The IDEA (International Dialogue for the Evaluation of Allergens) project to prevent the induction of skin sensitisation, functions as a multipartite platform in which authorities, the dermatological community, academics and the industry are advancing together for increased consumer protection. A key achievement of the project, supported by the European Commission, has been the completion and publication of the review of the Quantitative Risk Assessment 2 (QRA 2) methodology, which is now the fragrance industry’s tool to assess fragrance allergens. Further progress is made by basing QRA on new approach methodologies.

IFRA is committed to pursue this engagement. In this regard, a pluri-annual ‘fragrance ingredients surveillance study’ (around 5-6 years) has been approved in November 2022 and will be scaled up in 8-9 clinics across Europe after the pilot work has been successfully completed in 4 highly reputable clinics in The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden with the data being managed by the University of Erlangen in Germany. One of the main objectives of this work is to provide learnings on exposure conditions of the patients, with the goal to gain greater insight as to whether the risk assessment and management measures in place are adequate and broad enough in scope, and to allow corrective measures to be identified and taken if needed.