The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is the global representative body of the

fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently v ...

industry. It seeks to represent the collective interests of the industry and promote the safe use of fragrances through regulation. The Association was founded in 1973 and has its head office in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, and its operations centre in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. As of October 2022, its membership includes seven

multinational companies A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...

(known as 'Regular Members') and 23 national associations. There are ten 'Supporting Members' from countries where and IFRA does not have a national association. IFRA is led by a President, Martina Bianchini, and by a Board headed by its Chairman, Hans Holger Gliewe.

History

In 2020, in response to the ongoing and increasing focus on

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

in the beauty and

sectors, IFRA, in association with the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI), launched the "IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter."

Objectives and roles

IFRA is the official self-regulatory representative body of the

industry worldwide. Its main purpose is to ensure the safety of fragrance materials through a dedicated science program. IFRA publishes a list of usage standards for fragrance materials, limiting or prohibiting the use of ingredients, based on the findings of the Research Institute of Fragrance Materials, which gathers data regarding the safety of fragrance materials.

IFRA Standards

The most recent iteration of the IFRA standards was published in January 2022, integrating all foregoing standards up to and including the "50th Amendment."The International Fragrance Association,
The Complete IFRA Standards up to and including the 50th Amendment
', January 2022 (accessed October 30, 2022) Within the standards, included ingredients are prohibited (disallowed as a fragrance ingredient), restricted (allowed as fragrance ingredient only in prescribed quantities), or have accompanying specifications regarding their use (such ingredients are only allowed if they comply with specific criteria outlined in the Standard).

Advocacy

People and structure

IFRA's day-to-day operations are led by its President. Since 2016, this role has been occupied by Martina Bianchini, heading a team of more than ten staff members based principally in Brussels. IFRA's main decision-making body is its Board, headed by the IFRA Chairman, Hans Holger Gliewe. The Board has twelve voting members: eight representing the Regular Members, and four regional representatives of national associations. IFRA's Treasurer is Julia Raquet of

BASF BASF SE () is a German multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries ...

Industry criticism

As discussed by Noy Thrupkaew, constantly evolving IFRA regulations have eliminated the mainstream use of certain perfume ingredients, resulting in perfumes being reformulated, with certain scents and advantageous chemical characteristics of banned substances proving difficult, if not impossible, to replicate.Thrupkaew, Noy.
A Big Stink in the World of Perfume
" ''The Washington Post Magazine'', April 21, 2021

Membership as of October 2022

Regular Members

Robertet Robertet Group () is a French fragrance and flavor manufacturer that specializes in natural raw materials founded in 1850. Robertet is a member of the European Flavour Association. In 2021, Robertet ranked 12th on FoodTalks' Global Top 50 Food ...

Symrise Symrise AG is a major producer of flavours and fragrances with sales of €3.154 billion in 2018. Major competitors include Döhler, Firmenich, Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances, and Takasago International. Symrise is a member of th ...

* Takasago *

Firmenich Firmenich SA is a private Swiss company in the fragrance and flavor business. It is the largest privately owned company in the field and ranks number two worldwide. Firmenich has created perfumes for over 125 years and produced a number of well-k ...

Givaudan Givaudan () is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of flavours, fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients. As of 2008, it is the world's largest company in the flavour and fragrance industries. Overview The company's scents and flavours are de ...

International Flavors & Fragrances International Flavors & Fragrances is an American corporation that produces flavors, fragrances, and cosmetic actives, which it markets globally. It is headquartered in New York City and has creative, sales, and manufacturing facilities in 44 di ...

National Associations

*Argentine Chamber of Manufacturers of Aromatic Products (CAFEPA) *Flavour & Fragrance Association of Australia & New Zealand (FFAANZ) *Brazilian Association of the Essential Oils, Fragrances and Aromas Industries (ABIFRA) *Bulgarian National Association Essential Oils, Perfumery and Cosmetics (BNAEOPC) *Fragrance Creators Association (FCA; Canada) *Fragrance Science & Advocacy Council (FSAC; Canada) *Chilean Association of Flavors and Fragrances (ACHISAF) *China Association of Flavor, Fragrance & Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI) *Chamber of the Flavor and Fragrance Industry (CISF; Colombia) *National Union of Manufacturers of Aromatic Products (Prodarom; France) *German Association of Fragrance Manufacturers (DVRH) *Indonesian Flavor and Fragrance Association (AFFI) *National Association of Fine Chemicals Companies and Specialist Sectors (AISPEC; Italy) *Japan Flavor & Fragrance Materials Association (JFFMA) *Korea Flavor & Fragrance Association (KFFA) *National Association of Manufacturers of Aromatic Products (ANFPA; Mexico) *Association of Fragrance & Flavoring Manufacturers (NEA; Netherlands) *Flavor & Fragrance Association Singapore (FFAS) *South African Association of the Flavour & Fragrance Industry (SAAFFI) *Spanish Association of Fragrances and Food Aromas (AEFAA) *Swiss Flavour and Fragrance Industry Association (SFFIA) *Food Flavors and Fragrance Oils Manufacturers Association (AREP; Turkey) *IFRA United Kingdom (IFRA UK) *Fragrance Creators Association (FCA; USA) *Fragrance Science & Advocacy Council (FASC; USA)

References

External links

The International Fragrance Association website
{{Perfume Perfumes

Fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently v ...

1973 establishments in Switzerland Organisations based in Geneva Organizations established in 1973 Cosmetic trade associations