Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 353,519	$ 349,662	$ 1,033,391	$ 1,052,966
Total revenue	361,923	358,600	1,059,895	1,083,585
Operating income (loss)	52,010	51,151	120,427	142,335
Interest expense	4,946	4,584	14,474	14,021
Earnings before income taxes	47,064	46,567	105,953	128,314
Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	195,992	200,775	568,423	608,747
Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	133,223	125,732	400,183	384,415
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	32,708	32,093	91,289	90,423
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	(15,400)	(14,008)	(72,514)	(53,606)
Interest expense	4,946	4,584	14,474	14,021
Earnings before income taxes	(20,346)	(18,592)	(86,988)	(67,627)
Operating Segments [Member] \| Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	191,063	195,318	552,874	588,728
Operating income (loss)	33,006	32,386	90,278	95,494
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	33,006	32,386	90,278	95,494
Operating Segments [Member] \| Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	129,899	122,302	389,992	373,944
Operating income (loss)	28,624	26,522	87,913	82,947
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	28,624	26,522	87,913	82,947
Operating Segments [Member] \| Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	32,557	32,042	90,525	90,294
Operating income (loss)	5,780	6,251	14,750	17,500
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes	5,780	6,251	14,750	17,500
Intersegment Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	8,404	8,938	26,504	30,619
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Flavors & Fragrances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	4,929	5,457	15,549	20,019
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Color [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	3,324	3,430	10,191	10,471
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	151	51	764	129
Intersegment Revenue [Member] \| Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 0	$ 0	$ 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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Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

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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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