Members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have implemented a new cosmetic directive that includes adherence to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) Code of Practice for the manufacture and handling of fragrance materials.
"We are very proud that ASEAN has chosen to incorporate the IFRA Standards into its directive," said Jean-Pierre Houri, director General, IFRA. "Not only will the standards ensure the safety and quality of fragrance products in the region, but they will also encourage and facilitate trade between the ASEAN countries and the rest of the world."
The directive, which entered into force on January 1st 2008, must be implemented by all 10 ASEAN member countries; Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The directive is based largely on the European Cosmetics Directive and includes "Safety Guidelines on the Products" and "Product Information File Guidelines." Both these guidelines stipulate that cosmetic companies have a certificate of compliance to the IFRA Guidelines in their files for each fragrance they use.