Guest guest Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 At 09:48 AM 1/2/2007, you wrote: >Tony has posted this, and I've written asking why >is it that EOs for food and medicine aren't being >regulated #2, below, yet for fragrance the >regulations are in place? Anyone from the EU on >this group who can comment? I'm thinking we in >the US and Canada and other places outside the EU >aren't that affected by this, unless we import >through the EU? I'm not sure of that last >statement, so feel free to add your comments: Here's Tony's eye-opener reply: >Yes Anya, re: the differences between allowable ingredients in >fragrances vs. food: flavourings - you have hit the nail on the head precisely. > >For example. Peru balsam is widely reported as a fragrance allergen. >Dermatologists (curiously) often report increasing frequency of >reaction to Peru balsam in current skin allergy testing when >production volumes of Peru balsam have been in physical decline over >the last 10-20 years at least (the decline reflects a reduced demand >due to IFRA restrictions for Peru balsam oil/absolute in perfumery, >which are soon to be imported into Annex`III of the EU Cosmetics >Directive). Ms. Api, head of RIFM, reports (completely incorrectly >in my opinion) that this sustained reactivity is because those >identical components of Peru balsam - such as the weak allergens >benzyl benzoate & benzyl cinnamate - are still in use in fragrance >construction. These are anyway not the main allergens in Peru balsam >and I believe the real reason for this apparent skin sensitivity >increase to Peru balsam is connected more with cross-reactivity. > >However, various published papers have connected the dietary intake >of Peru balsam oil as causing skin sensitisation problems (peru >balsam oil is widely used in confectionary, chocolate, alcoholic >liqueurs and other flavourings). So the fragrance industry is >regulated, the flavourings industry, with exactly the same problem, isn't. > >I believe the problem lies with the prejudiced attitudes of powerful >dermatologists, some of whom " have it in " for the perfume industry. >I wrote this for Cropwatch not so long ago: > > " Remember that the chairman of the SCCP, Ian White, previously >claimed that self-regulation had failed to protect consumer interest >in the perfumery industry, especially with regard to fragrance >sensitivity, and that a think-tank had been set up " consisting of a >balanced representation of dermatologists, fragrance-compound >manufacturers and users to address aspects of 'problems' and 'needs' > " (White 1998). How a person with these decidedly non-neutral >opinions about the fragrance industry should become chairman of the >SCCP is a complete mystery to Cropwatch, and the measures put in the >place of voluntary regulation since Ian White has been chairman of >the SCCP have not actually decreased the incidence of fragrance >sensitivity (which has arguably increased if anything). You will >also note that the representation of end-users has never actually >materialised, so that fragrance regulation has effectively become a >narrow-spectrum stitch-up between dermatologists, expense-account >executives of the major aroma industry players and those in >professional organisations which are financially dependent on the >same major players, together with an assortment of university >professors. This is why Cropwatch believes that the SCCP should be >reformed with panellists from a wider and more directly experienced >section of the European community. " > >I am currently writing to the EU Commission (with a copy to the >European Ombudsman) re: the Public Consultation of moving various >natural fragrance ingredients into Annex` III of the Cosmetics >Directive (closing date for objection 27th Jan 2007). The term >'Public Consultation' is just a regulatory ploy to pretend there is >democracy within the EU - we all know that the opinions of the >public will be ignored and anyway the grounds for objection are too >narrow for it to be comprehensive. Hence my copy to the Ombudsman. > >Anybody wanting a copy of the pdf outlining the proposed changes, or >with a view to share views, please e-mail me. > >Cheers, > >Tony >www.cropwatch.org Anya McCoy Anya's Garden of Natural Perfume http://anyasgarden.com Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild http://artisannaturalperfumers.org Natural Perfumers Community Group / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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