IFEATWORLD Sept 2017

WORLD 3
ATHENS
GREECE
24-28 SEPTEMBER 2017
FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN
DOMINIQUE ROQUES
“As Chairman of the Athens Conference
Committee, I am delighted to welcome
delegates and accompanying persons to
this very special 2017 IFEAT Conference
in Athens. Once again this year we have
had a record number of registrations,
confirming how popular and significant our
Conference has become for our industry.
I obviously feel proud to chair this IFEAT
40th anniversary event.
We sincerely hope you enjoy your delegate
gift, “IFEAT 40 - Celebrating IFEAT Around
the World 1977 – 2017”, a wonderful
book expertly written and researched
by former Conference Programme
Coordinator, Dr Peter Greenhalgh,
which documents the fascinating journey
that IFEAT has taken over the past four
decades. I am extremely grateful to him for
putting together this remarkable document
in such a very short space of time, and the
result is beyond our expectations!
The Conference Committee hopes you will
take time to discover the city of Athens, one
of the oldest cities in the world. With its
rich cultural and historical heritage, Athens
is the perfect place for us to take a look
at 40 centuries of Perfumery history and
at IFEAT’s own little journey of 40 years,
which already covers so many changes
and memories. Be sure to find a space in
your packed agendas to come and listen to
our lecturers telling you the story!
Finally, let me simply say how grateful I am
to my fellow Athens Committee Members
for helping me to create what we all hope
will be a memorable 40th anniversary
conference. And addressing a warm
salute to our new IFEAT team, who have
succeeded in putting the IFEAT train on
new solid tracks in barely a few months,
and whom I want to thank so much.
Welcome to all and let’s enjoy the days to
come.”
Dominique Roques
Athens Conference Committee Chairman.
For editorial and advertisement enquiries,
please email the editor, Tina Carne, at:
ifeatworld@ifeat.org

4
WORLD
WORLD 5
IFEAT CONFERENCES
HISTORY PART 4
In this fourth instalment of the “History of IFEAT” series and following on from his “Education and Study Tours”
article in the July 2017 issue of IFEATWORLD, Peter Greenhalgh takes a look at how Conferences have
been an integral part of IFEAT’s operations over the past four decades.
IFEAT CONFERENCES • HISTORY PART 4
GLOBAL REACH
Over the past 40 years, conferences have
taken pride of place in IFEAT activities.
And have been held on six continents,
in 28 countries and 18 capital cities.
Some countries have held more than one
conference – China, France, India, Italy,
Spain, Singapore, Turkey, the UK and
USA – but no city other than London has
hosted more than one conference. From
Bangalore to Bulgaria to Beijing to Buenos
Aires to Barcelona – from Sicily to Seville
to Sydney to Shanghai to Singapore to
San Francisco - these are just a few IFEAT
conference locations! This is certainly a far
cry from the 1960s and 70s, when there
was only one opportunity to meet every
three years at the International Essential
Oil Congress where scientific papers
dominated proceedings. Details of each
IFEAT conference can be found in Chapter
6 of Celebrating IFEAT Around the World
1977-2017.
Each conference has been a very different
experience, in part reflecting the location,
the diverse events and the changing
economic, political and regulatory
landscape. In other ways, the conferences
have been similar, each starting with
welcome cocktails; lecture programme
and IFEAT Business Session and Annual
General Meeting (initially called World
Council Meeting); the IFEAT dinner (often
in an exotic and attractive venue) and the
closing banquet (often featuring some of
the best entertainment a location could
offer). Another conference feature, which
has been reduced somewhat in recent
years, has been the organisation of field
trips during the conference – and pre- and
post conference tours.
A sizable proportion of IFEAT’s
administrative activities are spent on
conference planning and organisation.
Organising conferences has invariably
been a time-consuming and sometimes
difficult task – as each Conference Chair
will testify! In addition, to the usual logistics
regarding selecting location, venues,
hotels, the lecture programme, exhibitions,
entertainment and field trips, some
conferences have faced totally unforeseen
problems. The 2nd IFEAT Conference in
Cairo in 1981 was cancelled four days
before the start following President Sadat’s
assassination, with some delegates already
in Egypt. Political uncertainties in Israel
led to requests to call off the 1996 Tel Aviv
Conference. The 1997 Asian economic
crisis led to the cancellation of the 1998
Jakarta Conference, and the organisation
within six months of a successful London
replacement conference. In 2001 the
9/11 USA terrorist attacks led to calls to
cancel the Buenos Aires Conference later
that year, but the Conference went ahead,
but with many cancellations. In 2009 the
Montreal Conference hotel faced strike
action and boycotts and several hundred
delegates had to be re-accommodated at
very short notice.
THE EARLY
COLLABORATIVE
CONFERENCES AND
CONGRESSES
The early conferences were organised by
IFEAT in collaboration with other bodies.
The first, in Bangalore in 1979, was
organised by Chemexcil from India and
ITC/UNCTAD/GATT from Geneva with the
support of IFEAT. The Cannes International
Congress on Essential Oils in 1980 was
organised by SIEMPA. The Varna, Bulgaria
Conference in 1984 was organised with
Pharmachim, while the 1987 Taormina
Conference was organised with CITRAG.
Gradually by the 1990s IFEAT, with
support from local IFEAT members,
organisations and companies became the
dominant organiser.
