IFEAT 2020/2021 Virtual Conference Programme

Opening Welcome Address

IFEAT Executive Committee Chairman, Hussein Fakhry, will officially open the programme sessions of IFEAT’s first Virtual Conference.

Panel Discussion – Naturals & Business: 2020 & 2021 Trends and Challenges

The panelists:

The panel brings together three producers at source from three continents: Robby Gunawan from INDESSO, Rocco Capua from Capua1880 and Rick Boucard from Texarome. It also includes Sofia Lluch from LLUCH ESSENCE representing a distributor and Tim Valentiner from dōTERRA, a leading aromatherapy company. Moderated by Dominique Roques, VP Responsible Procurement at FIRMENICH and IFEAT Executive Committee member, the discussion will be followed by a Q&A session.

For producers, traders and end users of essential oils, it has been a bumpy ride between the pre-COVID trends and today’s landscape. Many producing countries have been severely impacted and shaken, as have their farming communities, and demand from end users has been fluctuating greatly depending on their markets.

Because IFEAT is a privileged platform where small distillers can meet multinational buyers, we have set this panel discussion with the purpose of triggering a genuine exchange between several levels of our industry.

Questions that will be addressed will cover the production situation at source, business levels and expectations as well as general trends around the ever-growing appetite for naturals.

Presentation – The F&F Industry in a Covid World with Q&A

By Michael Carlos, Givaudan

ABSTRACT: The pandemic has had an important impact on the F&F industry. While the fine fragrance and food service business will get back to its earlier importance hopefully, once the pandemic is over, there may be more fundamental changes in the approach to our business. The handling of projects, the calling on customers, the increasing use of social media; how will this change our business models?

BIOGRAPHY: Michael Carlos started his career with Givaudan in 1984 as General Manager in Hong Kong. He became Head of the European Creative Centre in Argenteuil in 1992 where he was in charge of integrating the creative resources from Givaudan and Roure. In 1999, he was appointed Global Head of Consumer Products and then President of the Fragrance Division in 2004. Michael Carlos holds the following mandate in companies that are quoted on an official stock exchange: member of the Board of Deinove SA. He also holds the following mandates: Chairman of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and Chairman of the Research Institute of Fragrance Materials.

Michael Carlos holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management and a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Presentation – A Crop Report on Mint with Q&A

By Ankush Agarwal, Managing Director, Firmenich Essex Mint JV

A presentation followed by a question and answer session.

ABSTRACT: Mint holds a critical role in the flavour and fragrance industry as the second largest natural tonality. This presentation includes an overview of the history of mint production, current uses, current producers, global supply chain complexities, and details about the 2020 crop – both financial and logistical. There are many challenges facing the industry, including issues such as adulteration, challenge from synthetics and resource intensive farming. There will be a discussion on these challenges as well as some predictions on the trends and future opportunities in front of us. With innovations in advanced farming practices, awareness in emerging countries, and consumer preference for naturals, the natural mint industry is well positioned to overcome the issues and continue to grow.

BIOGRAPHY: Ankush Agarwal was raised in Uttar Pradesh, India immersed in the world of mint. His family was part of the first Indian mint distillery in the early 1970s and eventually lead a mint company that continues to grow today. After graduating high school, Ankush to the US where he gained a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. After internship positions within the University, Merck R&D and Tosco Refining Company, his early career started in the petrochemical industry at the ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery. This experience grounded Ankush in the critical importance of health, safety and environmental considerations, and he found it to be an incredible launch pad into the world of hydrocarbons. Alongside this, Ankush started working in the mint industry in 2004 facilitating the sales of Indian mint oils to companies around the world. This path introduced him to Essex and subsequently Firmenich where he initially worked with the Essex Founders in sales and became Managing Director of Firmenich Essex Mint JV.

CMR Constituents in Naturals – an industry challenge for REACH, CLP and Perception

By Jens-Achim Protzen, Paul Kaders GmbH

ABSTRACT: The classification of flavour and fragrance Ingredients according to CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 is a dynamic process. In the course of the self-classification during the REACH registration process by manufacturers and importers, e.g. para-Cymene and gamma-Terpinene were classified reprotoxic category 2 (H 361). After careful evaluation of the available data by industry experts, it was decided to include this classification of both substances in the IFRA/IOFI labelling manual 2019, published in January 2020.

Para-Cymene and gamma-Terpinene are natural constituents of many essential oils. According to the bridging rules in CLP Regulation a mixture (including essential oils) have to be labelled reprotoxic 2 as well if the content is 3 % or more.

