Posts Tagged Consumer Safety
Allergy in fragrance workshop
The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is offering a workshop about Allergy Prevalence in Fragrance in Brussels, Belgium on November 4, 2008. Topics addressed will include a clinical epidemiology survey of fragrance allergies, a presentation on the EDEN epidemiological study, the EU Commission’s approach to the regulations of allergens, and industry self regulation.
More info: IFRA
Add comment October 10, 2008
VOC-emitting air fresheners exposed by UW study
The dangers of cheap, home air fresheners and scented laundry products are being examined by a recent University of Washington study. Looking specifically at solid disk, liquid spray and plug-in air fresheners, as well as scented laundry products, the study found emission of several toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) classified as toxic or hazardous by US federal law. The offending compounds include ethanol, ethyl acetate, benzaldehyde and acetone.
Discoveries like this one are good news for the higher-tech, commercial ambient scenting industry, which is implementing technologies that allow scenting without VOCs. (See our post of July 16, “Public space scenting: Is it safe? Is it green?“)
Read more in Chemistry World
Add comment July 30, 2008
Public space scenting: Is it safe? Is it green?
Ambient scenting companies tackled questions about ecological and human safety at SCENTworld, the scent marketing expo and conference held recently in New York. According to Richard Weening, CEO of environmental-services and scent-marketing company Prolitec, “Scent safety for humans and the environment is relatively easy to insure, because it depends entirely on the ingredients and the quantity used to create the scent effect. Great fragrance can be produced from ingredients that are safe for humans, in the quantity needed for successful ambient scenting, and have no negative environmental consequences.”
Several conference participants pointed out that traditional methods of scenting, such as candles, oil burners, plug-ins, and other methods that rely on evaporation cannot be finely controlled. Weening agreed, saying “It’s worse than you imagine. Scented candles burn fragrance oil to create scent, aerosols use propellants and alcohol, which are harmful VOCs, unsafe for both humans and the environment.”
The answer for safe scenting in public spaces, according to Weening, is “scent delivery systems that can control quantity and have the technology to produce a good scent effect with ultra low quantities of human safe ingredients. The technology for controlled delivery is available and is being used now.”
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Add comment July 16, 2008
Addressing the scent-sensitive
Guest column written for Air Sense, by the Scent Marketing Institute, in response to Can the scenting industry address the scent-sensitive?
Scent and sensationalism
Here’s one juicy headline: A financial consultant in Manhattan claims hypersensitivity to fragrances, caused by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (MSNBC, March 31, 2008). “On occasion, I’ve made people wear a garbage bag over their clothes because the detergent smell was so fierce I couldn’t endure it,” she continues.
Invoking the worst terrorist attack on American soil and by humiliating those - in her opinion - “over scented” clients of hers, Karen Kraig (the consultant) goes to extremes in addressing an old phenomenon not limited to our industry: whatever works for most (scent marketers and consumers, in this case) also works against a few of us.
Those kinds of reports – especially when wrapped in a crowd-pleasing context – provoke a response which is difficult to craft and almost certainly will draw fire from the advocates of a scent-free world who may call it a lack of compassion and profiteering on account of those who suffer. At the Scent Marketing Institute we know that just a few of those reports can do serious damage to an industry that for almost a decade aims at providing marketers and advertisers with services and products that are safe for the consumer and effective for the advertiser. Nevertheless we would not be doing our job if we wouldn’t try…
First, let’s look at some facts: (more…)
Add comment April 15, 2008
Microwave popcorn eater sues over lung disease
The first known consumer to have developed lung disease from sniffing the butter flavoring used in microwave popcorn has filed a law suit against the popcorn company. The lung disease, bronchiolitis obliterans, has been known to affect factory workers who mix the butter flavoring. The flavoring contains the flavoring chemical diacetyl, the vapors of which cause this rare but severe respiratory illness. Read more in the Boston Herald
Add comment January 17, 2008
Australian states ban scented cigarettes
I hadn’t even realized there were fruit-scented cigarettes, and here they are now, banned in Australia. According to a brief article in Australia’s LiveNews, young people “don’t realize they’re unhealthy.” Fascinating. Perhaps Australia has unscented, healthy cigarettes I haven’t heard about.
Add comment December 28, 2007
Cosmetic group changes name to focus on safety
In response to growing consumer demand for regulation of cosmetics and fragrances, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association has renamed itself the Personal Care Products Council. Chaired by the president of global strategy at Proctor & Gamble, the newly named PCPC plans to provide safety information about the contents and formulation processes in personal care products such as cosmetics and fragrances. The PCPC’s main vehicle for disseminating information is a web site: www.cosmeticsinfo.org. More at cosmeticsdesign.com
Add comment December 3, 2007
