Publications

Fragrance is an essential part of our daily lives and our well-being, health, and hygiene. It is a key element of everyday products such as personal care products and cosmetics, hand sanitisers, surface cleaners and anti-bacterial detergents, as well as fine fragrances (perfumes). The fragrance industry is a positive force for environmental, social and economic sustainability. The foundations of the sector’s approach on fragrance safety and sustainability are the IFRA Standards and the IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter. For nearly 50 years, the fragrance industry has advanced the safe use of its ingredients, notably via the establishment of an industry-wide Code of Practice and the IFRA Standards3, which are based on a continuously refined risk assessment approach for fragrance ingredients carried out by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM). The IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter takes a lifecycle approach to its products across the value chains. Furthermore, the European Union already has one of the most comprehensive and protective regulatory systems and we are committed to supporting the EU in building on this solid, existing science-based framework​.In December 2019, the European Commission presented its Communication on the European Green Deal,4 an umbrella communication covering several sector-specific deliverables including the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). IFRA supports the aims of the Green Deal to transform the EU’s economy for a sustainable future. We also support the EU’s efforts to ensure health and environmental protection while at the same time improving the competitiveness of European industry, promoting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering the EU’s open strategic autonomy and making the transition to a bio-based economy.