IFF and its predecessor companies have been in the flavor and fragrance business since 1833. Find out more about IFF's fascinating history through our interactive timeline.
1833 - Stafford Allen, a miller, and Charles May, a druggist and herb grower, join forces to produce pure drugs in an era when sawdust was a routine ingredient on the pharmacy shelf. They focus on production of essential oils, especially sandalwood oil and clove. By the 1870s the company has branched out to Africa, where it obtains almond oil, cochineal, peach, and apricot kernels.
1901 - 1901–1960: Over the first 60 years of the century, the companies that would become IFF all experience globalization on a grand scale. It is a period of geographic and cultural discovery in which the business of flavors and fragrances flourishes. Every region of the world has a contribution to make and an important role to play. Perhaps more than any other industry, flavors and fragrances becomes truly global and multicultural during this period of amazing growth. Geographic growth sets the stage for the coming era of scientific advances and a series of powerful mergers that create the modern IFF.
1929 - In 1929, van Ameringen forms a partnership with a colleague, Dr. William T. Haebler, and after acquiring an aromatic chemical plant in Elizabeth, New Jersey, van Ameringen-Haebler, Inc. is born.
For the next 30 years, with van Ameringen at the helm as president and Haebler as treasurer, van Ameringen-Haebler grows despite the difficulties of operating through a depression and a world war. During this phase in the company’s history, approximately 90% of van Ameringen-Haebler’s volume is in fragrances.
1958 - In 1958 a merger between the worldwide operations of Polak & Schwarz and van Ameringen-Haebler allows the company, renamed International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., to become a major supplier in the flavor and fragrance business and to grow internationally almost overnight. The irony of merging with the very same company he left over 40 years before is not lost on van Ameringen.
1982 - In collaboration with Yale University’s Psychophysiology Department, IFF pioneers the concept of Aroma Science, studying the effect of fragrance on human emotions.
2000 - IFF acquires Laboratoire Monique Rémy (LMR), a leader in the creation and commercialization of natural raw materials for fragrances and flavors. The acquisition of LMR strengthens IFF's already leading position in the development and use of natural ingredients.
SERVICES:
- Fragrances
- Flavors
IFF is a global leader in the creation of fragrances. Our fragrances are a key component in many of the world's finest perfumes and best-known consumer products brands, including beauty care, fabric care, home care, and personal wash products.