Ingredient Labels Research Articles

Alkali Citrate Content of Common Over-the-Counter and Medical Food Supplements.

Objective: Potassium citrate effectively decreases kidney stone recurrence, but it is costly and associated with side effects. While several over-the-counter supplements and medical foods purport to provide sufficient citrate to prevent recurrent stones, corroborating data on their actual citrate content is limited. Materials and Methods: Nine common nonprescription products were purchased online. Reported citrate content was obtained from packaging, promotional materials, or ingredient labels. Using a single serving of each product, actual citrate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and oxalate content was measured using spectrophotometry and chromatography. Total alkali citrate, cost, and amounts of each component per 10 mEq of alkali citrate were also calculated. Results: Nearly all products contained more citrate than advertised, except for Litholyte® powder, Litholyte® Coffee, and Horbäach® potassium citrate. Per serving, Moonstone® powder, LithoBalance™, and KSP tabs™ contained the most citrate (means of 63.9, 33.5, and 26.9 mEq, respectively). Moonstone and LithoBalance had the greatest discrepancy between total citrate and alkali citrate (15.7 and 11.8 mEq per serving, respectively). NOW® potassium citrate was least expensive ($0.04/10 mEq alkali citrate). KSP tabs delivered the most daily sodium (mean 158 mg/10 mEq alkali citrate, Litholyte Coffee provided the most potassium (mean of 13 mEq/10 mEq alkali citrate), and Kidney COP® provided the most calcium (mean 147 mg/10 mEq alkali citrate). Conclusion: Some common over-the-counter products contain sufficient alkali to potentially promote a citraturic response; Moonstone provides the most alkali citrate, but at a higher cost than other products. Sodium, potassium, and calcium from these products must also be considered in daily consumption.

U.S. Wine consumer interest in wine ingredient and nutritional information

In the United States, labelling for wine containing at least 7% alcohol by volume is regulated by the Tax and Trade Bureau, which does not require wine labels to include ingredient or nutrition labelling, except for added sulfites. With the European Union moving toward mandatory disclosure of nutrition and ingredient information for wine, one may expect the level of debate in the U.S. to increase. We conducted an online survey of consumers in the U.S. who are at least 21 years old (legal drinking age in the U.S.) and consume wine at least once every two or three months to determine their interest in wineries disclosing ingredient and nutrition information for wine. We asked about the importance of ingredient information when deciding which wine to purchase and when determining willingness to pay, and we asked about the importance of nutrition information when deciding which wine to purchase. We separately regressed three dependent variables against Wine Consumption (frequency), Price, Physical Activity, Diet, Wine Knowledge, Age, Income, and Education. Overall, respondents indicated that having ingredient and nutrition information was only somewhat important, with mean responses 3.04 on a 5-point scale (1 = Not Important, 5 = Very Important) for ingredient information when choosing a wine, 3.01 for ingredient information when determining willingness to pay, and 2.48 for nutrition information when choosing a wine. The factor with the greatest impact on interest in ingredient information was Price, with consumers who buy a higher-end wine at least monthly having a higher level of interest, followed by Diet, with consumers with a healthy diet having a higher interest in ingredient information, and Age, with older consumers having less interest in ingredient information. Price, Diet, and Age also had the greatest impact regarding interest in nutrition information, following the same direction but with Age being the most significant.

Investigating the Health Impacts of Plant-based Milk Ingredients: Additives and Oxalate

Background: Plant-based milk alternatives have become increasingly popular over the years and numerous commercial products are already available. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of additives in plant-based milk alternatives. In addition, the percentage of contribution of soymilk and almond milk towards the Recommended Daily (RDI) Intake of oxalate was also estimated. Methods: The ingredient labels in 81 plant-based milk alternatives were used to identify the type and frequency of use of additives. Moreover, the mean plant material content was also extracted from the ingredient labels and was used to estimate the percentage of contribution of plant-based milks (for soymilk and almond milk) towards the RDI of oxalate. Result: More than half of 81 plant-based milk alternatives contain additives among which 43 products (53.1%) contain thickening agents and 22 products (27.2%) contain emulsifiers. Additives were found more in soymilk (73.9%) followed by almond milk (60%). The percentage contribution of soymilk towards the RDI of oxalate was estimated to be higher than that for almond milk which was statistically significant (p less than 0.004). The outcome is valuable to the consumer as well as to the nutritionist to avoid excess consumption and exposure to additives and oxalate.

