The gift comes on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Givaudan’s collaboration with the collection, which is one of the most extensive citrus collections in the world, featuring 1,000+ citrus varieties.
The donation will help underwrite the long-term sustainability and growth of the collection, which was set up in 1910 to support the needs of the citrus industry in Southern California and serve as a resource for the research and development of new varieties and citrus-related education, said Mauricio Graber, president of the Swiss firm’s flavors business.
He added: “The citrus variety collection is an incredible place, unlike any other. For nearly 10 years, in our collaboration with UCR, we have found endless inspiration for ourselves and our customers – and we have made many discoveries through analysis of the unique fruits in their groves.”
In 2006, Givaudan began a program at UC Riverside called TasteTrek Citrus (in which customers and flavorists explore the flavors of non-commercial citrus fruits), which has since become a global program spanning more than 200 fruits.