Total sales grew 22%, including a 2% favorable impact from currency.
In constant currency, we grew total sales 20%, with increases in both segments.
In addition to our top line growth, adjusted operating income increased 35%, including a 3% favorable impact from currency, and adjusted operating margin expanded by 160 basis points.
Our first quarter adjusted earnings per share was $0.72 compared to $0.54 in the prior year, driven by our strong operating performance, partially offset by a higher adjusted tax rate.
In our Consumer segment, we grew sales by 35%; on constant currency, 32%, with double-digit increases across each of our three regions.
Our Americas constant currency sales growth was 30% in the first quarter, with incremental sales from our Cholula acquisition contributing 5%.
Excluding Cholula, our total McCormick US branded portfolio, as indicated in our IRI consumption data and combined with unmeasured channels, grew 15%, which reflects the strength of our categories as consumers continued to cook more at home.
Our constant currency sales rose 26%, with broad-based growth across the region.
In the Asia-Pacific region, our constant currency sales grew 55%.
Constant currency sales in our Flavor Solutions segment grew 3%, driven by our Americas and APZ regions.
In the Americas, we drove constant currency sales growth of 2%, driven by our FONA and Cholula acquisitions as well as growth with our consumer packaged food customers or our at-home base.
Our sales growth in the Asia Pacific region was outstanding, up 18% in constant currencies.
In China, consumer consumption remains strong, and we continue to see recovery in foodservice, which, in China, is in our Consumer segment, with approximately 90% of restaurants open during the Chinese New Year period.
For example, approximately 50% of the consumers surveyed indicated they are cooking more now because they want to try new recipe, ingredient, cooking method or tool or simply just cook from scratch, and approximately 40% also indicated they're trying to recreate restaurant meals at home.
In the first quarter, we delivered over 90% global e-commerce growth, with particular strength in omnichannel.
We continue to increase our investments across our entire portfolio as evident in our 17% increase in the first quarter and plan for another significant increase in the second quarter.
We're launching Just 5 dry recipe mixes in the US, dips and dressing mixes in flavors like French onions and Homestyle Ranch, the clean and short ingredient statements, five simple ingredients delivering a classic flavor experience.
We're also advancing on our sustainable packaging commitment with sachet packaging that is 100% recyclable.
We've been at the forefront forecasting emerging flavors for 21 years.
In our Flavor Solutions segment, the execution of our strategy to migrate our portfolio to more technically insulated and value-added categories will continue in 2021.
Following being named by Corporate Knights in their 2021 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations Index as number one in the packaged food and processed foods and ingredients sector, McCormick was also recently named to Barron's 2021 100 Most Sustainable Companies list for the fourth consecutive year.
As we continue our sustainability journey, I'm excited to announce that later this week we will begin using 100% renewable electricity in all our Maryland and New Jersey-based facilities.
This includes our manufacturing operations, distribution centers, offices and technical innovation center and will result in an 11% reduction in our global greenhouse gas emissions.
As seen on slide 18, we grew sales 20% in constant currency during the first quarter.
Our organic sales growth was 16%, driven by our Consumer segment, and incremental sales from our Cholula and FONA acquisitions contributed 4% across both segments.
The Consumer segment sales grew 32% in constant currency, with double-digit growth in all three regions.
On slide 19, Consumer segment sales in the Americas increased 30% in constant currency versus the first quarter of 2020, with 5% of the increase from the acquisition of Cholula.
In EMEA, constant currency Consumer sales grew 26% from a year ago, with double-digit growth in all countries and categories across the region.
Consumer sales in the Asia Pacific region increased 55% in constant currency, driven primarily by the recovery from the disruption in China consumption last year, as Lawrence mentioned.
We grew first quarter constant currency sales 3%.
In the Americas, Flavor Solutions constant currency sales grew 2%, driven by the FONA and Cholula acquisitions, a 7% increase, as well as pricing to offset cost increases.
In the Asia Pacific region, Flavor Solutions sales rose 18% in constant currency, driven by higher sales to QSRs in China and Australia, partially due to our customers' limited time offers and promotional activities as well as the China recovery impact from last year's COVID-19 related lockdown.