Study Protocol for Surveying Nutrient Assessment With Photographs of Meals (SNAPMe): A Benchmark Dataset of Food Records and Paired With Meal Photos

ObjectivesPhoto-based dietary assessment methods are becoming more feasible as artificial intelligence methods improve. However, advancement of these methods to the level usable in nutrition studies has been hindered by the lack of a dataset against which to benchmark algorithm performance. Here, we introduce the Surveying Nutrient Assessment with Photographs of Meals (SNAPMe) Study (ClinicalTrials ID: NCT05008653), describe the data, and discuss the utility of the data. MethodsThe purpose of the SNAPMe Study was to pair meal photographs with traditional food records. The goal was to collect approximately 1000 real-world meal photos from 100 participants consuming at least three meals per day, for a total of three study days. Participants were recruited nationally and completed enrollment meetings via web-based video conferencing. Participants uploaded and annotated their meal photos using a mobile phone app called Bitesnap and completed food records using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24®) on the same day. A sizing marker with black and white boxes of known size were included in meal photos to assist with portion estimation. Participants included photos before and after eating non-packaged and multi-serving packaged meals, as well as photos of the front package label and ingredient label for single-serving packaged foods. ResultsBy the end of the study, 90 participants had completed all three days of data collection. Examples showing the utility of SNAPMe data with respect to artificial intelligence will be presented. ConclusionsThe SNAPMe dataset will be made publicly available and will link meal photos, annotations, write-in notes, and ASA24 food records together. These data will be transformative for the improvement of artificial intelligence algorithms for the adoption of photo-based dietary assessment in nutrition research. Funding SourcesThis work was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/NSF AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS), USDA award number 2020-67,021-32,855.

Certification of Natural Wine: Policy Controversies and Future Prospects

Natural wine is made from grapes produced under organic or biodynamic management without using additives in the cellar. Natural wine represents a movement of winegrowers that see agriculture as an ethical act against wine industrialization and as a way to make food systems more sustainable. The movement has gained fast-growing global fame and connects rural producers with urban consumers. The recent French recognition of a natural wine certification has spurred discontent among other European countries and wine business associations. A debate about the policy implications of natural wine certification is necessary in order to shed light on the matter. This article calls for transparency in the labeling of wine ingredients, in line with recent consumer demands, which would make the creation of new certifications redundant.

Development of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent kit for reliable detection of milk allergens in processed food

The inclusion of undeclared cow's milk proteins may cause health complications to milk-allergic consumers and is one of the leading cause of food recall in many countries all over the world. Therefore, to keep control on such incidences in processed products, we established a milk sandwich ELISA test kit by incorporating two polyclonal antibodies against milk proteins obtained from different species. Its analytical effectiveness in terms of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, trueness, and precision were all analyzed. The limit of detection (LOD) of the test kit was 0.011 ppm, with high specificity for milk protein residues. The test kit was highly specific, apart from considerable cross-reactivity with goat milk and minor cross-reactivity with donkey and horse milk. The coefficient of variation of the test kit for intra-assay ranged from 4.02% to 14.62% and inter-assay ranged from 6.05% to 15.08% respectively. The sandwich ELISA was highly specific in detecting commercial food products. In a limited retail survey, 5/6 of the milk proteins declared on the ingredient labels tested positive for milk proteins. The study offers effective technical support for the sensitive detection of milk products both for food manufacturers and regulatory authorities.

Sodium chloride determination in meat products: Comparison of the official titration-based method with atomic absorption spectrometry

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the official chloride method (OM) and the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) technique to determine the salt/sodium content in different meat products with and without nutritional claims related to salt/sodium. Model meat systems with NaCl (2 %) and NaCl (1 %) + KCl (1 %) and commercial meat products, with and without nutritional claims, were analysed. Greater accuracy was found with AAS relative to OM in determining the percentage of salt in samples with added NaCl + KCl (1.66 % vs 0.91 % and 1.47 % vs 0.89 % for the model systems of burger meat and cooked sausage, respectively). However, there was poor correlation in the percentages of salt given by AAS, OM, and the nutritional composition or ingredient labeling, while the sodium and potassium concentrations determined by AAS agreed with the label information. Thus, the quantity of sodium, and even of potassium, should be shown on meat product labels, which should carefully specify the ingredients. The AAS method showed good performance (recovery 96.0 % and 99.2 %, precision 2.2 % and 1.3 %, linearity >0.997, limit of detection 0.004 and 0.002, limit of quantification 0.04 and 0.02, respectively for sodium and potassium).

