EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS - Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Percentage that plans in the red zone are generally funded, maximum	65.00%
Percentage that plans in the yellow zone are generally funded, maximum	80.00%
Percentage that plans in the green zone are generally funded, minimum	80.00%
Increase in contribution rate	4.00%
Significance of contributions by company	false
Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN/Pension plan number	366044243
Pension plan protection act zone status	Red	Red
Pension plan protection act zone status, date	Jan. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2016
FIP/RP status pending/ implemented	Implemented
Contributions of Balchem Corporation	$ 594	$ 576	$ 515
Surcharge imposed	No
Expiration date of collective-bargaining agreement	Jul. 11, 2020

Percentage increase in contribution rate from the prior period to the current period.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Percentage that plans in the green zone are generally funded, minimum.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage that plans in the red zone are generally funded, maximum.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage that plans in the yellow zone are generally funded, maximum.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The Tax Identification Number (TIN), also known as an Employer Identification Number (EIN), is a unique 9-digit value assigned by the IRS.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation 12B
-Number 240
-Section 12b
-Subsection 1

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- Definition

Amount of contributions made to multiemployer plan by employer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450702-114947

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450691-114947

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Indicate the multiemployer plan's certified zone status as currently required by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 or a subsequent amendment thereof. The zone status categories are red (critical status), orange (seriously endangered), yellow (endangered), and green (none of the above). The acceptable values are "red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "other", and "NA". A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

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- Definition

Date of the multiemployer plan's year end to which the certified zone status relates, in CCYY-MM-DD format. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

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- Definition

Expiration date of the collective bargaining arrangement requiring contributions to the multiemployer plan, in CCYY-MM-DD format. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

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- Definition

Indicate whether a funding improvement plan or rehabilitation plan has been implemented or is pending for a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. The acceptable values are "no", "pending", "implemented", "other", and "NA".

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (f)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Indicates (true/false) whether employer contributions represent more than five percent of total contributions to multiemployer plan for most recent plan year available.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (e)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

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- Definition

Indicate whether the employer paid a surcharge to the pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. The acceptable values are "no", "yes", and "NA".

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (f)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

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