NEW YORK, May 29 — IFF (NYSE: IFF), a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health and biosciences, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Food Ingredients business to funds advised by CVC Capital Partners, a leading global private markets manager, in a transaction that values the business at approximately $4.3 billion, representing an enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x. As part of the transaction, IFF has chosen to retain an approximately 10% minority equity interest in the business, or approximately $200 million, permitting continued collaboration and cooperation between IFF and Food Ingredients and allowing IFF and its shareholders to participate in future value creation under its new ownership.
The transaction marks a significant step in IFF’s portfolio transformation and is expected to strengthen the company’s focus on its innovation-driven businesses: Taste, Scent, and Health & Biosciences. Following the transaction, IFF will be a more focused company with improved cash flow characteristics, greater financial flexibility, and a stronger position to achieve its growth and profitability objectives.
“This transaction represents an important strategic milestone in our ongoing portfolio optimization initiative, allowing us to further concentrate resources on our higher-growth, higher-margin segments,” said Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF. “By simplifying our portfolio to where we can create the greatest value, IFF will accelerate innovation, drive investment in R&D, and further integrate our biotechnology and naturals capabilities more effectively across our global platform. Importantly, by retaining a minority stake in Food Ingredients, we will continue to participate in the future upside of a strong business under dedicated ownership. This transaction creates substantial value for shareholders while positioning IFF to drive sustained, profitable long-term growth.”
IFF’s Food Ingredients business is a globally recognized leader in texturants, emulsifiers, plant-based solutions, and other specialty ingredients serving multinational food and beverage customers. In 2025, the Food Ingredients business that will be divested generated nearly $3.1 billion in annual sales and approximately $430 million of EBITDA.
“We are proud of the strong market positions, customer relationships, and talented team that have made Food Ingredients a strong business,” Fyrwald added. “We are confident CVC is the right owner for its next chapter and that this transaction creates significant value for IFF shareholders while giving Food Ingredients an excellent platform for future success.”
“We are delighted to welcome IFF’s Food Ingredients business to CVC’s U.S. portfolio,” said Lorne Somerville, managing partner and co-head of North American private equity at CVC. “The business has built a strong position in an attractive, resilient sector supported by long-term growth trends, including increasing global food consumption and demand for clean-label products. Its global reach and proprietary technical capabilities provide a clear competitive advantage, and we see significant opportunity for continued growth.”
James Christopoulos, partner at CVC, added: “The Food Ingredients management team has done an exceptional job building a business with meaningful scale and technical depth. We look forward to partnering with the team and with IFF as co-shareholders to accelerate the next phase of growth through scale and commercial expansion.”
Transaction Benefits and Portfolio Positioning
Over the last several years, IFF has taken decisive action to simplify its portfolio, sharpen strategic focus, and strengthen its financial foundation. Including this transaction, IFF has divested 13 non-core businesses, generating nearly $10 billion in gross proceeds, which have supported balance sheet improvement and reinvestment in the company’s highest-return businesses.
Upon completion of the Food Ingredients transaction, IFF will be centered on three market-leading businesses serving attractive end markets supported by long-term megatrends in health, well-being, food, and sustainability. Each business is well positioned for strong revenue and EBITDA growth opportunities and powered by shared naturals and biosciences capabilities:
- Taste: Unique, technology-enabled flavor solutions for global food and beverage customers
- Scent: Leading positions in fine fragrance, consumer fragrance across personal and home care categories, and fragrance ingredients
- Health & Biosciences: Innovation-led solutions spanning probiotics, enzymes, cultures, and bioactive health ingredients
With a more streamlined portfolio, IFF expects to be better positioned to accelerate innovation, improve execution, enhance free cash flow conversion, and deliver a stronger long-term financial profile. Over time, in a normalized environment, IFF expects to achieve mid-single-digit revenue growth and high-single-digit adjusted EBITDA growth, underpinned by the differentiated and innovation-led nature of its remaining business.
Use of Proceeds and Financial Impact
IFF expects to receive net cash proceeds of approximately $3.8 billion at closing, reflecting the rolled-over equity, customary purchase price adjustments, costs incurred to stand up and carve out the business and taxes. The company intends to prioritize use of proceeds toward:
- Debt reduction to accelerate deleveraging and reinforce balance sheet strength
- Targeted share repurchases, as authorized by the Board of Directors
- Reinvestment in high-return growth and high-return opportunities across the core portfolio
The transaction is expected to be dilutive to adjusted EPS in the first 12 months following closing, prior to the benefits from capital deployment and any actions to address stranded overhead costs. IFF believes the strategic and financial benefits of a more focused portfolio, stronger balance sheet and improved cash generation profile outweigh the near-term earnings impact. Furthermore, the company has implemented a plan to address all of the stranded overhead costs that are a consequence of the transaction. IFF is also reiterating its previously communicated full-year 2026 guidance ranges. The company expects full year 2026 sales to be in the range of $10.5 billion to $10.8 billion and full year 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA to be in the range of $2.05 billion to $2.15 billion. IFF continues to expect comparable currency neutral sales growth to be between 1% to 4%, and comparable currency neutral adjusted operating EBITDA growth to be 3% to 8%.
Transaction Details
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2027, subject to applicable information and/or consultation requirements and customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, where required. As part of the retained 10% equity interest, IFF will also hold a board seat in the new company.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (lead) and BofA Securities are serving as IFF’s financial advisors, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates is serving as legal advisor.