In the early years, IFEAT held a conference
two years out of three, with the third
year being the International Congress of
Essential Oils (ICEO). IFEAT was founded
at the 7th ICEO in Kyoto in 1977. These
international congresses, dating back
to the 1956 Taormina Congress were
much larger than IFEAT conferences,
with attendances invariably exceeding
1,000 delegates. They were dominated
by scientific/technical papers rather than
commercially orientated papers. The
early congresses were concerned solely
with essential oils, and organised by
local essential oil associations with some
academic and international support. From
the 1986 10th Washington DC Congress
onwards, flavours and fragrances were
incorporated, and so the ICEO became
ICEOFF (International Congress on
Essential Oils, Flavours and Fragrances).
After Kyoto, IFEAT became increasingly
involved in helping to organise and
sponsor these congresses. At each
congress, a session was devoted to IFEAT
activities, which included commerciallyorientated
presentations and discussions as
well as the IFEAT World Council Meeting
(later to become the AGM). One of the
few evening attractions offered was the
IFEAT Dinner, for members and guests,
beginning at the 8th Congress in Cannes in
1980, although IFEAT did sponsor a dinner
in Bangalore in 1979. The IFEAT dinner
has grown to become an important and
enjoyable part of IFEAT conferences.
The F&F industry soon afterwards decided
they wanted to be involved, and so IFRA
and IOFI became members of a liaison
organising committee from the 9th
Singapore 1983 Congress onwards, in
co-operation with IFEAT. The 9th Congress
was organised with the assistance of Stan
Allured, publisher of the Perfumery and
Flavorist magazine, who wanted to take
over congress organisation and envisioned
hiring a cruise ship for a future congress.
The 10th Washington Congress was hosted
by the US organisations FMA and FEMA
with IFEAT’s support, and Tom Plocek, a
member of IFEAT’s EC, was Conference
Chair. The 11th New Delhi Congress
was sponsored by IFRA/IOFI/IFEAT and
co-sponsored by Indian Associations
(Chemexil, FAFAI, PAFAI & EOAI), with
Sant Sanganeria playing a prominent role
on IFEAT’s behalf. The Indian Associations,
not wanting to be responsible for any
financial shortfall, set up an independent
corporation for which they had no financial
responsibility. The sizable congress profits
were kept with this entity ICEOFF 1989,
which still exists today, and unfortunately
the profits were not distributed to the
sponsoring associations, as they would
have wished.
Following the 12th Vienna Congress in
1992, IFRA and IOFI declared that they no
longer wished to co-sponsor congresses
with IFEAT and while the committee
continued until the 13th Istanbul Congress
in 1995, they decided that was to be
their last.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
The triennial congresses were different
from IFEAT conferences not only in terms
of scale but also because of different
programmes, structure and organisers.
IFEAT’s congress input was mainly limited
to organising specific commercially based
sessions alongside its AGM and Medal
Lecture.
In selecting early conference locations,
IFEAT had several objectives in mind:
to introduce IFEAT to new countries;
to introduce members from producing
countries to those from consuming
countries; to be informative and
educational as well as be enjoyable
and interesting; and to try to attract new
members. Thus, the venue moved annually
across continents with the objective of
allowing smaller industry players, who
may not engage in international travel on
a regular basis, to meet their peers and
customers from elsewhere in the world
and for ingredient buyers and users to
become more familiar with local industries.
IFEAT wanted to bring new countries and
companies into the global arena via its
conferences. The 1985 Varna Bulgaria
Conference with over 400 delegates
enhanced IFEAT’s reputation and improved
East-West relations.
CONFERENCE BENEFITS
Conferences have pride of place in IFEAT’s
activities because by attending them,
members and non-members were able
to be updated on new developments in
the F&F industry as well as put questions
to experts on subjects of growing interest
like legislation, which was becoming of
major importance throughout the world.
Conferences aimed to provide a location
at which producers, processors, traders
and end-users could meet and network.
Because IFEAT conferences became annual
events, companies discovered that in one
trip they could meet a large proportion of
their suppliers and save a considerable
amount of time and money. The amount
of business generated during conferences
significantly exceeds any expenses
involved, although no official data has ever
been prepared.
LECTURE PROGRAMME
AND CONFERENCE
STRUCTURE
During the first decade, there were some
complaints that IFEAT was transgressing
its area of activity and competence by
going beyond essential oils and the aroma
trades. However, it soon became apparent
that essential oils and related materials
could not be separated from F&F or even
from market products. The connections
IFEAT CONFERENCES • HISTORY PART 4

6
WORLD
WHERE THE WORLD COMES TO ITS SENSES
IFEAT CONFERENCES • HISTORY PART 4
are too close. The aim of trading is to
create links between producers and users
covering all aspects of economy, science,
safety and regulations. The range of topics
covered at an IFEAT conference, combined
with the response from the audience and
interest in the printed proceedings, has
proved that such a combination is always
acceptable. The 2001 Florida conference
introduced a new conference topic to
IFEAT: aroma chemicals, with outstanding
success. As a result, presentations on
aroma chemicals were included in future
conferences.
IFEAT conference delegates largely
comprise those engaged in trade,
processors and end-users of F&F
ingredients and essential oil producers,
depending on the conference theme and
location. There are usually a smaller
number of scientists. After each conference
a set of proceedings is
published and over the
decades these have proved
to be an important source
of detailed information and
analysis on developments
and changes in the F&F
sector.
