Japanese flavours and fragrances manufacturer Takasago International has opened a new production site in Singapore that is its largest in Asia outside of Japan.

Located at Sunview Road, the 22,000 square metre facility cost $60 million to set up and will house teams that create, make and research flavours and fragrances.

Some 225 staff - about 90 per cent of whom will be Singaporeans or permanent residents - will be employed at the facility, the company said.

Takasago develops tastes and scents to use in products such as detergents, snacks and other consumer products. The Tokyo-listed company has worked with global perfume brands like Givenchy and Shiseido as well as consumer brands Johnson & Johnson and Coca Cola.

The start of the Singapore operation "gives Takasago a big leap in the Asian marketplace" with "increased capabilities and competencies", said Mr Ritaro Igaki, president and chief executive of Takasago.

The facility has tripled Takasago's production capacity in Singapore. It is also more than twice the size of Takasago's existing facilities in Pandan Loop and Penjuru Road combined. Both existing facilities will be phased out by the middle of this year.

In addition, the facility will be Takasago's biggest for the production of halal flavours, as well as the largest supplier of halal flavours in Singapore.

Over 90 per cent of its output is certified halal by either Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) or Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

The managing director of Takasago's Singapore operations, Mr Alfredo Asuncion, said that Takasago's Asian heritage would enable it to develop and deliver unique offerings for the South East Asian marketplace.

Founded in 1920, Takasago has grown into a multinational corporation with offices, production sites and research and development centres in 27 countries, including China, Spain and the United States.

Since starting operations here in 1975, the company has invested a total of $100 million in Singapore.