Symrise trims 2025 outlook as Q3 sales slip 2.9%

Symrise posted global sales of €1.2 billion ($1.4B) in the third quarter of 2025, down 2.9% from €1.3 billion ($1.5B) during the same period last year.

With portfolio and exchange rate effects of nearly €54 million ($62.9M), its organic growth was 1.4%.

According to the German firm, the results reflect “a healthy pipeline of sales opportunities and dynamic project vitality with selected customers in key markets offset by high year-on-year comparables.”

Pet portfolio

Symrise’s ‘Taste, Nutrition & Health’ segment – including its pet food division – reported organic growth of 1.2% from July to September 2025. The company doesn’t disclose specific financial results per division.

The revenue registered by the segment during the quarter was €749.7 million ($874M), down roughly 3.5% from the €777 million ($905.6M) reported in Q3 2024. “Taste, Nutrition & Health” performance corresponded to 61.3% of total revenue.

Year-to-date, the segment reported sales of €2.3 billion ($2.7B), or 2.6% organic growth. In the same period last year, the segment sales totaled €2.3 billion ($2.7B).

In line with the market

According to the Lower Saxony-based firm, the pet food business has been performing so far this year “in line with the market.”

In regard to sales, the levels are the same as in the previous year, “due to price adjustments made at the beginning of the year.” Last year, the company reported single-digit organic growth for the pet business.

However, in the first half of 2025 (H1), the pet food division registered “flat organic sales,” according to the previous report. Symrise acknowledged global challenges for the segment, which registered growth only in specific regions.

“The pet palatability business unit recorded solid growth, largely from the EAME (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and Latin America regions. The market environment for the Pet Nutrition business unit remained difficult, and significant growth was achieved in the Asia-Pacific region only.”

9 months overview

From January to September 2025, Symrise reported sales of €3.8 billion ($4.4B), 1.2% down from €3.8 billion ($4.5B) during the same period last year. Organic growth in the period was 2.6%.

The company highlighted the continuation of its ONE Symrise strategy, an organizational change program aimed at achieving efficiency, and CEO Jean-Yves Parisot says Symrise is “focusing on growth opportunities, differentiated innovation, as well as a more efficient supply chain and sales and marketing operating model.”

However, “ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges led to pronounced market dynamics and near-term variability. Softening consumer demand in several markets and continued tariff impacts on end consumers that are not expected to reverse in the near term,” Parisot notes.

Full-year outlook

Symrise lowered its full-year guidance to reflect a “more challenging than expected global demand environment,” according to the report, and now forecasts 2025 organic growth of 2.3%-3.3%, down from 3%-5%.

The firm reaffirmed an EBITDA margin outlook of approximately 21.5%, a business free cash flow of roughly 14% of sales and annual cost savings of €40 million ($46.6M).

The company also reaffirmed its 2028 mid-term targets: organic growth of 5% to 7% (CAGR), EBITDA margin of 21% to 23%, and business free cash flow of more than 14% of sales.