Empowering Health & Wellness Through Science

Polak & Schwarz, founded in 1889, and van Amerigen-Haebler, Inc. merge to form International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). P&S specialized in flavors and van Amerigen-Haebler in fragrances.

*New York Times. (1958). A Fragrance Maker Sprays the Elegance on Self. New York Times.

Nutrafur*, based in Spain, is founded. It specializes in the research and development, manufacture, and sales and marketing of specialty natural plant extracts bearing antioxidant properties or scientifically proven healthy qualities supported by clinical studies for the food, nutraceutical and cosmetics markets.​

* Nutrafur is now known as IFF Murcia Natural Ingredients.

The IFF Kantvik (Finland) sugar refinery is built by Finn Sugar, which had been formed 46 years earlier (in 1919) by sugar producers.​

Bioscience roots are established in Kantvik with the production of enzymes for ruminal nutrition.​

Finn Sugar builds the Kantvik R&D Center​.

Genencor, Inc., the original joint venture between Genentech and Corning Incorporated, is founded. It’s considered to have pioneered the field of industrial biotechnology, as distinct from traditional applications of biotechnology to health care and agriculture.​

Danisco, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, is formed from the largest Danish merger ever of two industrial companies—Danish Sugar (founded 1872), and Dansk Handels og Industri Company (Danisco A/S). Danisco is one of the world’s leading producers of ingredients for food and other consumer products; it was also one of the biggest sugar producers in Europe until the divestment of its sugar division ​in 2009. ​

The first probiotic intervention study is done at Kantvik​.

Proof of concept studies begin on BetaPower® for sports nutrition and Litesse® for digestive/metabolic health.

The Slovenian company Vitiva is founded. The largest natural rosemary extract producer in Europe, Vitiva develops botanical extracts covering important categories for traditional herbal medicinal products such as passionflower and valerian, lemon balm and bearberry.​

Danisco acquires Genencor.​

DuPont acquires Danisco, which becomes a part of a DuPont business that eventually came to be called Nutrition & Biosciences.​

IFF merges with DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, which includes Danisco.​

IFF acquires Health Wright Products, LLC (HWP), a leader in formulation and capsule manufacturing for the dietary supplements.​

Kantvik R&D Center celebrates 50 years.​​