RIFM’s most impactful year ever
12.18.24
From publishing a record number of safety assessments to advancing its award-winning science for stakeholders worldwide, 2024 was the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials’ strongest year to date.
RIFM scientists expand their expertise
Not only is science constantly evolving, but so are RIFM scientists!
RIFM Principal Scientist, Genotoxicity, Yax Thakkar, PhD, received his Doctorate in Pathology this year from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York.
Also in 2024, RIFM Senior Scientist, Repeated Dose and Reproductive Toxicology, Kaushal Joshi, PhD, DABT, earned his Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) certification, becoming RIFM’s second toxicologist to become DABT certified after Nikaeta Sadekar, PhD, DABT, who earned her DABT in 2022.
Congratulations to Drs. Thakkar and Joshi, and thanks for adding even more value to the team!
RIFM publishes a record number of assessments, surpassing a major milestone
In 2024, RIFM published peer-reviewed safety assessments covering over 300 fragrance-producing ingredients, bringing the total to more than 2,100 available via the open-access Fragrance Material Safety Resource Center.
This year, RIFM scientists evaluated 1,316 materials, of which 744 were evaluated as components of natural complex substances (NCS). RIFM has now completed safety assessments covering 75% of the volume of use of the first round of NCS materials.
New research to support RIFM’s world-renowned Safety Assessment Program
RIFM scientists also published nine research papers in the peer-reviewed scientific literature this year, including the “Low Exposure Paper,” which saw unprecedented coverage via trade journals and stakeholder-related media. (Watch RIFM’s 2024 video, overseen by RIFM Communications Specialist, Olive Chon, about the low exposure of fragrances.)
Assessment of genotoxic potential of fragrance materials in the chicken egg assays
Determining a point of departure for skin sensitization potency and quantitative risk assessment of fragrance ingredients using the GARDskin dose-response assay (Alternatives to Animal Experimentation; accepted, awaiting publication)
Updating Reaction Mechanistic Domains for Skin Sensitization: 1. Nucleophilic Skin Sensitizers
Use and limitations of clinical data in the identification and classification of low molecular weight chemicals (LMWCs) as respiratory sensitizers: recommendations for improvement. (Critical Reviews in Toxicology; accepted, awaiting publication)
Taking the fragrance safety message to the world—and bringing home the honors
RIFM’s toxicologists, chemists, and other staff advanced RIFM’s science at a record two dozen conferences and regulatory meetings across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In March, lead author and RIFM Senior Scientist Isabelle Lee, PhD, and RIFM President Anne Marie Api, PhD, Fellow ATS, received the Society of Toxicology’s Top Ten Presentation Award at SOT’s Annual Meeting and ToxExpo for the Low Exposure Paper. Later in the year, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of SOT (MASOT) honored Dr. Api with its 2024 Ambassador of Toxicology Award. Dr. Api received the award during MASOT’s Fall 2024 Meeting and gave the Keynote Speech.
To help support RIFM’s scientists in delivering their message, RIFM’s Communications Team developed two new printed brochures:
So the World Can Enjoy Fragrance
Become a Leader. Become a RIFM Member
The next time you run into a RIFM scientist at an event, ask for copies of your own!
Given this abundance of activity, it’s no wonder RIFM scientists’ work was highlighted in an unprecedented number of trade and mainstream media outlets this year, from Perfumer & Flavorist to New York Magazine’s The Cut.
RIFM’s got you covered: SAM Model and membership database updated
The RIFM Skin Absorption Model, or SAM, received critical updates in 2024 and is available again for members. The SAM estimates the percentage of skin absorption for RIFM database fragrance materials using molecular weight, log KOW, and water solubility. RIFM staff will demonstrate the new SAM for RIFM members during the Q4 2024 Update Webinar on Wednesday, January 15. (Read more and register; login required)
Meanwhile, RIFM Scientific Literature Specialist Meghan Barreto oversaw the migration of RIFM’s membership database to a new and much-improved platform, streamlining everything from email to paid events registration.
RIFM’s 2024 signature events engaged a wide range of stakeholders, from members to academics and regulators
Deftly stewarded by RIFM’s Financial and Operations Staff, RIFM’s 58th Annual Meeting, held in September, proved a huge success. It included a popular new format featuring round-table discussions with RIFM staff on What We Know about Exposure (and Why It Matters) and The Real-World Value of RIFM Data.
RIFM’s 3rd Annual Science Symposium: Strengthening science, together, held in November, featured RIFM staff and collaborators in a two-track format that highlighted The strength of RIFM’s next-generation risk assessments and real-world exposure and The strength of chemical clustering and the legacy of read-across. The well-attended event drew on diverse fragrance safety stakeholder audiences, from academics and regulatory agency staff to fragrance creators, consumer product companies, and trade associations.
Congratulations to the entire staff and RIFM’s member companies, who ensure the organization’s success year after year.
Looking forward to greater thriving in 2025!