IFEAT holds its annual
conference during
September/October of
each year – although there
have been very occasional
exceptions. The conference
has developed into the major
business event in the global
industry and is now attended
by raw material producers,
buyers, compounders,
exporters, importers and
consumer companies. The
language for all conference
events is English. Rarely
has there been bilingual
translation.
resources, alongside larger administrative
inputs and reduced availability of suitable
locations. The conferences have become
more sophisticated and complex with
regard to such aspects as the audio-visual
presentations, field trips, exhibitions and
entertainment provided.
IFEAT’s objective of organising annual
meetings where producers and users of
F&F raw materials could meet regularly
to exchange views and review new
developments in trade, alongside
conducting trade deals, has been its
most successful activity. From the first
conference in Bangalore in 1979, at which
approximately 50 non-Indian delegates
participated, the conferences have grown
into one of the major events on the F&F
annual calendar now attended by well over
1,000 delegates from over 50 countries.
The conferences have been consistently
successful. A wide range of distinguished
people from the F&F have been willing to
present papers and lead workshops and
discussions. Conference attendance is seen
as a must for the trade and industry where
people can exchange ideas, meet each
other and develop close business relations.
This is a unique achievement and no other
organisation in the F&F industry can boast
such an active role in organising annual
conferences spanning the globe over five
decades.
You can read the full article on the IFEAT
website at www.ifeat.org
Berjé has strived for excellence as a supplier of Essential Oils, and
Aromatic Chemicals since our early days in New York City. In those six
decades Berjé has built an inventory of over 3000 ingredients that covers
the esoteric to the everyday. Rigorous QC standards, comprehensive
traceability programs, and our recent SQF certification have established
Berjé as a top tier distributor.
With that foundation Berjé is breaking new ground on improving the
industry’s standard of service. Coupled with Berjé Trakia, a European
rose and lavender production facility, our global network of partners gives
us the reach to sell in over sixty countries on six continents. As we further
our commitment to promoting environmentally stable solutions, Berjé
guarantees the quality of the past and the good sustainable business
practices of the future.
Conference attendance
has fluctuated but the
trend has been upwards.
The organisation of
conferences has become
increasingly complex, with
greater financial risks and
commitment of substantial
The article is from Peter Greenhalgh’s
book, “IFEAT 40 - Celebrating IFEAT
Around the World 1977-2017”, which
was a gift to delegates at the Athens
Conference.
Please email secretariat@ifeat.org for
more information.
Berjé Inc. an SQF Level 3 Quality Certified Supplier
+1 973 748 8980 | 700 BLAIR ROAD, CARTERET, NJ 07008 USA | WWW.BERJEINC.COM

8
WORLD
WORLD 9
EDUCATION
IFEAT EDUCATION
IFEAT sponsors two educational courses run separately through the UK universities of Reading and Plymouth.
The Flavourist Training Course is run by the University of Reading and the distance learning programme, in which
participants study for the IFEAT Diploma (Fragrance or Flavour), is run by the International Centre for Aroma Trades
Studies (ICATS) based at the University of Plymouth. Each year a Best Student is nominated from each course,
and we are pleased to welcome both of the 2017 Best Students to the Athens conference.
IFEAT/ICATS DISTANCE
LEARNING COURSE
It has been a successful year for ICATS, with many exciting
innovations. Last autumn, a competition was held with final year
students at Plymouth College of Art to design a new website for
ICATS. The students created professional responses to the brief,
but the winner, Maria Gimenez Fortea, was outstanding and
original. Finishing touches are being put to her design and the
website will be ready soon. With the BSP (sponsored by IFEAT),
ICATS provided the case study at the highly successful new-format
Perfumery Workshop Weekend in March. Recruitment has a
more Eurocentric feel this year with significant representation
from ‘end-user’ companies: many are from technical roles across
Flavour and Fragrance, with an even spread between specific
CPD modules, CPD and the whole course, demonstrating the
versatility of the packages on offer. ICATS is looking forward
to the year ahead with high hopes to further-develop its online
presence to act as a go-to repository of knowledge for the
industry.
Details of all ICATS courses and can be found at:
www.icatsaromaeducation.com
For all enquiries, please contact: aroma@plymouth.ac.uk
RUTH BARE
Best Student
IFEATWORLD asked Ruth about her
career to date: “Being brought up in
Zimbabwe, when it came to choosing
a career, I was destined to end up
working in the traditional professions
such as medicine or engineering.
After I graduated in Biochemistry, I
knew that I didn’t want to be in the
medical field, but did wish to put
my degree to good use. My entry
to the fragrance industry came
about by chance when I accepted a role with CPL Aromas, and
there I found my calling. During my employment with CPL I have
been given the opportunity to grow and develop, starting in the
Compounding Laboratory then Quality Control and more recently
being based within the Regulatory Department. I am grateful
for the company’s support in allowing me to take up a course of
study linked directly to the fragrance industry. I found working
through the various modules on the IFEAT Diploma course to be
both enjoyable and stimulating. As a result, my view of the world
of fragrance has been broadened. For me, winning the award is
a real privilege and that, coupled with the invitation to the IFEAT
conference in Athens, has been the icing on the cake.”
