dsm-firmenich is unveiling major investment in India with the expansion of its Kerala seasonings plant as well as the breakground of its new cutting-edge Taste facility in Gujarat.
These 2 projects underscore the company’s long-term commitment to scaling local manufacturing, accelerating flavor innovation, and nurturing regional talent. Once operational, both sites will enhance dsm-firmenich’s capacity to serve customers in India and throughout Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
The expanded Thuravoor plant in Kerala will exclusively produce ethylene oxide-free seasonings — an eco-friendly, pioneering solution that anticipates regulatory shifts and advances clean-label innovation. From October 2025, the expansion will increase capacity, enabling faster speed-to-market and more tailored seasoning solutions for Asia and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat ’s Vadodara district, dsm-firmenich is investing in a 56,000 sq.metre greenfield Taste plant. Designed to deliver both sweet and savory flavors, through liquid compounding, dry blending, and encapsulation, the site will be operational in 4th quarter 2027. The facility will feature advanced green drying and agile encapsulation systems, automated packaging lines, and a dedicated quality-control lab, with a focus on high-growth categories such as beverages and sweet goods.
Rahul Jalan, President, India, dsm-firmenich said, “India’s culinary richness, customer proximity, culture of innovation, and skilled talent make it a key growth hub for dsm-firmenich. Our manufacturing investments will boost local supply chains, create jobs, and bring world-class technology closer to customers—advancing people, innovation, and sustainable growth while enabling a rapid response to market shifts.”
Both projects adopt sustainability practices, and they are powered by renewable electricity as well as utilising advanced water conservation measures.
dsm-firmenich launches next gen Dairy Safe™ cultures for preservative-free Cheeses
In a separate development, dsm-firmenich has just launched 4 new Dairy Safe™ cultures which are designed to enable additive-free formulation, delicious tastes, and spoilage protection for premium semi-hard, hard, and continental-style cheese varieties.
Presently, cheesemakers are under increasing pressure to deliver more cheese without the use of preservatives that need to be listed on ingredient labels. With 67% of European consumers avoiding foods which contain unfamiliar ingredients, and Americans regarding a food as safe when it is labelled as “natural,” “organic”, or “healthy”, cheesemakers are acutely aware of the need to reduce additives—in fact 10% of all cheese launches now carry an “additive-free” claim.
dsm-firmenich gives cheesemakers a label-friendly way to protect against spoilage and costly downgrades. Unlike other common preservation methods like lysozyme and nitrate, Dairy Safe™ cultures support label-friendly cheese production, are non-dairy allergen free, work across various milk varieties, and enable a high-value whey output.
The new strains are also more temperature robust than the previous generation, meaning they accommodate the production of a greater variety of cheese types. Alongside assured bioprotection, the new cultures deliver more consistent acidification, reliable gas production for uniform and attractive eye formation, faster flavor development, and enhanced overall flavor intensity.
In scientific terms, Dairy Safe™ cultures contain the unique combination of both nisin-producing strains as well as nisin-immune strains with the newly launched rotations producing a higher concentration of nisin than any other solutions on the market. The nisin-producing and acidifying Lactococcus lactis strains effectively prevent butyric acid fermentation and inactivate other gram-positive spoilage bacteria such as Clostridia tyrobutyricum, which prevents late blowing, and the formation of slits and cracks. The nisin-immune starter culture strains ensure consistent acidification and taste with a similar performance to standard direct-to-vat starter cultures. Dairy Safe™ cultures come in 2 taste directions—buttery savory or sweet bouillon—and are suitable for use with cow, goat, or sheep milk and support organic claims.
