The activities of Givaudan in Duebendorf go back to July 1900 when the 'Chemische Fabrik Flora AG' started the production and sales of musk xylene. Having been acquired by L. Givaudan & Co. in Vernier in 1948, the company was subsequently bought by F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. in 1963. Activities were restructured and concentrated in two areas: the development, production and sales of flavours for the food and beverage industries, and the research and development for fragrances and flavours.Today, Givaudan Duebendorf is part of a global group with sales of over CHF 2000 million and a staff of 5000, and, as of June 2000, an independent company listed on the Swiss stock exchange. In addition to the history of Givaudan, the article illustrates the various facets of production, product development, and research.