Squeeze

Over the last couple of days, my Net-roving eye has been caught by some articles about the increasingly tight restrictions imposed on the perfume industry by regulatory bodies. Apparently, jasmine absolute is now a no-no, although I should point out that I don’t have the technical knowledge to state whether this assertion is strictly true or an exaggeration. Perhaps the recommended limits of jasmine have simply been lowered. Either way, many bloggers seem certain that this move will have disastrous consequences on indisputable classics like Chanel’s No.5… although I suspect that the juice has already been tampered with in the last 12 months or so. Certainly the EDP with which I’ve been familiar for many years isn’t as uplifting and floral as it used to be. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Chanel decided to introduce the Eau Premiere variation? Perhaps it adheres better to safety guidelines? It’s beautiful in its own right, but it’s not the No.5 I love.

But I digress. In my day job I have to work within equally ridiculous constraints and requirements imposed by a fearful regulatory body which keeps shifting the goal posts and altering the rules. The sad thing is that these changes are not led by a genuine desire to serve the ‘client’ better, but by a frenzied rush to cover corporate backs and tick boxes. We all suffer because of the off chance that maybe one person, somewhere out there, might decide to take legal action against some perceived injustice.

I think I read on some blog that even though peanuts are deadly to a few people, no-one has asked for them to be banned. Products which may contain peanuts have to be clearly labelled and the responsibility for avoiding them is placed on the consumer, who is considered intelligent enough to avoid substances which may be harmful to him or her. Perhaps the perfume industry needs to learn a lesson from that fact.