THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS - IFEAT

IMPROVED IDENTIFICATION METHODS FOR AUSTRALIAN TEA TREE OILJerome ChopardMaria River PlantationPO Box 1680 Crows Nest NSW 1585Australiajchopard@newellpalmer.com.auINTRODUCTIONOn behalf of my fellow growers of Australian tea tree oil,I want to thank you for attending this presentation andIFEAT for the opportunity to launch our “improvedidentification methods” awareness campaign here today.To understand why improved identification methods forpure tea tree oil are necessary, we need to go back to thehistory of tea tree oil as a key ingredient in personal careproducts.Bronson & Jacobs and Maria River PlantationImproved Identification Methods for Australian Tea Tree OilTea tree oil has substantial medical properties that have been established by equally substantialresearch. This research was conducted using pure tea tree oil. It is this established research on the“efficacy” and “safety” of tea tree oil that has seen a proliferation in its use in personal care productsand more importantly, enabled manufacturers to make claims on the performance of their product andthe consumer to have confidence in these claims.In the past two years however, we have seen an increase in the amount of adulterated tea tree oil beingsold in the market as low priced tea tree oil. Manufacturers and consumers have not been warned thatthis cheap oil is adulterated and that no tests have been done to prove its “efficacy” or “safety”.To reduce the risk faced by manufacturers and consumers from this adulterated oil, our industry hasembarked on a programme to introduce improved identification methods for pure tea tree oil.Adulteration of essential oils is a common problem inthe market place. However, our industry believes that theadulteration of tea tree oil is a matter of great concernbecause of the types of personal care products it is usedin and the healing properties the consumer relies onwhen using these products. When untested, unresearchedand un-controlled adulterated tea tree oil isbeing used in products which are then being appliedtopically or orally to cuts, burns or infections – there is avery real safety concern which is a matter of greatinterest.Improved Identification MethodsProtect The Public Interest• What is ATTIA• History of pure Australian tea tree oil• What is the tea tree industry concernedabout• Emergence of adulterated tea tree oil• New specification – Chiral testing• How can you minimise your risk?Let me now introduce you briefly to the organisation thatwill be prosecuting this case.273