s invention of flavour capsules for chewing gum sparked a revolution in America.

Earlier this year in celebration of its anniversary, the company unveiled its Source umbrella brand which gathers together a full portfolio of natural aromatic ingredients from more traditional ones such as extracts, essential oils and traditional culinary preparations.

Regarding its recent site developments, In 2020, the company also delivered an Innovation Centre in South Africa and new production sites are soon set to open in India and China.

Due to open in 2023, its new R&D Centre in La Sarrée, France, will be central hub for innovation, featuring pilot lines, test platforms and an extraction laboratory. It will also house Mane3, a platform for start-ups and co-working.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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