Health, safety and the environment

Aromatics have done wonders in the fields of health, hygiene, housing, food and technology, making our lives far easier than they have ever been in the previous centuries. However, all scientific and technological advances must be handled with care if we are to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"; that is what sustainable development is all about.

All these advances entail a certain amount of risks. And risks are part of our lives; dealing with potentially dangerous products or situations is something we do everyday. This medicine might cure your headache; but if you take too much of it, or do not take it during meals as your doctor prescribed, it might trigger off a pain in the stomach. Crossing a busy street – as we teach our children – is potentially life-threatening. There are precautions we must all take.

In the aromatics industry, as in any other technological or scientific field, everything must be done to reduce and control risks. Sustainable development is not an empty word for the European aromatics industry, which is committed to the responsible management of its products. This is what the current section demonstrates.