How allergen and safety rules force scents to be reformulated
What this tab covers How it is regulated and what could disrupt supply: hazard classification, rules in the EU, US and India, anti-dumping duties and other trade measures, and supply-risk notes.
Hazards
Classification
UN number
Key risks
varies: many ingredients are skin sensitisers, flammable or aquatic toxic
UN1169, UN1197, UN3082 (varies)
Skin allergy from fragrance allergens; flammability of essential oils; aquatic toxicity of some musks.
Main rules
Where
Rule
Effect
Global (industry)
IFRA Standards (51st Amendment, 2023) restricting or banning fragrance ingredients
Forces reformulation and favours houses with large regulatory teams.
EU
Cosmetics Regulation allergen labelling extended by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545; Flavourings Regulation 1334/2008; REACH and CLP
More allergens must be named on labels; only listed flavouring substances may be used.
US
FDA GRAS and FEMA GRAS lists for flavours; MoCRA 2022 for cosmetics
FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011
Lists permitted natural, nature-identical and artificial flavourings.
BIS cosmetics standards and CDSCO cosmetics rules (indicative)
Govern fragrance use in cosmetics.
Trade measures
US tariffs in 2025 raised input costs for F&F houses (Givaudan 2025)
No anti-dumping duty on aroma chemicals found in sources reached
Supply risk
Naturals carry crop and climate risk with high geographic concentration (vanilla in Madagascar, mint in India). Aroma chemical supply is increasingly concentrated in China. Not on critical lists.