The role of expert judgments in wine quality assessment: the mismatch between chemical, sensorial and extrinsic cues

Purpose The complexity in determining the quality of a credence good like wine increases due to the lack of mandatory ingredient labeling. This has generated a significant information asymmetry in the wine market, leading consumers to delegate their purchase decisions to expert rankings and wine guides. This paper explores whether expert assessments reduce the information asymmetry caused by the absence of ingredient labeling in the wine market.Design/methodology/approach By employing analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a sample of 304 wines included in the Wine Guide of the Spanish Consumers Organization (OCU), this paper assesses the extent to which expert assessments based on sensory evaluations converge with the objective cues provided by laboratory analysis in wine quality evaluations.Findings Results reveal a mismatch between expert assessments and laboratory analyses. Chemical aspects such as SO2 levels or volatile acidity, sensorial factors such as intensity and persistence, and extrinsic variables such as the region of origin or wine type play an important role in the quality ranking of wines.Originality/value These findings call for the inclusion of objective intrinsic cues in expert sensory assessments to provide consumers reliable information about wines and to resolve the apparent dissonances in wine quality assessments.

«Нақты уақыт» режиміндегі полимеразды тізбекті реакция әдісімен тамақ өнімдерінің түрлік фальсификациясын анықтау бойынша хаттама әзірлеу

Adulteration of meat products is becoming a serious problem all over the world, including inappropriate labeling, prohibited additives, or replacement of expensive ingredients with cheaper components. The consequences of such manipulations can be dangerous for the health of a consumer. For example, it may cause food allergies and poisoning. In this article, there was developed a protocol for the qualitative determination of the DNA of the mitochondrial genome of chicken (Gallus gallus) by the polymerase chain reaction in real-time in raw and heat-treated meat products. The study was carried out to determine mixtures of meat and meat products from chicken, turkey, horse, lamb, pork, and beef. There were prepared 11 samples of 9 types of meat and two types of plants for the study of falsification. DNA isolation kits PrepMan Ultra (Thermo Fisher, USA) were used to obtain DNA with a high concentration between 1,900 ng/ml and 140 ng/ml. The selection of special primers and fluorescent probes was based on the alignment of the sequence of the chicken mitochondrial gene (Gallus gallus) from GenBank. All circuits are aligned using Primer Designer 3.0 software and synthesized by ThermoFisher. The authors have developed a protocol to determine the specific falsification of food products by a polymerase chain reaction in "real-time" mode. The PCR protocol was tested on a collection of DNA samples to determine specificity, and PCR with different DNA content was delivered to determine sensitivity. Chicken DNA was clearly traced in the DNA matrix in the range of 0.01-10%. Studies have shown that the developed protocol is a highly sensitive and specific express method for determining chicken DNA by a polymerase chain reaction in "real-time" mode, which allows them to be used in the diagnosis of animal DNA detection.

A Network-based Analysis of Ingredients Lists in Nutrient Profile Systems

It is well-established that diseases can be prevented or mitigated through dietary intervention, yet proper nutrition is one aspect consumers struggle to manage. Recent studies have shown that there are barriers to understanding the nutrition facts component of a food label which can be linked to dietary choices. In this work, we demonstrate reproducibility and replicability of a network-based method for automating the analysis of ingredients on a food product label en masse using the Open Food Facts Database and the USDA FoodData Central Branded Foods database in February 2020. Our results, which analyze the co-occurrence of 72,754 ingredients across show some consensus in labeling across FALCPA-regulated ingredients in food product labels across databases but highlight potential areas for discrepancy in consumer understanding and labeling practices for terms not subject to strict regulations. The key findings or contributions of this work include the provision of a reproducible method for quantifying the ingredients of packaged food in the United States across two nutritional profiling systems, and have identified 17 total ingredients that appear in the top 20 most co-occurring ingredients for both databases examined. We compare how of 8 FALCPA-regulated ingredients are represented in ingredients lists versus a common, but non-FALCPA regulated ingredient (corn), to demonstrate how one could examine differences between ingredient labeling between products. These findings suggest more research is needed in developing information systems to increase information available for consumers.

