Key takeaways on new sustainable tonka bean
- LMR Naturals by IFF has added Tonka Bean CO₂ Absolute to its sustainable Conscious Collection.
- The extract uses renewable and recycled supercritical CO₂ to cut energy use and reduce carbon footprint by 34%.
- It delivers a richer, more gourmand olfactive profile than traditional Tonka Absolute.
- The launch follows major investment in IFF’s Grasse site to advance natural ingredient innovation.
- IFF plans further CO₂ extracts, new technologies and expanded work on upcycled naturals.
Natural ingredients specialist LMR Naturals by IFF has just introduced Tonka Bean CO₂ Absolute to its Conscious Collection, as it sees more demand for sustainable fragrance ingredients.
The collection itself is a line of 12 highly sustainable and traceable natural ingredients for fragrances.
A new CO₂ extract for sustainable fragrance development
The new Tonka Bean CO₂ Absolute is a natural extract with a gourmand olfactive profile, produced using renewable and recycled supercritical CO₂ at IFF’s extraction site in Aubrac, France.
According to Bertrand de Préville, general manager of LMR Naturals by IFF, the firm’s CO₂ extraction unit in Aubrac has enabled LMR to develop a collection of extracts that seamlessly blends sustainability with high hedonic profiles for perfumers.
“With the launch of Tonka Bean CO₂ Absolute, we’re reaffirming our commitment to planet-conscious supercritical CO₂ extraction and perfumery innovation, underscoring our leadership in premium natural ingredients for fine perfumery, he said.”
De Préville says that the new extract offers both enhanced performance and cost efficiency. Its CO₂ extraction method reduces energy consumption and lowers environmental impact compared with traditional solvent extraction. The process is performed at low temperature, leaves no petrochemical residue and protects volatile and sensitive molecules.
The result? A high-quality extract that captures the authentic scent of freshly harvested tonka beans with a significantly reduced carbon footprint (-34% cradle-to-gate) versus traditional Tonka Absolute.
Enhanced olfactive performance with reduced environmental impact
Tonka Bean CO₂ marks IFF’s latest step in shaping the future of fragrance innovation. The launch follows the recent expansion of its LMR Naturals site in Grasse, France, supported by a €10 million investment to increase capacity and drive natural ingredient innovation in the heart of the perfume capital.
De Préville said at LMR Naturals, the priority is sustainable innovation, rather than expanding a collection for its own sake. “It is a means, not an end,” he said. “This spans extraction technologies, cultivation practices, and continuous supply chain improvements.”
The LMR Conscious Collection is one expression of this commitment. “It highlights breakthrough, more sustainable extraction methods – such as CO₂ supercritical extraction, exemplified by our Tonka Bean CO₂ absolute, which delivers both strong sustainability credentials and outstanding olfactive performance,” he said.
De Préville said that looking ahead, IFF plans to develop new CO₂ extracts that combine environmental efficiency with high creative impact; advance exclusive and patented technologies, such as Enfleurage 2.0, which uses a fully organic solvent; and expand work on upcycled ingredients, including icons like Rose Essential and Rose Ultimate, first launched in 2012.
He added that demand for these ingredients is growing but that the company is also helping to create and drive this demand. “And it’s a virtuous cycle: we are proposing more innovative sustainable naturals, and the market, both our customers, and consumers, are asking for them,” he said.
So why did it choose Tonka Bean as its latest ingredient? De Préville said that IFF’s R&D and operations teams continually test new extraction methods on traditional ingredients to improve environmental impact and uncover new olfactive profiles. “This is what happened with tonka bean: we tried the CO₂ extraction on the beans, and our perfumers loved the result: a warm, mouth-watering, chocolaty and almondy extract,” he said.
This work now remains a strategic priority for the business. With a CO₂ workshop in Aumont Aubrac and a team of 40 R&D experts working globally, de Préville said we can expect to see an acceleration of the company’s sustainable naturals innovation pipeline, whether upcycling, new technologies and processes, or just new ingredients.