In principle, a calculated classification can be challenged – and consequently overruled – if relevant test data is available for the essential oil itself. However, the test design and results must cover the same endpoints and effects as the available data for the suspected constituent.

Last but not least, testing may include costly animal tests – a matter of ethics, perception and funding.

BIOGRAPHY: Jens-Achim Protzen represents the third generation in the family business, Paul Kaders GmbH of Hamburg, which imports essential oils, spice oleoresins and aroma chemicals. He graduated as a chemist in 1994 from the University of Wuerzburg, joined Kaders in the following year and became Managing Director in 2001. Jens-Achim is actively involved with several German and international industry organisations. In EFEO (European Federation of Essential Oils), he has held various positions, including President and (Co-)Chairman of the Technical Committee. He is also a member of IFEAT’s Executive Committee, Chairman of the Scientific Committee and Chairman of the Berlin Conference Committee. In 2016 Paul Kaders sold its business activities to Joh.Vögele KG (Lauffen, Germany) and has since acted as a consultant – in the beginning this was exclusively for Vögele, but since 2018 also for EFEO and other smaller clients.

Natural ‘Mission Impossible’ – Naturalness from Farm to Fork

By Eric Angelini, Mane 

ABSTRACT: Coming soon.

BIOGRAPHY: President, SNIAA Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Product Safety, V. MANE FILS
It was at Lautier / Florasynth, in the 1980s that Eric Angelini began his career in the world of aromatics and fragrances, a company in which he prepared his thesis in organic chemistry, defended at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. Eric Angelini has never left this field, devoting 30 years to laboratory analytical techniques (CG in particular), quality control and quality assurance. For 16 years he joined Mane (Bar-sur Loup, near Grasse) to focus exclusively on regulatory affairs and product safety. He leads a group of international experts on all the entities and professions of the MANE group. Convinced that competition cannot be built on safety, Eric Angelini is keen to share his knowledge with his peers. This is why he is in charge of numerous mandates in the professional organisations of the sector, as an expert or as an elected representative, at French, European or global level: member of the SNIAA Board of Directors since 1996, of which he has been President since 2011, member of several technical committees of the EFFA (European Flavour Association), of the IOFI (International Organization of the Flavor Industry), member of the Board of the EFEO (European Federation of Essential Oils).

Pesticides: To be or not to be?

By Geemon Korah, Kancor Ingredients

ABSTRACT: The session will begin by establishing definitions on the theme of contaminants in essential oils and regarding plant protection products (PPPs) in particular. It intends to set the context on the use and need for PPPs for economic and environmental sustainability, preservation of biodiversity, growing demand for Natural Complex Substances (NCSs) and as yet unknown influencing factors such as climate change and crop migration. This will open up the debate on defining current and future issues, challenges and eventual solutions from a scientific, regulatory, socio-economic and educational standpoint including potential alternatives to PPPs and evolving agricultural practice. Importantly it shall touch upon the impact of new regulations on farm and farmer livelihoods, the need to phase out changes while accepting ground realities including the collective responsibility to push for new technologies from seed to harvest.

BIOGRAPHY: Geemon Korah is the Executive Director and CEO at Mane Kancor Ingredients, a company celebrating its 50th year in natural ingredients. He joined Kancor in 1994 and since his take over as the CEO in 2006, he has spearheaded the company through a 10-fold growth. He has incubated and developed several new businesses within Kancor and was instrumental in establishing the Joint Venture between Kancor and Mane in 2014.

With nearly three decades of experience in the industry, and a keen awareness of the global challenges, Geemon holds office in several Industry bodies – IFEAT, CII, AISEF and FAFAI.

Nagoya Protocol and CITES – challenges or opportunities for the industry?

By Matthias Vey, IFRA

ABSTRACT: CITES is a UN Convention regulating trade in endangered species and is in place since 1975. The Nagoya protocol was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force in October 2014 and has the objective of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources. Both frameworks thereby contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, a topic gaining more and more attention these days by consumers. Given the high relevance natural extracts have for the fragrance (and flavour) industry, it is important to understand the key challenges but also opportunities the respective frameworks provide.

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Matthias Vey is a chemist by training from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. After his studies and a short period of training as a perfumer he started in fragrance research and development for Marbert Cosmetics in Düsseldorf, Germany. He then became global regulatory affairs manager for Coty/Lancaster in Mainz, Germany. In 2000 Dr. Vey joined IFRA. As Vice President Scientific Affairs, he is responsible for the fragrance industry’s worldwide safe use program, known as the IFRA Standards. He also manages all of IFRA’s science related committees and is involved in IFRA’s advocacy activities. He is responsible for the management of the International Dialogue on the Evaluation of Allergens (IDEA), a multi-stakeholder initiative. He regularly presents at international meetings and conferences and lectures at the Safety Course of the Free University of Brussels.

