GET A WHIFF OF THIS

[L.Wood]

What’s that smell?
You can’t watch TV today without catching commercials peddling fragranced products. In theory that’s not such a bad thing. After all, cultures throughout history perfumed their homes and persons, if only out of necessity given the state of their hygiene and sanitation systems. Think of the potpourris, sachets, and nosegays so much in favor not all that long ago. Perhaps we all have an innate desire to smell like a breath of spring, and what harm could there be in that?

Well, none until you industrialize the process. Before the early 20th century, the fragrances in high demand were derived directly from plants or animals, but after World War II, companies turned to petrochemicals as the source of manufactured scents and expanded the uses of fragrances exponentially. Natural fragrance preparations* still exist, of course, but synthetic scents have taken over the marketplace, with sales topping $18 billion annually. ...

And new products keep coming. Japanese filmgoers get a nose full of fragrance while watching movies, as special machines pump out scents synchronized to certain scenes. And several companies recently announced plans to chemically scent the packaging for products: Cookie boxes, fruit containers, and drink caps will soon emit synthetic scents. And last year, more than one thousand new air fresheners appeared on US stores shelves. This phenomenon means more exposure for everyone. Unfortunately, most of the companies behind these marketing schemes never consider the dangers lurking in their fragranced products, and we consumers have little choice about whether or not we’ll be exposed to them-short of never venturing into a supermarket or department store again. ...

Only after searching the Internet did she learn that products containing synthetic fragrances are not regulated by any government agency. Fragrance formulas are considered “trade secrets,” a designation that gives companies the legal right not to disclose product ingredients, even to the FDA.If a company provides an ingredient label, it only need list the catchall term fragrance, even though hundreds of chemicals may make up one formulation. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reports that “95 percent of the ingredients used to create fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and many other known toxins and sensitizers. Many of these substances have been linked to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, and allergic reactions.” NAS targets fragrances as one of six categories of chemicals that should be tested for neurotoxicity. This puts synthetic fragrances in the company of insecticides, heavy metals, solvents, food additives, and air pollutants. ...

But despite this level of concern, the trade secret laws have ensured that fragrance chemicals remain completely unregulated. Manufacturers may point to the “self-regulatory” system in place, but they’re not required to check their chemicals for safety, so testing is limited, and compliance with recommendations is voluntary and not enforced. The result? The same chemicals that must be disclosed and tested when used in gasoline and cigarettes go unregulated when put into a bottle of shampoo.

* posters note. The term "natural" or "all natural" does not have an official meaning nor a legal definition. It can mean anything. Horseshit and oil bubbling from the Oklahoma ground are both "all natural."

More here.


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