The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its antitrust investigation into Symrise, the Germany-based fragrance and flavor manufacturer, according to a February 5 letter from the agency. The DOJ found no evidence of unlawful practices by the company.
Symrise stated it welcomes the decision and has consistently maintained it did not participate in any unlawful agreements with competitors in the fragrance business. The company argued from the outset that it should not have been included in the investigation and that actions taken by authorities were not justified. Symrise said it remains committed to ethical business practices and regulatory compliance, and expects similar investigations by other authorities to be discontinued soon.
Antitrust suit background
The investigation was part of a broader probe into the fragrance and flavor industry. According to report from Reuters, in July 2023, four European and U.S. flavor and fragrance producers faced multiple price-fixing lawsuits in U.S. court after Swiss and other antitrust authorities revealed a cartel investigation.
Reuters reported that US lawsuits filed on behalf of direct and indirect fragrance purchasers contended the companies conspired to divide up production of synthetic and natural ingredients used to make fragrances in products including detergents, cosmetics and perfumes.
In March 2023, Reuters reported that the European Commission had raided several companies on concerns that they may be taking part in a cartel for fragrances used in the manufacture of household and personal care products. Symrise had challenged the raids conducted by EU antitrust regulators and asked Europe's second highest court to annul information collected during these events.