Food allergen labeling of commonly used ingredients in Chinese restaurants in the United States

This study aimed to create a food allergy reference resource to identify food allergens in commonly used Chinese restaurant packaged foods to create an initial reference database. Ninety-nine commonly used packaged foods in Chinese restaurants were identified, and their ingredient labels collected for analysis for major allergens, adherence to Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act labeling regulations, and use of voluntary allergen advisories. Analyzed data was used in the creation of a food allergen reference resource of packaged Chinese restaurant ingredients to extend the knowledge of allergens commonly found in Chinese restaurants. Wheat (71.7%) and soy (53.5%) were the commonly found allergens on ingredient labels. The manner in which allergens were listed varied among ingredient labels. Food allergen labeling legislation that provides standard guidelines on allergen labeling for easy identification of food allergens and providing food allergy training to foodservice workers about reading ingredient labels could help restaurants, especially Chinese restaurants to better serve customers with food allergies. • Food allergies remain a challenge for consumers when dining out. • Ethnic restaurants are a concern because of a various ingredients that are used. • Allergens in commonly used ingredients in Chinese restaurants was compiled.

Understanding Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) Preferences Among Food Allergy Stakeholders

The United States does not have clear requirements for the use of food precautionary allergen labeling (PAL). The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act requires the names of 8 allergens (peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish), if present, to be listed in English on ingredient labels. Additional PAL, such as “may contain” or “made on shared equipment,” is voluntarily placed on products. In the current study, researchers aimed to understand patient and family knowledge of and preferences for PAL statements.Individuals with a personal history of food allergy (FA) or those with a relationship with a patient with FA (including caregivers, partners, and teachers) were invited to participate in the current study through a survey delivered through the Food Allergy Research and Education’s membership listserv. Researchers initially conducted a focus group to understand shopping experiences, understanding of PAL, and preferences for labeling language, format, and placement. A survey draft was sent to 9 additional stakeholders to refine survey reliability and comprehension. Of the ultimate recipients, 25 208 opened the e-mail, 3541 began the survey, and data from 3008 respondents were analyzed. Respondents were primarily female (84.7%), caregivers of a patient with FA (77%), non-Hispanic White (78.4%), had a graduate degree (40.6%), and had an annual household income >$100 000 (48.5%).Queried demographics included sex, race/ethnicity, education, household income, living location, relationship to FA, type of FA, number of FAs, severe adverse reaction history, and PAL knowledge. Survey domain outcomes included shopping habits, frequency of purchasing products with PAL, PAL preferences, confidence when purchasing PAL products, and PAL discussions with health care providers. Logistic regression analysis evaluated associations between respondent characteristics and PAL outcomes.Of respondents, 24.2% correctly answered 4 knowledge questions surrounding PAL. The majority of respondents never purchase products labeled “may contain traces of allergen” (85.5%), in comparison with never purchasing products labeled “good manufacturing practices used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes allergen” (35%). The top preferences for desired PAL statements were “not suitable for people with [blank] allergy” (29.3%) and “may contain” (22.1%). Respondents favor labeling with specific allergens versus a category of allergens. Most respondents favored PAL immediately after the ingredient list. Of individuals with FA, 32% were instructed to avoid foods with PAL, whereas 44.5% did not discuss PAL with their health care provider. Respondents who were told to avoid all PAL were 59% less likely to purchase products with PAL than patients who did not discuss PAL with their provider were.Responses revealed lack of awareness of PAL policies and suggest that consumers purchase products with PAL on the basis of specific language used. Consumers desire clarity, specificity, and consistency in labeling. Provider discussions influence purchasing.The authors acknowledge limitations of the current study to include potential bias in a sample of patients and caregivers from an advocacy group, which may not accurately represent all patients with FA. Inconsistent labeling practices currently cause confusion and may increase risk for patients with FA. Physician advocacy for improved labeling requirements may benefit patients and families.

Celiac Disease.

Celiac Disease.

국외 및 국내 화장품 안전관리 제도에 관한 고찰 연구

Suggestions for improving the safety management level of domestic cosmetics are as follows. First, it is necessary to establish the procedures for reviewing restricted raw materials such as Ingredients forbidden to be formulated, based on scientific grounds. Second, as implemented in Europe, for Safety Assessment of the products that are managed and distributed in accordance with the current follow-up management system, before going on sale, the “product information file” containing product information should be submitted to the regulatory bodies or reported on the Internet. Third, consumers should be able to check the marked or stated effects or mechanism is true or not. Fourth, the screening criteria for “convergence cosmetics” should be established as soon as possible so that companies can develop and market products in response to the latest science and technologies, while creating an environment where consumers can use cosmetics with confidence. Fifth, labeling of allergenic ingredients should be mandatory and standards for cosmetics for children (including “baby”) should be established and supplemented to a level comparable to overseas systems. Currently, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is discussing plans with experts from various fields to solve this problem. To establish a more complete cosmetic safety management system, new cosmetic screening criteria on the procedures for designating restricted raw materials should be prepared and discussed with many experts in the future, based on the results of research on the systems of each country.

