Florida Food Products acquires flavour manufacturer Comax

Ardian-owned Florida Food Products (FFP) has acquired Comax, a manufacturer of clean label flavour solutions for the beverage and nutrition markets. 

Comax uses natural ingredients to replace synthetic flavours and the business maintains a portfolio of nearly 1,000 flavour SKUs.

FFP delivers clean label food and beverage ingredient solutions using methods such as extraction, fermentation, drying and blending.

The acquisition will combine FFP’s tea, botanical, coffee and vegetable extract capabilities with Comax’s portfolio of flavours, and provide customers with clean label formulations and products.

Comax will continue to operate its R&D and manufacturing facility in Melville, New York,  and develop formulations in its Marlton, New Jersey, R&D facility.

Jim Holdrieth, FFP’s CEO, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Comax to the FFP family. Comax has built an impressive portfolio of natural flavours, which we intend to augment with FFP’s industry-leading clean label, natural ingredient capabilities.”

He continued: “Our acquisition of Comax represents our first major investment of the Ardian and MidOcean partnership and accelerates our objective of becoming the industry’s largest independent provider of natural ingredients across all food and beverage segments”.

In September, Ardian announced its acquisition of a majority stake in FFP from MidOcean Partners.