About these definitions

To aid understanding of our Code of Practice, IFRA offers the following definitions of key terms.

Should you have any questions or need further explanations, please get in touch.

Definitions

Batch
A specific quantity of material of homogeneous composition that can be unambiguously identified, manufactured in a single operation or a series of operations according to a well-defined process.

Batch number
A unique combination of letters and/or numbers printed, stamped or written on labels or packaging materials, which uniquely identifies a batch and which permits the tracing and review of all stages of its production history.

Environment
Water, air and soil and their inter-relationship as well as relationship between them and any living organisms.

Fragrance or Fragrance mixture
A mixture of fragrance ingredients and functional components formulated to impart an odour/flavour or for its malodour coverage/taste masking. (NB: in the case of oral care and related products, please see respective explanations and requirements in the Section 1.6.2 of the Guidance to the IFRA Standards.)

Existing creations
Fragrance mixtures that have already been placed on the market in (a) consumer product(s) or are already in the development phase at the time the completion of information exchange comes to its end.

This includes:

• fragrance mixtures for which a brief has been received prior to the date of the Notification of the Amendment to the IFRA Standards;
• fragrance mixtures for which the brief has been received during the period of information exchange across the supply chain; and 
• fragrance mixtures that are already in development by the fragrance manufacturer or even in the hands of the consumer product manufacturer. 

Fragrance ingredient/material
Any basic substance (raw material) used for its odor properties or malodor coverage as a component of a fragrance mixture. 

Fragrance functional component
Any basic substance necessary for the functionality and/or, stability of a fragrance ingredient or mixture (e.g. antioxidant, preservative, diluents, solvent...). 

Manufacturing
All operations involved in the production of a fragrance material including processing, compounding, packaging and labeling.

Fragrance manufacturer
A company engaged in the production of a fragrance including processing, mixing, packaging and labeling.

Fragrance material manufacturer
A company engaged in the production of any basic substance used as a fragrance material for its odor properties or malodor coverage. 

New creation
Any fragrance mixture for which the brief has been issued after the completion of the information exchange across the supply chain period (i.e. update of IT systems, bilateral information exchange between fragrance houses and information exchange between fragrance houses and customers).

Quality
Conformity of a fragrance material with its olfactory, physical and chemical specifications and conformity of its production and control with the basic standards of good manufacturing practice.

Recommendation
Guidance offered by IFRA in case the manufacturers have no internal rules.

Standard
Mandatory restriction to the usage of a fragrance ingredient following a safety assessment by the REXPAN.

Toy
Toys under the scope of IFRA Standards follow the definition as contained in the EU Toy directive (2009/48/EC) and the American National Standard ASTM F963, in its latest version.

Waste
Any unavoidable material, resulting from an industrial process, which must be disposed of.