Regulatory/Scientific Q&A

A Q&A with the speakers from the previous four presentations.

CMR Constituents in Naturals – an industry challenge for REACH, CLP and Perception
Jens-Achim Protzen, Paul Kaders GmbH

Natural ‘Mission Impossible’ – Naturalness from Farm to Fork
Eric Angelini, Mane 

Pesticides: To be or not to be?
Geemon Korah, Kancor Ingredients Limited

Nagoya Protocol and CITES – challenges or opportunities for the industry?
Matthias Vey, IFRA

Two Presentations – Crop Reports on Citrus with Q&A

Sergio Davalos, COTA Ltda will give a market report on the lemon industry.

Colin Ringleib, Ultra International B.V. will give a market report on the rest of the citrus industry.

More information coming soon.

A Personal View of Essential Oils: Inception, Distribution & Validation (video from IFEAT 2019 Bali Conference) with Video Update 2020/2021

By Frank Mara, Berje

ABSTRACT: Frank Mara took us on a historical tour of the discovery and practice of using essential oils in personal care, well-being and flavour from its believed inception through to present day, specifically looking at three distinct pillars of focus:

• Inception
• Distribution
• Validation

These three pillars will go into detail on the systematic change of the essential oil industry, as well as what we think may be in line for the future. Frank will then give a short update to his presentation looking at the impact COVID-19 has had on the industry. 

BIOGRAPHY: 
Frank Mara has been Senior Vice President of Operations at Berjé Inc since 1999 and has been part of the F&F industry for over four decades with his robust experience including equipment design, extractions, distillation techniques, manufacturing aroma chemicals. Frank is an avid motorcycle rider, has been an active volunteer and counselor with the Ronald McDonald children’s oncology camp for sixteen years, and lives with Robin, his wife of many years with his best friend Harry the dog.

Talking Functionality with GFI

Description

Functional products are a long-term, sustainable trend that is top of mind for consumers. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend and with it, changed the consumer and what their expectations are from everyday food and beverage products. In the Givaudan webinar, “Talking functionality with GFI,” they highlight the benefits consumers are seeking in their everyday products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic using their proprietary consumer insight data. Additionally, they translate these benefits into distinct functional and flavour ingredients that could be used immediately for “on trend” product development. GFI will also highlight some important considerations in using such ingredients to ensure the best consumer experience while remaining regulatory compliant.

Speakers

Thomas Charmont
Head of Givaudan Flavour Ingredients, Givaudan
Tom Charmont is the Head of Givaudan Flavour Ingredients (GFI), a new business unit formed to grow our expanded ingredient portfolio as a result of our acquisitions. Tom comes to Givaudan with over 35 years in the essential oils and aromatics industry. He started his career trading vanilla beans in 1985 and became a sales manager in the botanical extract industry for the Chart Corporation in 1986. Ungerer & Company strategically added Tom to its sales force in 1990. In 1994, he was appointed Vice President of the Basic Materials Division and then President of the Essential Ingredients Division in 1998. He served in this position until Givaudan’s acquisition in 2020. Tom has a long track record of leading global ingredients sales with both passion and commitment. His vast portfolio knowledge and keen market insights have served clients well in the ingredients industry for decades.

Jay Klosterman
Director of Commercial Innovation, Givaudan

Over the past 15 years, Jay has worked across various business segments at Givaudan, ranging from vanilla to citrus as well as biotechnology. As the Commercial Innovation Director of GFI, Jay leads the Marketing, Technical Innovation, and Program Management teams in driving comprehensive, value-added ingredient offerings into the market. Jay has a passion for helping customers move from innovative ideas to successful commercialisation and is delighted to share his expertise

Pennie Anast
Sales Director of NOAM and LATAM, Givaudan

Mark Sewell
Sales Director of EMEA and APAC, Givaudan

Update: The Union of Traditional Indigenous Custodians with New Age Plantation Methods – From Australia’s Gibson Desert to the World

By Guy Vincent
Chief Executive Officer, Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils. Pty. Ltd.

ABSTRACT: Sandalwood has been a major ingredient used in the F&F industry and was traditionally sourced from India. In recent times, Indigenous sandalwood from Australia and New Caledonia replaced this. Plantations of Santalum album and Santalum spicatum in Australia will dominate the future world supply of sandalwood.

