Flavor Start-Ups Pursue Licensing, Sale

Biotech flavor ingredient maker Senomyx says its new sucralose flavor enhancer will be commercialized by the Swiss flavors and fragrances giant Firmenich. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener developed by Tate & Lyle and marketed under the trade name Splenda. Senomyx claims that the enhancer would allow food makers to use 75% less sweetener while preserving the desired taste. Separately, another biotech flavor maker, Redpoint Bio, has hired advisory firm Burrill & Co. to investigate sale of the company or strategic acquisitions. Both firms use high-throughput techniques to find new flavor compounds.