Consumer and retailer preferences for local ingredients in processed foods: Evidence from a stacked choice experiment in an African urban dairy market

West African consumption of processed dairy products has been increasing over the past decades, most markedly in urban areas. In livestock-rich countries such as Mali, local milk production has the potential to meet growing demand. There is evidence, although limited, that consumers in the region prefer local fresh milk over imported milk. Yet, very little fresh milk is marketed in urban areas, where imported powdered milk dominates the market. The dichotomy between agricultural and urban food policies in Mali along with asymmetric information has likely contributed to this mismatch between fresh milk demand and supply. In this study, we bring new empirical evidence on preferences and information flows on processed dairy products. We employ a novel approach of stacked choice experiments to estimate and compare urban consumer and retailer preferences for three dairy product attributes: ingredient labeling, product safety certification, and packaging. Findings indicate that the majority (70%) of consumers are willing to pay a higher price for pasteurized milk that is manufactured purely from fresh milk, compared to powdered milk, pointing to an important market opportunity. Consumer and retailer preferences and willingness-to-pay are well aligned, suggesting that retailers have adequate information on their customers and that information asymmetry exists further upstream in the value chain. Better labeling regulations, government-backed certification, and policies that support packaging alternatives can improve information flows and strengthen the competitiveness of fresh milk value chains. Policymakers and manufacturers could also benefit from coordinating more closely with retailers as an information partner.

34S-SIL of PCSK9-Active Oligonucleotide as Tools for Accurate Quantification by Mass Spectrometry.

Stable isotope labeling (SIL) of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is a well-established technique for the accurate quantification of small-molecule drugs. As the scope of active ingredients is expanding into areas of larger molecules, such as oligonucleotides (ONs), the development of new quantification techniques is critical. Herein, we describe the analysis of a 34S-SIL anti-PCSK9 gapmer-type antisense ON. A new method for the quantification of this API in complex biological matrices was developed and applied to mouse, dog, and monkey tissue homogenates, which gave improved accuracy and reproducibility compared with the use of auxiliary ONs as internal standard.

Position statement: The need for EU legislation to require disclosure and labelling of the composition of medical devices.

BackgroundIn recent years, skin reactions secondary to the use of medical devices (MD), such as allergic contact dermatitis have increasingly been observed (e.g. to continuous blood sugar monitoring systems, insulin pumps, wound dressings, medical gloves, etc.): this is regarded as a developing epidemic. Lack of labelling of the composition of MD, as well as frequent lack of cooperation of manufacturers to disclose this relevant information, even when contacted by the clinician for the individual case of an established adverse reaction, significantly impede patient care.ObjectivesTo advocate for full ingredient labelling in the implementation of EU regulation for MD.MethodsThis position paper reviews the scientific literature, the current regulatory framework adopted for MD to date, and the likely impact, including some costs data in case of the absence of such labelling.ResultsEfforts made by several scientific teams, who are trying to identify the culprit of such adverse effects, either via asking for cooperation from companies, or using costly chemical analyses of MD, can only partly, and with considerable delay, compensate for the absence of meaningful information on the composition of MD; hence, patient management is compromised. Indeed, without knowing the chemical substances present, physicians are unable to inform patients about which substances they should avoid, and which alternative MD may be suitable/tolerated.ConclusionThere is an urgent need for full and accurate labelling of the chemical composition of MD in contact with the human body.

