IFF, a world leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences, has been recognized for its work in Innovation, Investments, and Marketing in the 2025 Just Drinks Excellence Awards for its achievements in advancing citrus solutions, driving research and development, and implementing impactful marketing strategies.
The Just Drinks Excellence Awards honor the most significant achievements and innovations in the beverage industry. Powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, the Awards recognize the people and companies leading positive change and shaping the future of the industry.
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IFF won the Innovation award in the Citrus Ecosystem category for its comprehensive approach to advancing citrus ingredient solutions. The company received the Investments award in the Research and Development (R&D) category for its significant commitment to research and development in the citrus category. The Marketing award was presented in the Empathy Marketing category for IFF’s pioneering strategies in addressing emerging consumer needs through an empathy-driven GLP-1 campaign.
Advancing citrus innovation: IFF’s holistic ecosystem approach
IFF’s recognition for Innovation is grounded in its development of a holistic, end-to-end citrus ecosystem that redefines how citrus ingredients are created, applied, and experienced. The Citrus Innovation Center in Florida serves as the cornerstone of this approach, offering a unique blend of advanced R&D, customer immersion, and sustainability.
The Center’s capabilities extend far beyond traditional citrus processing. It houses 13 R&D laboratories, a pilot plant for end-product creation, and a botanical research greenhouse featuring live citrus varieties from around the world. This infrastructure supports the development of innovative citrus applications across food, beverage, fragrance, body care, and home care, enabling IFF to address a diverse range of market needs.
IFF’s proprietary technologies are central to its innovation strategy. For example, IFF NEO™ enables the creation of citrus flavors and fragrances without relying on volatile natural materials, while FLAVORFIT™ allows for sugar reduction in beverages without compromising taste or mouthfeel. Upcycled Flavor Solutions valorize waste streams, transforming by-products like orange peels and cocoa shells into new, sustainable flavor experiences. These solutions directly respond to industry challenges such as sugar reduction, sustainability, and the demand for planet-friendly products.
Customer engagement is further enhanced through immersive experiences, including the 360-degree Observatory—a digital space for co-creation, rapid prototyping, and problem-solving with customers and partners. The Center also features a live citrus garden, providing a hands-on environment for exploring global citrus varietals.
Education and talent development are integral to IFF’s ecosystem. The Citrus Academy and flavorist school offer training programs, innovation rotations, and academic curricula, ensuring the next generation of industry professionals is equipped with the latest knowledge and skills. This commitment to knowledge-sharing extends across the citrus value chain, fostering collaboration and cross-pollination between taste and scent disciplines.
Sustainability is embedded at every level, from LEED-certified infrastructure and a solar array that meets 100% of the site’s power needs, to the integration of upcycled ingredients in product development. These initiatives demonstrate IFF’s leadership in responsible innovation and its ability to set new standards for the global citrus industry.
Strategic R&D investment: Establishing a global Citrus Innovation Hub
The Investments award to IFF stems from its transformative commitment to research and development, exemplified by the $25 million Citrus Innovation Center. This facility is not only a significant capital investment but also a strategic move to secure long-term leadership in the citrus category.
Located in Lakeland, Florida, and developed in partnership with Florida Polytechnic University, the Center anchors innovation in a region with deep citrus roots. The partnership fosters academic-industry collaboration, supports local economic development, and ensures that innovation is grounded in both scientific rigor and regional expertise.
The facility’s design is multi-functional, combining advanced R&D, customer engagement, and sustainability. It includes specialized laboratories for botanical research, citrus processing, analytical testing, and product stability, as well as a pilot plant for scaling up new concepts. The botanical research greenhouse allows for the study and preservation of global citrus varietals, supporting both innovation and biodiversity.
Operational excellence is a key focus, with the Center achieving LEED Silver Certification and operating entirely on renewable energy through a dedicated solar array. This not only reduces the facility’s environmental footprint but also demonstrates how capital investments can drive both operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.
The Center’s infrastructure enables rapid commercialization of new citrus products and technologies. For example, customers can move from ideation to prototyping and market launch within a single facility, significantly reducing time-to-market. The Center also offers market intelligence, supply chain immersion, and start-up activation, supporting customers in navigating the complexities of the citrus value chain.
By investing in a globally unique facility that integrates R&D, customer experience, and sustainability, IFF maximizes the return on investment and positions itself and its partners to lead the citrus category ahead of market trends.
Empathy marketing: Addressing the GLP-1 consumer segment
IFF’s Marketing award acknowledges its proactive and insight-driven approach to a rapidly emerging consumer segment: users of GLP-1 medications. These medications are reshaping how millions of consumers experience food and beverages, driving significant changes in taste perception, appetite, and nutritional needs.
In response to this shift, IFF launched an empathy-driven campaign, anchored by a record-setting webinar “Taste Disrupted: The Multibillion-Dollar GLP-1 Consumer-Market Opportunity” that attracted over 2,500 registrants from global food and beverage companies. The audience included senior decision-makers such as CEOs, CMOs, R&D directors, and nutrition scientists, highlighting the campaign’s reach and relevance.
IFF’s strategy was grounded in proprietary consumer research, including in-depth interviews with GLP-1 users to understand their evolving relationship with food, sensory experiences, and health goals. This research led to the development of detailed consumer personas and a market opportunity matrix, enabling brands to tailor product solutions, messaging, and packaging to the specific needs of GLP-1 consumers at different stages of their treatment journey.
The campaign was a cross-functional effort, involving collaboration between IFF’s Taste, Food Ingredients, and Health & Biosciences business units. This enabled the creation of new-to-market beverage concepts designed specifically for GLP-1 users, such as protein-enriched coffees and hydration mixes with tailored sensory profiles and nutritional benefits.
IFF’s multi-channel marketing strategy featured a dynamic range of content assets, all designed to provide actionable insights and practical tools for customers. The campaign achieved engagement rates significantly above industry benchmarks, demonstrating strong interest and impact within the B2B community.
By combining empathy-driven innovation and data-driven frameworks, IFF empowered its customers to respond quickly and effectively to the needs of GLP-1 consumers. This approach not only positioned IFF as a thought leader but also enabled its partners to capture new opportunities in a rapidly evolving market segment.
“Winning three Just Drinks Excellence Awards is a powerful testament to IFF’s purpose-driven innovation and impact. The Citrus Innovation Center shines as a symbol of end-to-end creativity—where science, creativity, and heart come together to shape the future of flavor. Our deep investment in R&D reflects a bold, long-term vision for citrus and wellness. And, through empathy-powered innovation, we’ve pioneered solutions that meet the unmet needs of GLP-1 consumers, proving that meaningful change begins with deep consumer insight. These awards honor the brilliance of our teams and partners. Together, we’re redefining how the world experiences taste, wellness—and above all, joy.”
– Yuvraj Arora, President, Taste Division and Chief Commercial Officer, IFF
Company Profile
At IFF, we make joy through science, creativity and heart.
We create superior flavor, fragrance, ingredient and bioscience solutions rooted in science, inspired by nature and perfected through expertise and passion. Our global team of real-deal experts makes this possible—approaching work with an entrepreneurial mindset to defy expectations and create industry-defining solutions that help us and our customers go further together.
Together, we deliver groundbreaking, sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products—advancing wellness, delighting the senses and enhancing the human experience
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