FLAVOURIST
TRAINING COURSE
The 15th Flavourist Training Course was held from 2nd to 19th
May 2017, with fourteen participants from twelve countries:
Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. They were an
enthusiastic and highly motivated group who returned home
with increased knowledge and skills that will greatly benefit their
careers in the flavouring industry. For the third year in succession,
the course was oversubscribed and many of the applicants who
could not be offered places have already requested to attend the
2018 course.
The next Flavourist Course will be held from 8th to 25th May
2018. Many of the places on this course have already been taken
so early application for the remaining places is essential. The
course will be run again in May 2019.
More information can be found at:
www.reading.ac.uk/food/shortcourses/foodbio-flavourist.aspx
MATTEO OLDANI
Award Winning Reading Flavour
Course Student
Matteo Oldani has a Master’s Degree
in Industrial Chemistry from the
University of Milan and a postgraduate
Specialization Diploma in Material
Science and Technology, a two-year
postgraduate course very similar to
a PhD. He went on to work in the
Research and Development field at the
University with a two-and-a-half-year
private research grant and the project
gave rise to a small company in Switzerland where he worked
from October 2006. The company specialised in the analytical
field, mainly sensor matrices for gases and GC-MS but was not
related to the flavour industry.
In 2014 Matteo began to look for new challenges and his
analytical background was the spark that created the relationship
between him and Perfetti Van Melle: He was delighted to join the
company in April 2014 in the brand new flavours department in
Switzerland, which had relocated from the USA that year.
Matteo says: “I’m in charge of all the analytical work of the
department as a flavour trainee, which is why I attended the
course in Reading this year. I feel really proud about winning the
award... I’m completely in love with flavours, but I’m not strictly
from a traditional flavour house, so somehow I didn’t expect to
win. However the course really inspired me to give it my best.
It was really beautiful both from a human and a scientific
point of view.”
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE
SPAIN
IFEAT STUDY TOUR 2018
Next year’s study tour will be Spain – beginning in Seville,
travelling through Guadalajara and other cities and ending
in Barcelona. The study tour will take place in June and, as usual
books up very quickly. More details and how you can register
will be announced shortly.
*Dates may be subject to change.
CARTAGENA
IFEAT CONFERENCE 2018
The City of Cartagena, known as the “Jewel of Colombia” in
South America, is the destination for the IFEAT 2018 Conference.
Described as One of the Most Beautiful Cities in South America,
Cartagena is a vibrant and exciting city that was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Colombia, with its
many altitude levels, climates and natural elements is the
world’s second most biodiverse country and has 10% of all
the flora and fauna in the world, making this region
of particular interest to the F&F industry.
Join us in September 2018!
Full details will be announced on the IFEAT website soon.
Visit www.ifeat.org

WORLD 11
SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE NATURALS • BERGAMOT OIL
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
IMPACT STUDY OF THE NATURALS
BERGAMOT OIL
This report on bergamot oil is the twelfth in a series of reports being produced by the IFEAT
Socio-Economic Sub-Committee on the importance of specific naturals to the livelihoods of
those involved in their production. This report, along with all the previous socio-economic
reports, can be found on the IFEAT website, under the tab “Publications”.
COMMON NAME – BERGAMOT – CITRUS BERGAMIA RISSO ET POIT
INTRODUCTION:
Bergamot, which is a hybrid between
a bitter orange and a lemon, was most
probably crafted for ornamental purposes
during the Arab occupation of Sicily
between the 8th and late 12th centuries.
The bergamot has been known in the
Mediterranean for several centuries, the
distinctive and desirable characteristics of
its oil having been recognised as early as
1750. It is assumed that it originated as
a seedling in southern Italy and therefore
it may be of interest to note that the
distinctive aroma of bergamot oil occurs
also in the limettas (C. limetta Risso) of the
Mediterranean basin – they are sometimes
incorrectly referred to as bergamots.
For reasons that are not clear, this fruit is
commercially-grown primarily for the rind
oil and is mostly confined to the province
of Calabria in southern Italy. Historically,
the planting areas were just over 3,000
hectares. While the tree grows and bears
well in Sicily and in portions of North
Africa and elsewhere, it is reported that
the oil is highly variable, inferior in quality,
and therefore unprofitable.
Bergamot oil is commercially important
because it constitutes the base of cologne
water (eau de cologne), perhaps the most
widely used toilet water, and also has other
perfumery uses. According to Chapot
(1962b), this cologne water was developed
in Cologne in 1676 by an Italian, Paolo
Feminis, and it was commercialised
by his son-in-law, Gian Maria Farina.
Its manufacture dates back to 1709.
Bergamot petitgrain oil is another product
of minor importance, distilled from the
leaves and young growth of the plant.
Today, bergamot is a key ingredient and
game changer in more than 50% of all
fine fragrances worldwide, and Earl Grey
tea is of course flavoured with bergamot.
Nowadays, new extraction methods are
used for pharmaceutical applications and
the antioxidant properties of the fruit and
its components are becoming increasingly
popular.
The main growing areas worldwide are:
• Italy (Calabria): makes up around 90%
of total production today
• Ivory Coast: used to be an alternative
source but in recent years, production
has decreased drastically
• Brazil: some recent initiatives are taking
place to develop the production.
