IFEAT (International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades)

The International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT) was founded in 1977 and is registered in London (currently at King's House, 9-10 Haymarket, SW1Y 4BP) - making it one of the few global fragrance-adjacent bodies with a genuine UK head office, unlike IFRA (Geneva/Brussels) or the World Perfumery Congress (rotating US/European venues). It represents companies across the production, processing, trading and manufacturing of essential oils and aroma-chemical raw materials used in flavours, fragrances and aromatherapy; membership spans more than 770 companies across 66 countries, reflecting the genuinely international, agricultural-commodity end of the fragrance supply chain - growers, distillers, traders and brokers - rather than finished-perfume brands themselves.

Its flagship activity is an annual international conference, widely regarded as the sector's most important yearly gathering for business and trade contacts across essential oils, aroma chemicals and natural ingredients - a different focus to IFRA's safety-standards remit or the World Perfumery Congress's more perfumer- and brand-facing programme. IFEAT also runs education through a bespoke remote-learning platform, building on the original ICATS (International Centre for Aroma Trade Studies) course developed by industry expert Dr Tony Curtis.

For a UK reader, IFEAT is a useful reminder that a meaningful part of the global fragrance-ingredient trade is headquartered in London even though the visible perfume industry - brands, launches, retail - largely sits elsewhere. It represents the raw-material and commodity-trading layer underneath the finished bottles ScentVerdict reviews, rather than the brands or perfumers themselves.