“W e’re big, but we’re small,” says Joanne Kenn edy, senior account manager at FONA International and recipient of this year’s Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) Woman of the Year Award. “As big as this business is … after a few years you get to know everybody.” The event, held at the Chart House in Weehawken, New Jersey, paid tribute to Kennedy’s commitment and service to the industry.

From the Experts: Where Safety Meets the Defense of Where Safety Meets the Defense of (pg. 24—2 pages)
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor

WFFC/NAFFS event highlights regulatory challenges and threats to intellectual property

During the Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce/National Association of Flavors and Food Ingredient Systems joint seminar on food safety and supply chain, John Cox (John H. Cox PLLC) spoke about the dilemma smaller flavor companies face as they struggle to build the kind of regulatory departments larger organizations have. Cox noted that the need for regulatory capabilities will only grow as customers’ needs expand—organic and natural claims (this is particularly due to a lack of universal standards) and pharmaceutical excipient residue rules. He added that vague “green” concepts will steadily give way to calls for sustainability from ingredient and flavor suppliers. This, he explained, “will increase pressure on ingredient suppliers to say certain things about their ingredients—this is going to be time consuming.”

Around the Industry: Sandalwood Sustainability (pg. 26—3 pages)
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor

Conference discusses revolutionizing the global Indian sandalwood supply

TFS Ltd. announced in February that UK cosmetics house Lush had signed a fi ve-year agreement (commencing upon availability of material) to source quantities of the Australian company’s sandalwood output beginning in 2011. Under the agreement, Lush will purchase up to 15% of TFS’ oil production. This followed news that Grasse-based naturals house Albert Vielle had also signed on to source the Australian material. The TFS plantation features 1,200 hectares of Santalum album and an additional 500 hectares just planted.

Industry Snapshot: Fragrance Houses, Perfumers Shine at 36th Annual FiFi Awards (pg. 30—2 pages)
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor

The 36th Annual FiFi Awards, hosted by The Fragrance Foundation, was a glamorous affair glittering with celebrities such as Padma Lakshmi (Top Che f), fragrance and cosmetic maven Tova Borgnine, and designers Cynthia Rowley and Zac Posen. The event, which in its inaugural year bo asted 250 guests, played host to 1,000-plus industry luminaries. The true stars of the night? The engineers of scent: the fragrance houses and perfumers.

A New Crop: the Ingredients of Innovation (pg. 32—5 pages)
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor

As the F&F world moves into a new phase of sustainability and technology, Mane focuses its strategy on naturals and enhancing its pool of creative talent

“How do we make the fragrance industry a sustainable model?” asks Frederic Jacques, head of Mane’s fine fragrance division in the United States. “How do we re-conquer some desire from the consumer?”
These are challenges many in the fragrance industry are facing, and Mane’s emerging strategy combines its 137-year pedigree as a naturals supplier with contemporary concepts such as sustainability. In a series of conversations, Celine Roche (vice president specialty ingredients, Americas) repeatedly emphasizes ecology, social responsibility and fair trade. Seeking “a new context for the division,” Mane has refocused its energy on the materials developed out of its headquarters in Bar-sur-Loup, France.

Perfumer & Flavorist 2008 Flavor & Fragrance Leaders (pg. 38—9 pages)
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor, and Kelly Frederick, Associate Editor

The big news on last year’s Flavor & Fragrance Leaders list was Firmenich’s purchase of Danisco’s fl avor division. The year before that, it was Givaudan’s purchase of Quest. At press time, rumors are again making the rounds regarding another potential merger within the top tier of F&F. As we wait for the latest M&A news, we pres ent P&F magazine’s 2008 Flavor and Fragrance Leaders (FFL), a ranking of top fl avor and fragrance companies, complete with analysis and insights into the activities that will shape them in the years ahead. (See A Note on Rankings.)
Due to acquisitions in the industry, the rankings of some companies have changed year-over-year, and space has been cleared to make room for some new entrants. As with previous editions, this year’s list includes two unranked entities—Cargill and Mastertaste—which belong among the top tier of F&F, despite unavailable fi rm sales data. The order in which these two companies appear on the 2008 FFL is no refl ection on their actual rank within the industry.

Cover Story: Leaf Alcohol Preparation (pg. 50—8 pages)
Eliska Leitmannova and Libor Cerveny, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

cis-Hex-3-en-1-ol and trans-hex-3-en-1ol are called leaf alcohols, though their aromas resemble freshly cut grass. Perfumers define their aroma more precisely: cis-hex-3- en-1-ol has powerful and intensely green grassy odor.1 Traces of cis-hex-3-en-1-ol are used in refreshing top notes in delicate floral fragrance types such as muguet and lilac; in addition, the alcohol is often used alongside geranium oil, galbanum, oakmoss, lavender and mint oils. trans-Hex-2-en-1-ol is powerful, fruity-green, slightly caramellic-fruity in its undertone, with an overall odor often compared to that of chrysanthemum foliage, or wine leaves. In flavors, traces are used in fruit complexes such as artificial strawberry.
The alcohols’ specific fragrant properties are determined by the presence of a double bond and geometric isomery on the molecule. cis-Hex-3-en-1-ol has a very pleasant fragrance, though the trans isomer has an oily touch and is not used in fragrance compositions. trans- Hex-2-en-1-ol lacks typical “green” odor, but is more fruity.

Progress in Essential Oils (pg. 60—5 pages)
Brian M. Lawrence

Lawrence discusses the composition of juniper berry oil from Lithuania, India, Montenegro and Greece.

Organoleptic Characteristics of Flavor Materials (pg. 66—2 pages)
Gerard Mosciano

Materials evaluated: Blue Ester Natural (Treatt USA); Butyl Isothiocyanate (SAFC); trans-2-Decenal (Treatt USA); 5- & 6-Decenoic Acid (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); Geranic Acid (SAFC); cis-3-Hexenyl trans-2-Hexenoate (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); cis-3-Hexenyl cis-3-Hexenoate (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); 2-Isobutyl-3-methyl Pyrazine (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); Isopropyl Isovalerate (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); 4-Methyl Benzyl Acetate (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); Methyl Propionate (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.); 2,3-Octanedione (Fontarome Chemical, Inc.)