Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 341,397	$ 342,468
Total revenue	350,577	353,173
Operating income (loss)	24,037	47,519
Interest expense	4,811	4,800
Earnings before income taxes	19,226	42,719
Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	186,875	198,484
Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	134,066	126,482
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	29,636	28,207
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	0	0
Total revenue	0	0
Operating income (loss)	(40,100)	(13,840)
Interest expense	4,811	4,800
Earnings before income taxes	(44,911)	(18,640)
Operating Segments [Member] \| Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	181,075	191,137
Operating income (loss)	28,770	27,647
Interest expense	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	28,770	27,647
Operating Segments [Member] \| Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	130,840	123,164
Operating income (loss)	30,217	28,116
Interest expense	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	30,217	28,116
Operating Segments [Member] \| Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	29,482	28,167
Operating income (loss)	5,150	5,596
Interest expense	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	5,150	5,596
Intersegment Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	9,180	10,705
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	5,800	7,347
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	3,226	3,318
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	154	40
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 0	$ 0

Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations before deduction of income tax expense (benefit) and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, and addition of income (loss) from equity method investments.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450988&loc=d3e26243-108391

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 45
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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