Defending Fragrance Ingredients

The self-regulation that the fragrance industry has practiced since 1973, when it formed IFRA (International Fragrance Association), is coming under greater scrutiny from the European Union. When the Directorate General for Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) and the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) discovered that 1–3% of the EU population is allergic to fragrances, they found this number to be too high and called for stricter regulation of commonly used ingredients. In response to the report of the committee, published in July 2012, IFRA proposed a cooperative approach that engages the various stakeholders to address issues surrounding fragrance allergens in cosmetic products.

On October 18, the Société Française des Parfumeurs (SFP) hosted a conference in Paris on the subject of raw material regulations. Titled “To Control or To Suffer, The Choice is Yours,” the conference brought together perfumers and the representatives of professional organizations such as IFRA and the National Union of Manufacturers of Aromatics (PRODAROM) to inspire a dialogue and to work collectively to present information to the regulatory bodies.

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