PRODUCTION
AND PROCESSING
CHARACTERISTICS:
In Calabria, bergamot groves can be found
on a 140km stretch of land beginning in
Reggio di Calabria, heading South and
following the Ionian Coast. Over 1,400
hectares are planted and are managed
through several Cooperatives and
Growers’ Associations, and a further 450
ha are being planted. Due to historical
reasons (former latifundism) and land
shape (relatively narrow coastal plains),
the total number of hectares continued to
decrease until more recently. The average
size of 50% of all plantations is rather
small (2 ha), and the largest hardly exceed
20 ha.
There are three different varieties of
bergamot fruits that are traditionally
grown, namely Feminello, Fantastico and
Castagnaro.
Being situated in the Northern Hemisphere,
the crop is taken in winter (December to
February) and a good crop is considered
to be one that delivers around 120 metric
tons of crude oil.
Processing of the fruits is mechanical and
is done using traditional cold press systems
(mainly Pelatrice extractors).
A clear liquid, varying in color from green
to greenish yellow, bergamot essential oil
consists for the most part (average 95%)
of a volatile fraction and for the remaining
part (5%) of a non-volatile fraction (or
residual).
Chemically, it is a highly complex mixture
of many classes of organic substances,
particularly for the volatile fractions;
terpenes, esters, alcohols and aldehydes,
and for the non-volatile fractions, such as
oxygenated heterocyclic compounds, as
well as coumarins and furanocoumarins.
In recent times, other applications and
properties of the product have been
explored.
In 2015, 35,000 kg per week was
distributed to Italian supermarkets as fresh
fruit and it was also distributed in Spain,
the UK and Switzerland. The consumption
of the fruit was advertised as the means
to reduce and control so-called bad
cholesterol levels.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
CHARACTERISTICS:
Bergamot production stands as an
important source of revenue for local
agriculture, and for the 4,500 families
involved in its production cycle. Today,
thanks to an ambitious policy, the
bergamot supply chain (including all
stakeholders, from farm to University,
processors and users) is on its way to
achieving a full sustainable profile and its
resilience factor is highly positive.
Recent statistics reflect that production of
bergamot has increased by 11% in recent
years.
According to a study conducted by the
University of Magna Grecia and the
International Fragrance Association,
together with Reggio Calabria University
and the Bergamot Consortio, 83% of the
growers are ready to expand their activity,
planting more trees to improve production.
Impact Category:
High impact, many people involved.
Relevant site location:
Italy. Bergamot is grown only in a small
area of Calabria where just over 1,400
hectares of planted fields produce almost
90% of the world’s total bergamot crop.
Production is concentrated north to south
of Reggio Calabria Province covering
the foothill area by the Ionian Sea at the
southern end of the Italian Peninsula.
Farmed or foraged:
Farmed.
Harvest timing:
The bergamot harvest starts from mid to
late November/early December and can
last until the end of February/early March.
Location of processing:
Farm/district level. Historically, the socalled
“machine calabrisi” was used for
the production of essence of bergamot,
where fruits were peeled eight at a time.
Today the oil is extracted with machines
called “peelers” which allow the oil yield
to stabilise at a favourable level. These
machines scrape the outside of the fruit
under running water to get an emulsion
which is channelled into centrifuges for
separating the essence from the water.
Distinguishing characteristics:
It is estimated that from the bergamot
under cultivation, approximately 25,000
metric tons of fresh fruit are produced.
With 1kg of oil being obtained from 200kg
of fruit, the current production is calculated
at 125 metric tons per year. Around 20%
of the total cultivated area is represented
by family fields with less than two hectares,
while 25% have two to five hectares, 25%
have five to ten hectares, and 25% have
more than ten hectares. A key factor that
helps many farmers is that bergamot
trees do not need particular care, except
irrigation during summer and pruning
every two to three years. They are longlasting
trees and it is common to find trees
more than 50-years-old. (Arrigo, 2011)
During the past 10 years the sales of
organic materials rose up significantly and
the trend is still increasing.
Volumes:
Italy is the world’s largest producer of
bergamot oil. With a production in
2008/2009 of 70 metric tons, and current
production estimated at around 125 metric
tons. The contribution of bergamot oil to
the export of Italian essential oils is higher
than 3%. (Arrigo, 2011; IFEAT, 2009)
PELATRICE
Peeling machine
CONCLUSIONS:
Matching the growing global awareness
and interest in naturals, the bergamot
supply chain offers a highly resilient and
sustainable source for a sound and safe
development of its usage in F&F, and in
new pharmaceutical applications.
REFERENCES
• Arrigo, A., 2011. Bergamot – A Resilient Citrus.
In: IFEAT International Conference 2011.
Barcelona, Spain 6 – 10 November 2011.
London: IFEAT.
• Bredenberg, K., 2004. An overview of trends in
citrus oil production in the countries bordering
the Mediterranean. In: IFEAT International
Conference 2004. Lisbon, Portugal October
2004. London: IFEAT.
• Chapot, H. 1948. Mission au Maroc. Inst. des
Fruits et Agrumes Coloniaux [Paris]. Rap. Ann.
1962. Le bergamotier. Al Awamia [Rabat]
5: 1-27.
• IFEAT, 2009. IFEAT Study Tour of Italy February
22 – 27 2009 Final Report. London: IFEAT.
• ISO 3520:1998. Oil of bergamot [Citrus
aurantium L. subsp. bergamia (Wight et Arnott)
Engler], Italian type.
• ISO 4720:2009. Essential oils. Nomenclature.
• Stracuzzi, A., 2004. The Italian Citrus Industry.
