Profile: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc (IFF)

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF), incorporated in 1909, is a creator and manufacturer of flavor and fragrance products used by other manufacturers to impart or improve flavor or fragrance in a variety of consumer products. Fragrance products are sold principally to manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, personal care products, hair care products, deodorants, soaps, detergents, fabric care and air care products. Its flavor products are sold principally to manufacturers of prepared foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, dairy and confectionery products, as well as the food service industry. IFF has 31 manufacturing facilities with the manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. The remaining manufacturing facilities are located in eight other countries.

The Company’s principal fragrance and flavor products consist of compounds of numbers of ingredients blended in formulas created by its perfumers and flavorists. Most of these compounds contribute the total fragrance or flavor to the consumer products in which they are used. A smaller number of compounds are sold to manufacturers who further blend them to achieve the finished fragrance or flavor in their products. The Company produces thousands of compounds, and new compounds are created in order to meet the customer’s end products. Its products are sold in powder and liquid forms and in amounts ranging from a few pounds to many tons, depending upon the nature of the product.

The ingredients that IFF uses in its compounds are both synthetic and natural. The Company manufactures a portion of the synthetic ingredients. Its synthetic ingredients production is used in its compounds, while a portion is also sold to others. Natural ingredients are derived from flowers, fruits and other botanical products, as well as from animal products. They contain varying numbers of organic chemicals, which are responsible for the fragrance or flavor of the natural product. The natural products are purchased in processed or semi-processed form. Some are used in compounds in the state in which they are purchased and others after further processing. Natural products, together with various chemicals, are also used as raw materials for the manufacture of synthetic ingredients by chemical processes. The Company’s flavor products also include extracts and seasonings derived from various fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices, as well as microbiologically-derived ingredients.