International Fragrance Association (IFRA) issues standards update

IFRA, along with the industry’s scientific centre, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) makes sure fragrance standards in accordance with scientific recommendations, are being put in to practice by member companies.

RIFM’s scientific information is evaluated by an independent panel consisting of an international group of dermatologists, pathologists, toxicologists and environmental scientists, none of whom have any ties with the industry.

Code of Practice​

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As part of the code of practice, six new restrictive standards have been set in to place and one new standard of prohibition; the new standards have been based on the Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA).

The following chemicals have been placed under restrictive use in fragrances:

• alpha-butylcinnamaldehyde;

• 2-Heptylidene cyclopentan-1-one;
• o-methoxycinnamaldehyde;
• 3-methyl-2-(pentyloxy) cyclopent-2-en-1-one;
• 2-nonyn-1-al dimethyl acetal;
• 1(2,4,4,5,5-pentamethyl-1-cyclopenten-1-yl)ethan-1-one.

The chemical 2,4-octadienal has been prohibited from use in fragrances, due to a lack of adequate data.

Safety program​

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The safety program consists of testing fragrance materials and either establishing safe use levels or prohibiting their use based on studied potential effects of people and the environment.

Currently, the safety program has 186 standards, restricting or prohibiting the use of selected fragrance materials.

Furthermore, the IFRA has a compliance program – every year 50 products, chosen at random from stores in ten different countries are tested, to ensure the fragrance industry complies with safety standards.

Quantitative Risk Assessment ​

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) was introduced in 2005 by IFRA in order to restrict materials which have a potential of inducing contact sensitization.

This approach apparently provides more precise guidance on use levels of materials depending on the situation and product in which they are used; thus better protecting the consumer from being sensitized to a specific material.