In: IFEAT International Conference 2004. Lisbon,
Portugal October 2004. London: IFEAT.
• The Economist Online, 2010. Bergamot. The
sweet smell of Christmas. 23rd December 2010.
Accessed from: http://www.economist.com/
blogs/newsbook/2010/12/bergamot
DECANTING
Bergamot oil
Photos courtesy of Capua 1880 Srl.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE NATURALS • BERGAMOT OIL

12
WORLD
AN ANCIENT AND MYSTERIOUS TRADE • THE SEARCH FOR HELEN OF TROY’S PERFUME
AN ANCIENT
AND
MYSTERIOUS
TRADE
THE SEARCH FOR
HELEN OF TROY’S
PERFUME
In this article, Dr Alison Green unites her passions,
the Aroma Trades and Classical History/Archaeology,
to present an interesting account of a vibrant industry
and its part within a trade network of luxury goods.
The vast aroma trades industry (raw
materials, formulating and marketing)
might seem like a modern phenomenon,
but where do the roots of the business lie
and have the types and uses of fragrance
changed in the last 3,000 years, since the
Bronze Age?
Today, the Mediterranean is an important
producer of numerous essential oils, with
many forming the key components of
fine fragrances including damask rose as
well as several woody herbs and resins
such as olibanum and myrrh. They form
part of a multi-million dollar international
trade network in which the best raw
materials are highly-prized and often have
unique fragrance profiles relative to their
geographic location.
Let me transport you to the Greek Bronze
Age, over 3000 years ago - the period
associated with the abduction of Helen
of Sparta, the Trojan War and Jason’s
Quest for the Golden Fleece. Just off the
southern coast of Turkey, at a location now
known as Uluburun, a ship was wrecked,
the hull and its contents were discovered
by sponge divers in 1982. It was a
merchant vessel shipping luxury goods
around the major powers in the Eastern
Mediterranean – Egyptians, Canaanites,
Cypriots, The Hittites and Bronze Age
Greeks (Mycenaeans). The cargo was a
treasure trove of all that was considered
the most sumptuous and valuable. From
Africa, there was hippo ivory, ostrich
shells and ebony, along with numerous
semi-precious stones from all over the
Bronze Age world. There was amber from
the Baltic, carnelians and agate from the
Middle East and copious gold, silver and
copper items. Beautifully crafted multicoloured
glass and faience beads as well
as ingots with weights and measures
relating to all the major superpowers of the
time revealing the destinations the ship had
on its itinerary.
The largest component of the cargo
was held in 149 large clay jars knows
as ‘Canaanite amphorae’. Upon first
inspection, the divers could only see large
‘chunks’, ‘lumps’ and ‘globs’ of a
yellowish-brown material. Initially they
thought this was simply pine resin that
had been used to render the pottery
impermeable, however, there was far too
TOP
Divers retrieving the Canaanite jars from the sea floor
MIDDLE
Terebinth Fruit
BOTTOM
Terebinth Tree (Pistacia)
much of this substance for it to be this – at
least 500kg in total. Numerous analytical
tests were carried out including infrared
spectrometry, GCMS and thin-layer
chromatography, with the definitive answer
being given by the Research Laboratory for
Archaeology and Art at Oxford University
and the National Gallery in London, which
identified not only triterpene acids but four
in particular, which are only found together
in the pistacia tree, also known as the
terebinth or turpentine tree. Today we know
that terebinth resin is a ‘viscous, semi-fluid
oleoresin with high volatile oil content of
approximately 14%’ 1 and scientists could
compare the chemical composition of this
with the ancient samples.
The next step was to try to identify why
demand was so high but as much of the
Bronze Age world was largely pre-literate,
there are no stories, histories or technical
manuals from this period. However, clay
tablets have been found at the Greek
mainland sites of
Pylos and Mycenae
and at Knossos
on Crete and they
give some detailed
information about goods, possibly destined
for the perfumed oil trade, coming into
the Bronze Age palace. They also give the
names of four individuals who appear to
have been perfumers with assistants called
‘perfume boilers’.
The raw materials included coriander,
cyperus, fruits, honey, wool and wine.
Some of these substances appear to be
part of the manufacturing process, with
the honey perhaps coating hands or
instruments to avoid contamination and the
wine possibly being used for preserving
or extracting certain fragrance oils but it
is not clear how the wool was used. Many
tablets include the word “ki-ta-no”, which
experts identify as terebinth, but there is
some disagreement as to whether the fruit
or the oil would have been used in the
perfume. In later Greek perfume, resins
such as frankincense, styrax and mastic
were used to thicken
the base oil (olive,
almond or sesame)
in an astringent
process called stypsis,
thereby making it
more receptive to the
fragrance. 2 Although
it is not shown in
ancient texts, there is no chemical reason
why terebinth resin should not be used
in this way too and the Uluburun ship
wreck shows the resin being transported in
massive quantities for some kind of trade.
The main perfumed oils produced in
Bronze Age Greece were Rose and Sage,
The main perfumed oils produced in
Bronze Age Greece were Rose and
Sage, with one mention of cyperus.
We know from the vast distribution
of the stirrup jars that perfumed oil
was traded as far west as Malta
and Italy and at least as far east
as Syria and Palestine, so it was
clearly a desirable commodity.
with one
mention of
cyperus. These were
likely to have been
extracted using enfleurage
or maceration techniques, but
there are no records of this until
about 1,000 years later. Some residue
analysis has been undertaken using GCMS
on the ‘stirrup jars’ used for transporting
the oils, but this reveals very little about
contents and the perfume formula.
