Mane has acquired Florida-based citrus specialist Cvista, establishing a global Citrus and Beverage Center of Excellence in Riverview and deepening the flavour giant’s push into functional and reduced-sugar drinks.

A strategic squeeze

The French flavour and fragrance manufacturer announced the acquisition on 2 September 2026, describing Cvista as a “recognised leader with a proven ability to transform natural raw materials into high-value ingredients.”

The deal brings Cvista’s Riverview campus — spanning R&D, pilot-scale, production and warehousing operations — fully into the Mane fold, along with a team the company says has “extensive knowledge of natural raw materials.”

Samantha Mane, president of Mane Group, framed the move as central to the company’s growth ambitions: “This acquisition is a strategic catalyst for Mane’s growth in citrus, particularly in the beverage sector.” She added that the combined businesses would build on “our shared commitment to sensory excellence,” strengthening “our leadership in citrus solutions and accelerate the development of exceptional ingredients, backed by cutting-edge science, for our customers.”

Precision over volume

What sets Cvista apart, according to Mane, is not scale but precision. The company’s “advanced skills in purifying trace compounds” allow it to isolate molecules present in vanishingly small quantities — among them valencene, decanal and nootkatone — that Mane says are “key to creating distinctive flavour profiles.” The Riverview site’s automated platform is capable of “continuous production of high-purity citrus ingredients,” backed by analytical labs for both quality control and new fraction development.

Cvista currently serves roughly 130 customers across the flavour and fragrance sector, giving Mane an established commercial base alongside the technical infrastructure.

Beverage ambitions in focus

The acquisition’s timing is notable given Mane’s existing bet on reduced-sugar formulation. The new Center of Excellence is positioned to build on the company’s partnership with Arzeda around its ViaLeaf Reb M technology, with Mane citing the opportunity to “combine complementary strengths to develop innovative solutions for the growing functional and reduced-sugar beverage markets.” Locating the centre closer to US citrus sourcing regions is also expected to shorten development timelines for new beverage applications.

Hub

The deal signals continued consolidation in natural ingredient supply as flavour houses compete to secure specialised, trace-compound expertise rather than bulk capacity. The link to ViaLeaf Reb M helps Mane move faster on functional and better-for-you citrus applications with the Center of Excellence in position to yield new product launches as well as a sourcing and processing hub.