International Flavors & Fragrances history

The first of IFF’s parent companies was established in 1889, but our history of doing more good with the beauty of art and the precision of science can be traced back even further.

By 1890, the company has opened a factory in Mili, Messina, Italy to process “Sicilian Oils”.

Founded in 1896, David Michael was a privately-held flavors company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.

1909: Morana, Inc. is incorporated.

Arnold Louis (A.L.) van Ameringen was hired by Polak & Schwarz to open P&S's US office in 1917 before losing his job with them.

In 1920 Morana was taken over by a young man who would build the business into one of the foremost companies in the industry.

P&S decides to send a senior manager to New York to take over operations in America—a move that leads to the founding of an official P&S branch in New York in 1935.

In the unauthorized biography Estée Lauder: Beyond the Magic, author Lee Israel maintained that Van Ameringen was romantically involved with Lauder and that he was responsible for the 'Youth Dew' fragrance that brought her such fame after its 1953 introduction.

Within two years foreign manufacturers of cake mixes, pharmaceutical products, gelatin desserts, candies, and soft drinks were using IFF flavorings at a rate that brought the division's sales figures to 35 percent of the $34.2 million total in 1960.

Offered over the counter, the first shares went on sale in October 1961.

In one 1963 action, he chose to emphasize this mandate by suing the Cott Beverage Corporation--which had just employed a former IFF employee as their new director of research and information--maintaining that IFF's formulas for ginger ale and several other soda flavors had been usurped.

IFF was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1964.

By the end of 1965 the close attention to cultural differences had paid off handsomely--fully 51 percent of sales came from overseas markets.

At about the same time, Arnold Van Ameringen decided to step down as president so that he could devote himself to raising funds for mental health causes, although he continued to serve as chairman of the board until his death in 1966.

Walter allocated generous amounts of corporate income ($5.8 million in 1967) to flavor and fragrance research, and he himself made sure that few innovations in other companies escaped his notice.

In 1968, in conjunction with the Monell Foundation, IFF established the Monell Chemical Senses Center, dedicated to the research of taste and smell.

In 1970 S.J. Spitz, a veteran of the chemical industry, joined Walter's staff as chief operating officer.

By 1973 the company's 50 salesmen (20 in the United States and 30 in Europe) were handling both flavors and fragrances and producing an average annual turnover of $3 million each.

Laboratoire Monique Rémy (LMR) is founded in Grasse, France, in 1983 by Monique Rémy to deliver premium quality, 100% pure and natural extracts.

The flavor segment of IFF's business contributed a healthy 38 percent of total sales by the end of 1984.

The latter figure was more than triple that of 1985, when Grisanti had taken over.

Grisanti also carried on the Walter tradition of a generous research budget, which by 1990 had reached $54 million.

Sales and earnings growth continued through 1995, when revenues reached $1.44 billion and net income hit $248.8 million.

On October 29, 1998, his “Overnight Sensation,” a miniature rose plant, became the most famous payload aboard the NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-95, while IFF monitored the control plant back on earth.

Research and development expenditures, meantime, reached an all-time high in 1999, $104 million--the largest in the industry.

Flavors accounted for $835.7 billion, up 40 percent from $597.7 billion in 2000.

In 2001 flavor products made up 45 percent of IFF sales.

"international flavors & fragrances, inc.: capsule." hoover's, 1 april 2002.

In April 2003, IFF opens a full-service hair salon in its global headquarters in New York.

As part of its continuous effort to create winning flavors for its customers, IFF breaks ground for a new state-of-the-art Culinary & Bakery Center in February 2004.

In April 2005, IFF wins the fragrance industry’s highest honor, the FiFi® Award, for “Technological Breakthrough of the Year” with its unique Sensory Perception™ technology.

The Additive Advantage was founded in 2006.

Douglas D. Tough assumes role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2010.

IFF’s unique encapsulation technology wins the 2011 FiFi® Award, the highest honor in the fragrance industry, for Technological Breakthrough of the Year.

IFF Acquires Aromor in 2014 to strengthen its fragrance ingredients and fragrance creation capabilities.

It was cross listed to the Euronext Paris Market in 2015, becoming the first US-listed company to make use of Euronext Paris Fast Path process.

In 2016, IFF acquired David Michael & Company, Inc.

On June 26, 2017, IFF launched Tastepoint by IFF – a new company designed to service the middle-market customer in North America.

In 2019, IFF acquired The Additive Advantage (TAA), a company that develops novel technologies with diverse capabilities that span applications and industries.

Sales in 2020 were approximately $5.1 billion, making IFF the second largest company in the taste, scent, nutrition and specialty ingredient industry during the period. Based on 2020 sales, approximately 35% were global consumer products companies and approximately 65% were small and mid-sized companies.The business is geographically diverse, with sales in the United States representing approximately 20% of sales in 2020.

In 2021, IFF was ranked 1st on FoodTalks' Global Top 40 Plant Protein Companies list and 3rd on the Global Top 50 Food Flavors and Fragrances Companies.