However, there is information about the
colour of the oils, since
alkanet and henna are
listed as raw materials
for the perfumers thus
indicating a red/
orange tint was preferred.
It is very tempting to think that the rose
fragrance would be ideal for Helen of Troy
and the sage aimed at her lover Paris, but
did the Bronze Age Greeks have genderdefined
perfumes? Were these perfumes
used in the same way we might apply
perfume today? We know from the tablets
that the perfume oils were distributed to
some high-ranking members of society
– mostly females. A large number were
also allocated to local deities, indicating
that the perfumed oils played a large role
in ancient religion, perhaps for anointing
ivory statues or altars. Few Mycenaean
religious sites give any evidence for this,
but the ‘Temple Complex’ at Mycenae
does feature a number of bowl-shaped
indentations in front of goddess images
where clearly some kind of liquid was
dedicated. Unfortunately, given the nature
of the evidence, we
will never know exactly
how the perfumed oil
was used or who was
destined to use the
1,190 litres of perfumed
oil calculated to be
produced in Pylos
every year. 3
We know from the vast distribution of the
stirrup jars that perfumed oil was traded
as far west as Malta and Italy and at least
as far east as Syria and Palestine, so it
was clearly a desirable commodity. Some
vessels have been identified as burners so
it is possible that some of the resin may
have been used in the form of incense,
perhaps in a religious context. Another
suggestion is that the use of fireboxes
enabled the resin to be used to impregnate
fabrics during the dying process as a kind
of laundry fragrance. We know that later
in antiquity, saffron was not only used as
a fabric dye, but also as a fragrance for
gowns and robes, so there is no reason to
exclude this idea for the terebinth resin.
Unlike the packaging of today, the Bronze
Age Greeks had one type of bottle for
all products. The stirrup jar is found in
numerous sizes ranging from 7cm to 50cm
high. It is generally thought that the larger
ones were not used for perfumed oil, but
for transporting large quantities of wine or
olive oil, whereas the smaller ones were
for perfume.
The evidence from this era shows that
perfumery was obviously big business
with perfume a widely-traded commodity
but it is not clear how the perfume was
used, who used it and when (apart from
the religious festivals listed on the tablets).
Although science can help us to some
extent, it is frustrating that we do not have
a complete formula to see what perfume
Helen of Troy may have used!
1 Peachey, C.P., 1995, Terebinth Resin in Antiquity:
Possible Uses in the Late Bronze Age Aegean
Region, Texas University MA Thesis (online); she
also mentions that it is also called Chian turpentine,
Cyprus turpentine or Cyprus balsam today.
2 Moulos, Megan, 2015, The Textile and Perfumed
Oil Industries of Mycenaean Pylos: Production,
Scope and Trade of Two Value-Added Goods,
academia.edu online source.
3 Shelmerdine, C., 1985, The Perfume Industry of
Mycenaean Pylos, SIMA-PB 34.
AN ANCIENT AND MYSTERIOUS TRADE • THE SEARCH FOR HELEN OF TROY’S PERFUME

NEW IFEAT MEMBERS
Below is a list of new IFEAT members who had joined by 1st September 2017:
BASF
Chemiestrasse 22, ENS/FM - F-31, 68623 Lampertheim
Germany
Contact: Ms Anja Heinzelmann
Email: anja.heinzelmann@basf.com
Web: www.aroma-ingredients.basf.com/Home.aspx
Vessel Essential Oils
Farmakeika, Neo Risio, Thessaloniki
Greece
Contact: Mr Vasilis Varsamis
Email: info@vessel.gr
Web: www.vessel.gr
Scatters Oils
147 Malibongwe Drive, Strijdom Park, Randburg, 2194
South Africa
Contact: Mr Ian Lutge
Email: ian@scattersoils.com
Web: www.scattersoils.com
Mehk Chemical Pvt Ltd
W 6 TTC Industrial Area, Pawane,Navi Mumbai 400703
India
Contact: Mr Rohit G Kamath
Email: rohit@mehk.in
Web: www.mehk.in
PT Natura Perisa Aroma
Jl. Ir. Sutami Km 9, South Lampung
Indonesia
Contact: Ms Anastashia Lesmana
Email: anastashia.lesmana
@naturaperisaaroma.com
Flavour & Essence Resource
Plot No.29, Pipaira Industrial Estate, Silvassa-Vapi Main
Road, Pipaira, Silvassa-396230
India
Contact: Mr Yogesh Jain
Email: flvessence@rediffmail.com
yjain2010@gmail.com
Web: www.flavourandessence.com
Alpha Aromatics
290 Alpha Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238,
USA
Contact: Mr Bryan Zlotnik
Email: bzlotnik@alphaaromatics.com
Web: www.alphaaromatics.com
Nagar Haveli Perfumes & Aromatics
Plot #207, II Phase, Piparia Industrial Estate, Piparia,
Silvassa 396230
India
Contact: Dr Rakesh Jain
Email: rakeshjain52@yahoo.com
Web: www.nhpa.in
Terpena S.R.L.
Nicoale Titulescu, No. 61, Orastie, HD 335700
Romania
Contact: Mr Razvan Cadariu
Email: razvan.cadariu@terpena.ro
Web: www.terpena.ro
Christodoulou Bros S.A.
