Ingredients maker Evolva has announced its multi-year R&D alliance with flavor & fragrance company Takasago is making headway, with milestones reached three months ahead of schedule.

This has resulted in a total milestone payment of CHF 1 million to Evolva.

The collaboration was forged in a bid to co-develop novel fermentation routes to produce several undisclosed ingredients (codename Tourmaline) with broad applications in the flavour and fragrance industry, with both parties equally sharing the costs the economic value derived from the manufacturing and commercialisation of final products.

Masayuki Mita, Senior Vice President of the Fragrance and Aroma Chemical Division at Takasago says, “Our project with Evolva is developing better than expected. Evolva’s team clearly proves to be very competent and focused. I am looking forward to further progress towards developing a competitive and sustainable production route for some of our key ingredients.”

The project will see the two companies applying Evolva’s fermentation technology platform to develop and optimise yeast strains for the sustainable and cost-effective production of the ingredients.