IFRA in a Nutshell
The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) was founded in 1973 in Geneva to represent the fragrance creation houses and the manufacturers of fragrance ingredients. Its main purpose is to promote the safe enjoyment of fragrances worldwide.
IFRA represents the fragrance industry regional and national associations worldwide. IFRA is the reflection of the industry's choice to regulate itself and and its activities result in a Code of Practice and safety Standards, which members must adhere to, in order to achieve the objective of protecting consumers’ health and our environment.
Research and development, scientific findings, health and safety concerns as well as environmental protection are at the heart of IFRA’s concerns. Together with the industry's scientific arm the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), IFRA ensures that the establishment of usage Standards for fragrance materials are put into practice according to available scientific recommendations, and that all member companies comply with those Standards. Self-regulation enables the IFRA Standards to be adopted very rapidly by fragrance houses worldwide and by the industry as a whole.
As an addition to the self-regulation process, IFRA has launched a compliance program to ensure that the fragrances incorporated in consumer and luxury goods on a worldwide basis are meeting the IFRA Standards. This program is a worldwide program.