Reinforcing Effects of Phenethylamine Analogs Found in Dietary Supplements

HYPOTHESIS Phenethylamine analogs are often found in dietary supplements, even though they are rarely listed on the ingredient label. Due to their structural similarities to amphetamine, it is anticipated that these compounds display comparable pharmacological effects to amphetamine and other stimulants. Here, we compared the effects of amphetamine and selected phenethylamine analogs on drug self-administration behavior in rats. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats fitted with intravenous (i.v.) jugular catheters were placed in experimental chambers containing two nose poke holes. Active nose poke responses resulted in delivery of a constant volume of drug (0.2 mL) over a period of 2 s on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule, followed by a 20 s timeout. Acquisition doses for the compounds were 0.1 mg/kg/inj amphetamine, 1 mg/kg/inj a-ethylphenethylamine (AEPEA) and N,a-diethylphenethylamine (DEPEA), and 3 mg/kg/inj b-methylphenethylamine (BMPEA). Following 10 days of acquisition training, dose-effect testing began with three additional doses, each of which were tested for 3 days. Subjects then returned to the original training dose until responses stabilized. RESULTS At the end of acquisition training, all four compounds showed a significant difference in active versus inactive nose pokes (p<0.0001), indicating that subjects acquired drug self-administration. During dose-effect testing, all the drugs showed a typical inverted dose-effect function, although there were clear differences in potency. Maximum responding was maintained at 0.03 mg/kg/inj for amphetamine, 0.3 mg/kg/inj for DEPEA and AEPEA and over 1 mg/kg/inj for BMPEA. AEPEA and DEPEA appeared to maintain higher rates of responding than amphetamine, potentially reflecting differences in duration of action. Self-administration of BMPEA occurred despite BMPEA showing minimal locomotor stimulating effects in a previous experiment. CONCLUSION Direct comparisons between the three phenethylamine analogs and amphetamine show that these compounds support self-administration, indicating that dietary supplements containing these compounds could have significant abuse liability.

Quality control of natural resins used in historical European lacquer reconstructions with some reflections on the composition of sandarac resin (Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast.)

In order to verify correct labeling and purity of natural lacquer ingredients sold today, 66 resins, gums and oils were analyzed by THM-GC/MS and compared with non-commercial reference samples. 21 deviations were found, indicating an adulteration or mislabeling of a resin. Many of the deviations occurred in sandarac resin, traditionally harvested from Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast., which seems to have another composition today than historically. Differences between both types were persistent through artificial aging. This study comprised one freshly harvested sandarac resin, as well as several specimens of historical collections, as reference material for Tetraclinis articulata. The currently sold sandarac was compared with the Tetraclinis articulata references, and with resins from the genera Agathis, Juniperus and Callitris, but its botanical source was not revealed.

Ubiquity, Hazardous Effects, and Risk Assessment of Fragrances in Consumer Products.

Purpose of reviewThe main aims of fragrances are to create pleasing scents or to mask unpleasant odors. We hereby review their main exposure sources, presumed benefits, and unwanted effects, with special attention to allergic contact dermatitis (prevalence, regulatory environment, risk assessment methodology, and preventive measures).Recent findingsFragrances elicit positive emotions and presumably have therapeutic benefits related to stress reduction and memory enhancement. However, they also cause detrimental health or environmental effects including contact dermatitis (irritant and/or allergic), non-eczematous contact reactions, photosensitivity, photo-allergy, and immediate contact reactions, which can negatively impact the quality of life. Fragrances are the most frequent chemicals causing contact dermatitis. Their main sources are cosmetics, household products, industrial substances, food flavorings, oral hygiene products, and topical medications. It is difficult for sensitized patients to avoid contact with fragrances, due to their ubiquity and because manufacturers are not willing to volunteer information regarding fragrance ingredients.SummaryThe treatment of contact dermatitis relies on allergens avoidance which does not “cure” the disease (sensitization persists for life) but prevents disabling illness. The patient should understand that avoiding perfume means to avoid all scented goods and not just perfumes.Labeling fragrances is key in primary prevention (by giving the healthy individual the chance to make an informed choice to avoid risky substances), diagnosis (by helping the practitioner to plan and interpret patch tests), secondary prevention, and prognosis (by allowing the sensitized patient to follow the avoidance instructions). However, only 26 fragrances are mandatory to be declared in cosmetics. The vague labeling of other fragrance ingredients as “perfume” or “fragrance” hampers the diagnostic and preventive approaches. Therefore, in our opinion, declaration should be mandatory for all fragrance ingredients as well as straightforward so most consumers can understand it. Moreover, legislation should be improved to prevent inappropriately high exposures by forbidding stronger allergens, restricting maximum concentrations in the finished product or fields of application, delivering information regarding the risks to the general public, and controlling the compliance of manufacturers with the regulations. Besides, manufacturers should share information regarding the composition in the final products and provide physicians with samples of all fragrance chemicals whenever needed for patch test investigations.