The DSO supply chain and business model is progressing the development of essential oils around sustainable and ethical sourcing. As the first company to build Indigenous equity in the sandalwood industry, DSO invites leaders in the global luxury sector to promote the vast and pristine sandalwood forests on central desert Indigenous lands. The result is significant for building global consumer awareness and sharing the journey of Indigenous Native Title Holders in obtaining fair and equal rights to the sandalwood resource.

This case study given by Ron in Bali showed how Indigenous people are navigating their way through complex government and industry barriers to a fair and equitable position for a sustainable future.

Sustainable plantation silver culture is needed to balance sustainable wild harvesting and DSO continues to display forest management expertise and stewardship for traceability and quality. Everyone needs to continue to listen and learn the wisdom of Indigenous people. In 2021, a community liaison employee from Martu country will facilitate DSO’s ongoing learning journey, fine tuning their listening and conveying their respect.

In this update, Guy hopes to show the recent progress and share the company’s hopes for the future.

BIOGRAPHY: Guy Vincent is the CEO of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils (DSO) joining the Western Australian based maker of Santalum spicatum essential oil in July 2020. Before DSO Guy was an in-house perfumer for the Estée Lauder Companies. Prior to ELC, Guy worked with leading brands including Aromatherapy Associates, This Works, In Essence and Essential Therapeutics.

A Crop Report on Spices with Q&A

By Adityan KB, Plant Lipids

ABSTRACT: The earliest mentions of spices in human history talk about a spice trade route which originated in India and made its way into flavouring the cuisines served to the European monarchs. In ancient and medieval periods, consuming spices defined wealth and power and those who controlled the spices controlled the flow of wealth around the world. It has to be noted that wars were fought to control the supply chain of spices. The global demand for spices grew through ancient times and gave rise to international trade routes connecting the eastern world with the western world, defining the economies of the world. This presentation includes a brief overview on the history of spices, global supply chain of spices and the impact of COVID19 on the supply chain. The presentation talks in detail about the 2020 crop – supply, demand, carry forward stocks, price history and the future outlook. Adityan will also talk about the various challenges facing the spice supply chain, for example, climate change, agrochemical usage, plant diseases, adulterants and the need to develop sustainable supply chains for spices.

BIOGRAPHY: Adityan KB was born and bought up in Kerala, India which is known as God’s own country and is the hub of the spice trade in India. The Malabar coast of Kerala was sought by ancient explorers and traders for the variety of spices available in the region. He grew up breathing the aromas of spices and consuming the flavours of spices which he says lasted longer on his tongue and even longer in his memory. After high school, Adityan graduated in Chemical Engineering and has a Post Grad qualification in Business Management from one of the premier institutes in India. After his post-graduation, he joined Plant Lipids Private Limited and he is head of the group’s procurement team. Established in 1979, Plant Lipids is a family-owned business and one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of spice ingredients to the flavour and fragrance industry. Adityan’s primary role is to ensure that the company has total control over the supply chain and can deliver products at the right time, right quality and right price. Adityan is a firm believer in continuous improvement principles and has been implementing continuous improvement policies in the business and in his personal life. He is a lifelong learner and is constantly looking for opportunities to learn new things and take up new challenges. Outside of work, Adityan spends time with his family and he loves watching cricket.

‘Everyone is Wrong Except Me’ – The Many Voices of Essential Oil Safety with Q&A

By Robert Tisserand, Expert in Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Research and Author of Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition

ABSTRACT: In any practice, the safety of end users is paramount, but research on essential oil safety can be problematic. Examples include a review of adverse effects, with many cases not being relevant by the authors’ own criteria. In other research, essential oils are confused with fixed oils, or their presence is incorrectly assumed. In a report on pre-pubertal gynecomastia, the authors identify products as containing lavender oil. New analyses of these products will be presented, and issues with uninformed risk assessment discussed.

