FiFi Awards: Breakthroughs in Fragrance Creation

GCI's sister publication Perfumer & Flavorist magazine partnered with The Fragrance Foundation to restructure the FiFi Awards for Technological Breakthrough of the Year. As a result, a specialized category—Technological Breakthrough in Fragrance Creation—was established.

This new award category considered submissions in the following areas:

  • Innovations in production or formulation
  • Methods of ingredient extraction
  • New ingredients
  • Fragrance applications
  • Sustainability efforts as they relate to ingredients, formulation and finished fragrance
  • Basic research (fragrance-centric)

Submitted technologies represented an entirely new and original concept. In addition, the technologies must have been created in 2009 and used in a product that is currently on the market, or, if it is not currently on the market, a notarized letter must be submitted confirming a contract to use the technology in a product to be launched in 2010.

A panel of experts pre-screened submissions, evaluating concept (original premise), function (how does it work and what are its innovative qualities) and industry benefits (potential value). Following this stage, entrants were required to make a presentation to the Technological Breakthrough judging panel, comprising industry consultants, trade media and research scientists. The highest-scoring presentation will be awarded the FiFi Award for Technological Breakthrough of the Year at the 2010 FiFi Award Ceremony on Thursday, June 10, 2010, at The Downtown Avenue Armory in New York.

The Nominees

This revamped award category presented an opportunity for fragrance houses, raw material suppliers and research institutions to showcase their expertise.

Miriad 2.0 by Givaudan

Givaudan’s submission seeks to capitalize on emerging opportunities of the 21st century, namely developing markets; a vast and democratic Internet environment in which consumers openly exchange insights; and increasingly sophisticated tools for gathering; analyzing and acting upon data in real time. Labeled a “knowledge management tool,” Miriad 2.0 represents an expansion of the company’s interactive program, which supports fragrance creation for fine fragrance, personal, fabric and home care applications.

The expansion focuses on three general areas:

  1. BlogTrek “tracks the buzz and sentiments [about fine fragrance] that are exchanged between early adaptors and passionate perfume users daily.” The technology collates popular opinion by “harvesting comments” for application in increasingly predictive marketing applications.
  2. As part of its effort to gather localized data around the world, Givaudan’s expanded platform has widened its focus on increasingly important developing markets. Using its Anthropoligist’s Nose system, the company is examining how local tastes and customs affect fragrance performance and overall fragrance relevance, with the goal of inspiring new, well-targeted products. According to the company, “teams ensure on-the-ground connection with local markets [by] capturing opinions, experiences and associations with fragrance and observing consumer behavior when buying and using products.” This information is fed into Givaudan’s databases for application in fragrance design. In addition, its Scent Tracking Across Regions (Web STAR) Web platform employs proprietary metrics to identify global category leaders and olfactive preferences worldwide. The technology uses 10 “visualization techniques”—Motion Analytics—to analyze data that will be used to steer fragrance creation.
  3. Givaudan has grown its platform’s mission to encompass conceptual positioning, proactive initiatives and new raw material testing with consumers. Perfume Pulse represents a database of consumer feedback on fragrance materials collected over 15 years, helping formulators to rethink how consumers around the world use and understand olfactive terminology. Also, the technology includes Perfume Pub, which tracks consumer feedback on brand advertising, including in developing markets. The technology allows formulators to draw conclusions on the “impact of economic environment on overall preference.”

Jungle Essence by Mane

Mane’s Jungle Essence technology employs an in situ device featuring a liquefied, odorless, recyclable gas extraction that “fully analyzes” source materials, allowing formulators to create new fragrances with the “total olfactive fidelity” of the original product. The process aims to discover new olfactive facets for all applications categories. This small, portable technology requires no external energy source and can trap the scent and taste of items as diverse as fruit and candy.

How the extraction works: Source material is cut into pieces before being placed in the technology’s extraction tube, which enhances contact with the proprietary extraction gas. In a cold, low-pressure process, the gas liquefies, penetrates the source material and extracts odorant molecules. Pressure is released as the tube is emptied; the liquid gas evaporates, returning to its original state. Left behind is the molecular extraction, which is then analyzed by a perfumer in order to generate a formula that can be scaled up.

Extracts: The Jungle Essence technology can generate three categories of products. Pure Jungle Essence is an Ecocert-certifiable natural extraction of a natural product, sans solvent residue; Neo Jungle Essence is a co-extraction with an added solvent that produces extracts without “olfactive distortion,” thus offering “olfactive fidelity;” DNA Jungle Essence represents a reconstitution based on an analysis of a Pure Jungle Essence extraction. The “code” of the extract is broken down and reconstituted as accurately as possible and can be compared against the olfactive reference of the pure extract. The technology has yielded materials such as pink pepper Pure JE (sharp, spicy, softly woody), coconut Neo JE (fresh and fruity), feuilles de bigaradier DNA JE (floral, characteristic orange flow and light citrus) and green pepper Neo JE (fresh, green, spicy, crunchy and hot).

Aromacosmetics by Robertet

Robertet’s Aromacosmetics R&D program has utilized technologies such as a cell culture lab to examine more than 300 natural perfumery ingredients—essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, isolates, etc.—for application in skin care. The resulting extracts contain active molecules that serve as skin-activity ingredients in soothing, antiaging, purifying and slimming applications.

Activities: The program’s soothing solutions target skin inflammation by inhibiting the activity of the enzymes that induce and amplify the inflammatory process. Extracts such as wheat and myrrh extract have been applied in products such as Optimum Rejuvenate & Restore Day Cream, Innoxa Spa Body Therapy hydrating body mist and Avon Justine Skin Care: Balancing Line. Meanwhile, the company’s anti-photoaging materials, such as olive fruit extract, act as antioxidants, reducing damage caused by free radicals. Materials such as benzoin and rosemary extracts prevent the loosening of the extracellular matrix by protecting structural proteins and reducing wrinkles.

Materials such as juniper berry extract prevent dehydration by strengthening the extracellular matrix and protecting hyaluronic acid. Robertet’s antiaging technology is used in Lolita Morena—Le Baiser de la Rose skin care, Institut Esthederm—Time System antiaging skin care and Optimum skin care line. Aromacosmetics can also purify the skin and scalp by inhibiting the production of microorganisms. In this category, guaiacwood extract can treat acne; Virginia cedarwood extract can treat perspiration; coriander extract can treat dandruff. This technology is used in Decleor—Aroma Purete purifying skin care range. Finally, Robertet’s slimming Aromacosmetics reactivate the lipolysis process and improve skin firmness by using thyme extracts. Applications include Dior Bikini Celluli-Diet slimming gel and Innoxa—One and All body care.

Originally printed in the May 2010 issue of P&F.

More in Fragrance/Home