As seen on slide 26, adjusted operating income, which excludes transaction and integration costs related to the Cholula and FONA acquisitions as well as special charges, increased 35% or, in constant currency, 32%, in the first quarter versus the year ago period.
The Consumer segment adjusted operating income grew 59% to $190 million.
The 54% constant currency growth from higher sales, favorable mix and CCI-led cost savings more than offset COVID-19 related costs and a 17% increase in brand marketing.
In the Flavor Solutions segment, adjusted operating income declined 4% to $73 million with minimal impact from currency.
As seen on slide 27, adjusted gross profit margin expanded 60 basis points in the first quarter versus the year ago period due to favorable mix, both within the Consumer segment and due to the sales shift between segments.
Our selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales was down year-on-year by 100 basis points from the first quarter of last year.
With the gross margin expansion and SG&A leverage, adjusted operating margin expanded 160 basis points from the first quarter of 2020.
Our first quarter adjusted effective tax rate was 22.7% compared to 18.4% in the year ago period.
Income from unconsolidated operations increased 28% in the first quarter of 2021 due to strong underlying performance of our joint venture in Mexico.
At the bottom line, as shown on slide 30, first quarter 2021 adjusted earnings per share were $0.72 as compared to $0.54 for the year-ago period.
Our cash flow from operations was an outflow of $32 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared to an inflow of $45 million in the first quarter of 2020.
In February, we raised $1 billion through the issuance of five year 0.9% notes and 10 year 1.85% notes.
We also returned $91 million of cash to our shareholders through dividends and used $49 million for capital expenditures this quarter.
Now I would like to discuss our 2021 financial outlook on slides 32 and 33.
We also expect there will be an estimated 2 percentage point favorable impact of currency rates on sales, adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share.
At the top line, due to our first quarter results and robust operating momentum, we are increasing our expected constant currency sales growth to 6% to 8% compared to 5% to 7% previously, which continues to include the incremental impact of the Cholula and FONA acquisitions at the projected range of 3.5% to 4%.
Our estimate for COVID-19 costs remains unchanged at $60 million in 2021 as compared to $50 million in 2020 and weighted to the first half of the year.
Our adjusted operating income growth rate reflects expected strong underlying performance from our base business and acquisitions projected to be 11% to 13% constant currency growth compared to 10% to 12% previously.
This is partially offset by a 1% impact from increased COVID-19 costs compared to 2020 and a 3% impact of the estimated incremental ERP investment.
This results in total projected adjusted operating income growth rate of 7% to 9% in constant currency, increase from 6% to 8% previously.
This projection reflects the inflationary pressure I just mentioned as well as our CCI-led cost savings target of approximately $110 million.
We also reaffirm our 2021 adjusted effective income tax rate projected to be approximately 23%.
This outlook versus our 2020 adjusted effective tax rate is expected to be a headwind to our 2021 adjusted earnings-per-share growth of approximately 4%.
We are increasing our 2021 adjusted earnings per share expectations to growth of 5% to 7%, which includes a favorable impact from currency.
Our guidance range for the adjusted earnings per share in 2021 is now $2.97 to $3.02 compared to $2.91 to $2.96 previously.
This compares to $2.83 of adjusted earnings per share in 2020.
This growth reflects strong base business and acquisition performance growth of 11% to 13% in constant currency, partially offset by the impacts I just mentioned related to COVID-19 costs, our incremental ERP investments and the tax headwind.

Summary:
Total sales grew 22%, including a 2% favorable impact from currency.
Our first quarter adjusted earnings per share was $0.72 compared to $0.54 in the prior year, driven by our strong operating performance, partially offset by a higher adjusted tax rate.
In our Flavor Solutions segment, the execution of our strategy to migrate our portfolio to more technically insulated and value-added categories will continue in 2021.
At the bottom line, as shown on slide 30, first quarter 2021 adjusted earnings per share were $0.72 as compared to $0.54 for the year-ago period.
This results in total projected adjusted operating income growth rate of 7% to 9% in constant currency, increase from 6% to 8% previously.
We are increasing our 2021 adjusted earnings per share expectations to growth of 5% to 7%, which includes a favorable impact from currency.
Our guidance range for the adjusted earnings per share in 2021 is now $2.97 to $3.02 compared to $2.91 to $2.96 previously.