Aghia Triada, 21055 Nafplio, Argolida
Greece
Contact: Mr Michalis Christodoulou
Email: michalis@chb.gr
Web: www.chb.gr/en
Kaison International Trading GmbH
Sand 13, D-21073 Hamburg, Germany
Contact: Mr Xixiang Liang
Email: info@kaison.eu
Web: www.kaison.eu
Elysian Essential Oils, LLC
7035 Stagecoach Drive, Park City, Utah 84098
USA
Contact: Mr David Morris
Email: david@elysianeo.com
Web: www.elysianeo.com
Down Under Enterprises
Suite 3, 8 Manning Road, Double Bay, NSW 2028
Australia
Contact: Mr Phillip J Prather
Email: phil@downunderenterprises.com
Web: www.downunderenterprises.com
Jinxi Worldtone (Fuzhou)
Fragrances Co., Ltd
Industrial Pack C of Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province
China
Contact: Ms Zoe Wu
Email: zoe_jqie@163.com
Clive Teubes
cc 75 Wakis Avenue, Strijdom Park, Randburg, 2194
South Africa
Contact: Mr. Clive Teubes / Mr. Brett Busschau
Email: clive@teubes.com
brett@teubes.com
Web: www.teubes.com
Guilin Layn Natural Ingredients Corp
Xicheng South Road, Yangtang Industrial park, Lingui County,
Guilin 541100, Guangxi
China
Contact: Mr Carmelo Pennestri
Email: carmelo.pennestri@layn.eu
Web: www.layncorp.com
Sunflag Agrotech
643-644, 6th Floor, Magneto Offizo, Magnesto Hall,
Labhandi, Raipur-492001, Chhattisgarh
India
Contact: Mr Rajnish Awasthi
Email: rajnish.awasthi@gmail.com
Web: www.sunflagagrotech.com
Union Nature Aroma-Phyto Inc.
P.O. Box 444, Mt-Royal Station, Mt-Royal, Quebec H3P3C6
Canada
Contact: Mr Antoine Rigault
Email: antoine@union-nature.com
Web: www.divineessence.com/en
Dotterline Co. Ltd
11 An-gil, 60 Dangjeong-ro, Gunpo City, Gyunggi-do
Republic of Korea
Contact: Mr Jae Yoo Moon
Email: mr25moon@msn.com
Web: www.dotter.co.kr
P.P. Sheth Aromas Pvt. Ltd
A785, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC Khairane,
Navi Mumbai - 400705
India
Contact: Mr Mehul Sheth
Email: mehul@ppsheth.com
Web: www.ppsheth.com
Yingcheng Wuhan Organic
Material Co., Ltd
No.2 Fazhan Road, Chang Jiangbu District, Yingcheng,
Hubei, China
Contact: Ms Yana Xiong
Email: xiongyan@whorganic.com
Web: www.whorganic.com/index-e.html
Les Vergers de Tunisie
1 rue du Cuivre, B.P. 192, Z.I. Ben Arous, 2013 Ben Arous
Tunisia
Contact: Ms Selma Belkhodja
Email: selma.belkhodja@malga.com.tn
Web: www.lesvergersdetunisie.com
Terago d.o.o.
Trnska cesta 59, 88220 Široki Brijeg
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Contact: Mr Martin Mikulic
Email: martin.mikulic@immortelle.xyz
Web: www.immortelle.xyz
Kalpsutra Chemicals Pvt Ltd
103-105, 1st Floor, Manisha Heights, Bal Rajeshwar Road,
Mulund (West), Mumbai-400
India
Contact: Mr Ashok V Shah
Email: ashok@kalpsutra.com
Web: www.kalpsutra.com
Signature Fragrance &
Flavor Resources, LLC
1750 Brielle Avenue, Bldg. 4, Ocean, New Jersey 07712
USA
Contact: Ms Christine Stierle
Email: cstierle@signature-ffr.com
Web: www.signature-ffr.com
Encee Aromatics P Limited
2/98 A Vellipalayam Road Mettupalayam 641 301
India
Contact: Mr Nanjaraj Chandappa
Email: enceearomatics@gmail.com
Bloom d.o.o.
Slatina 2, 21 325 Tucepi
Croatia
Contact: Ms Marija Majstorovic
Email: marija@immortella.eu
Web: www.immortella.eu
Flavorchem
1525 Brook Drive, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515
USA
Contact: Mr Alan Hubble
Email: ahubble@flavorchem.com
Web: www.flavorchem.com
Fine Fragrances Pvt. Ltd.
119 Jolly Maker Chambers No.2,
Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021
India
Contact: Mrs Kajal Shah
Email: kshah@finefrag.com
Web: www.finefrag.com
Aromaticos Quimicos Potosinos SA DE CV
Circunvalacion Ote. No. 225 Col. CD, Granja Zapopan,
Jalisco, C.P. 45010
Mexico
Contact: Ms Araceli Chavez Cisneros
Email: logistics@grupotecnaal.com.mx
Web: www.grupotecnaal.com.mx
Indonesian Essential Oil Trade
Association (INDESSOTA)
Jln.Sinar Jaya 49, Jakarta 13230
Indonesia
Contact: Mr Toga Raja Manurung
Email: export@indessota.com
Web: www.indessota.com
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMA TRADES LIMITED
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