BIOGRAPHY: Robert Tisserand is an author, educator and consultant on the science and benefits of essential oils and their safe and effective application. In 1977 he wrote the first English language book on aromatherapy. In addition to teaching online courses, he has inspired live audiences in Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America. Robert has 40 years of experience in aromatherapy “functional fragrance” product development, and in 2007 he was privileged to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 Robert co-authored the second edition of Essential Oil Safety, which has helped set industry safety standards. Robert is the principal of The Tisserand Institute.

www.roberttisserand.com | https://tisserandinstitute.org/

Antiviral Potential of Essential Oils and Volatile Plant Extracts – Status and Perspectives with Q&A

By Dr Daniel Jan Strub, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wrocław University of Science and Technology

ABSTRACT: The complexity of essential oils (EOs) and aromatic extracts (AEs) matrices are undesirable traits in drug discovery, but on the other hand, they are useful in some areas of medical therapy, and they can be a promising source of new drugs [1]. EOs and AEs are not considered as highly-effective antiviral agents, and in the flavour and fragrance scientific community, the interest is shifted more towards the assessment of antimicrobial properties of these plant-derived products. Studies regarding antiviral properties of volatile natural materials mostly concern in-vitro evaluations [2, 3], in-vivo testing of these materials is very rare [4], and in-vivo human data is virtually non-existent [5].

The flavour and Fragrance industry observes significant growth of sales of some natural materials during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is attributed in part to the aromatherapeutic properties of the selected products, but also in part to the fraudulent marketing. Some companies worldwide are making false claims regarding their essential oils or blends to be effective (or indirectly points towards this conclusion) against coronaviruses, and (in the same marketing message) to boost the immune system during respiratory illnesses.

This presentation will provide a brief overview of antiviral properties of natural volatile materials, and a glimpse of our current work on the assessment of EOs, AEs, and F&F raw materials as inhibitors or a potential source for the design of effective inhibitors of the key SARS-CoV-2 enzymes. As essential oils and aromatic extracts are volatile products, it could provide an interesting subsidiary inhalation therapeutic strategy in the long term.

Literature:

1. Feyaerts AF, Luyten W, Van Dijck P: Striking essential oil: tapping into a largely unexplored source for drug discovery. Scientific Reports 2020, 10(1):2867.
2. De Logu A, Loy G, Pellerano ML, Bonsignore L, Schivo ML: Inactivation of HSV-1 and HSV-2 and prevention of cell-to-cell virus spread by Santolina insularis essential oil. Antiviral Research 2000, 48(3):177-185.
3. Garozzo A, Timpanaro R, Stivala A, Bisignano G, Castro A: Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil on Influenza virus A/PR/8: Study on the mechanism of action. Antiviral Research 2011, 89(1):83-88.
4. Jackwood MW, Rosenbloom R, Petteruti M, Hilt DA, McCall AW, Williams SM: Avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus susceptibility to botanical oleoresins and essential oils in vitro and in vivo. Virus Research 2010, 149(1):86-94.
5. Becker S: Essential Oils and Coronaviruses. In. Tisserand Institute on-line monograph, https://tisserandinstitute.org/essential-oils-coronavirus/ access date: [30.06.2020].

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Strub is an alumnus of two Polish universities – Wrocław University of Science and Technology (two master’s degrees – in biocatalysis, and organic chemistry), and University of Łódź (Safety in application and management of chemical substances), and one American – University of California Berkeley (Science commercialisation at Haas School of Business). He did a Ph.D. with summa cum laude in fragrance chemistry at Wrocław University of Science and Technology in 2014. He upgraded his scientific skills at the Opole University, Poland (total syntheses of insect pheromones), and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop’s Plant Research, Germany (genetic engineering, and GC/MS analyses of natural and synthetic steroids in complex environmental matrices). Dr. Strub is currently working as the Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and co-owns a small and young chemical company, which delivers solutions for consumers and several branches of heavy industry. His current research interests include flow biocatalysis, combinatorial fragrance synthesis, structure-odour relationships, and applied aspects of essential oils science (antiviral and antimicrobial evaluations, determination of the impact of natural volatiles on the environment and human health).

e-mail: [email protected]

Panel Discussion – Aromatherapy: Science & Safety

A panel discussion not to be missed!

This panel discussion will focus on the aromatherapy industry and how it intersects with science and safety.

The aromatherapy industry has become an important user of natural essential oils and this is significant for IFEAT members and non-members alike. We will hear from industry experts in order to understand how these oils are being sold and marketed to ensure their safe use by the millions who are using them.

The panel is comprised of Jim Romine, President of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), Dorene Petersen, President of the American College of Healthcare Sciences, David Tomlinson, Owner and Founder of Absolute Aromas, a supplier of essential oils, carrier oils and base products based in the UK and Cristina Jaén, a Research Associate at the Monell Chemical Senses Center based in Pennsylvania in the US.

Each participant on the panel will explain their work in a short presentation which will be followed by a discussion moderated by Kim Bleimann, Chairman/CEO of Berjé Inc and IFEAT Executive Committee Member.