Burfield's petition letter to IFRA

[Guest guest]

1st March 2007

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Please find attached the petition posted up at

<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ifra40/>http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/i\

fra40/

proposing the Boycott of the 40th IFRA Amendment, for reasons set out

at

<http://www.cropwatch.org/40thpetition.htm>http://www.cropwatch.org/40thpetition\

..htm.

 

 

You will note that there are approx. 740 signatories to date,

including perfumers, natural perfumers, MD's of aroma ingredient

companies, aroma technicians, academicians, soap makers, staff from

cosmetic & natural products companies as well as natural products

commodity end-users from countries as diverse as Russia, Iceland &

USA. There are a number of anonymous signatories, and to avoid any

unfair accusations of ballot-rigging or signature duplication, we are

quite willing to submit the owner's version of this petition (which

reveals fuller identity details), to an independent 3rd party (who

will need to agree to absolute confidentiality), if the need should

arise. I think you if you read the comments section of the petition -

scroll

through

<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ifra40/signatures.html>http://www.ipetitions\

..com/petition/ifra40/signatures.html

- you will be taken aback by the depth of feeling many have about

over-regulation in cosmetics and interference with respect of freedom

to use natural products generally.

 

Cropwatch believes IFRA has lost its way in recent times, and has

effectively become over-influenced by the views of aroma

megacorporations and career toxicologists, to the detriment of the

perfumery art. We believe that IFRA's precautionary-principled

interpretation of health & safety, does not find widespread public

support, is sometimes based on selective interpretation of the

available scientific evidence, & has knowledge gaps & shortcomings,

some of which may due to limitations of available funds. Further, the

window-dressing provided in the Jan 2007 IFRA Newsletter, designed to

'soften-up' industry over the 40th Amendments QRA scheme, does not

fool us. The fact is that perfumery has become a somewhat tawdry

money game, where the principle players have nothing to do with the art.

 

We believe that it is a very unhealthy situation: that IFRA/RIFM,

being such influential bodies, are not independently financed. We

believe that their findings & policies should be completely opened up

for public discussion, and the existing exclusive & secretive

'Brussels regulatory club' reorganised in the interests &

transparency & democracy. Further and most importantly, RIFM needs to

be overhauled so that its capabilities can cover a proper

risk/benefit analysis for all cosmetic ingredients - rather than

delivering a mere risk analysis, as at present. Additionally

RIFM/IFRA as powerfully influential bodies, have a social

responsibility to those people they disadvantage and put out of work

with their safety policies. Where natural ingredients are restricted

or prohibited, they need to work with producers & manufacturers to

find ways of reducing adverse reactions, which can be applied across

the board to all natural ingredient producers - including the

economically disadvantaged ones.

 

Finally, as is indicated by of the petition comments, IFRA needs to

show 'joined-up-thinking' with other regulatory bodies as far as

ingredient legislation is concerned. It's no good that FAO other EU

Commission Depts, or Nation State Government Departments providing

funds to farmers & producers to grow aromatic crops, if IFRA or the

SCCP are subsequently going to recommend their restriction or banning

in cosmetic commodities. It just makes for more unnecessary

regulatory incoherence and social hardship.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Tony Burfield

for & on behalf of Cropwatch -

the Independent Watchdog for Natural Ingredients.

<http://www.cropwatch.org/>www.cropwatch.org "

 

of Natural Perfume

Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild http://ArtisanNaturalPerfumers.org

Natural Perfumers Community Group

 

Natural Perfumery Blog http://AnyasGarden.Blogspot.com/