Taiwan Introduces New Labeling Requirements for 24 Fragrances and Flavorings

On January 21, 2025, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) issued two drafts for public consultation, Ingredients of Specific Fragrances or Flavorings That Should Be Labeled in Cosmetics, and amendments to the Labeling Requirements for Cosmetic Packaging, Containers, Labels or Directions. Comments can be submitted until March 24, 2025.^1-2

The Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act mandates specific labeling requirements for cosmetics, supported by the Labeling Requirements for Cosmetic Packaging, Containers, Labels or Directions, which provides detailed guidelines. Article 7 of the latter regulation outlines rules for labeling fragrance and flavoring ingredients, stating that they shall be expressed using terms like "flavor", "fragrance", "parfum", "perfume", or "aroma", in English or Chinese.

In an effort to safeguard consumers sensitive to fragrances, Taiwan proposed the draft of Ingredients of Specific Fragrances or Flavorings That Should Be Labeled in Cosmetics, referencing international standards and the opinions of the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). According to the draft, 24 ingredients listed below shall be individually specified on labels when their concentrations exceed 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products, rather than using the generic terms previously mentioned for fragrance and flavoring substances.

No.	Substance	CAS No.
1	Amyl Cinnamal	122-40-7
2	Benzyl Alcohol	100-51-6
3	Cinnamyl Alcohol	104-54-1
4	Citral	5392-40-5
	Geranial	141-27-5
	Neral	106-26-3
5	Eugenol	97-53-0
6	Hydroxycitronellal	107-75-5
7	Isoeugenol	97-54-1
		5932-68-3
		5912-86-7
8	Amylcinnamyl Alcohol	101-85-9
9	Benzyl Salicylate	118-58-1
10	Cinnamal	104-55-2
11	Coumarin	91-64-5
12	Geraniol	106-24-1
13	Anise Alcohol	105-13-5
14	Benzyl Cinnamate	103-41-3
15	Farnesol	4602-84-0
16	Linalool	78-70-6
17	Benzyl Benzoate	120-51-4
18	Citronellol	106-22-9
		1117-61-9
		7540-51-4
19	Hexyl Cinnamal	101-86-0
20	Limonene	5989-27-5
		138-86-3 / 7705-14-8
		5989-54-8
21	Methyl 2-Octynoate	111-12-6
22	Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone	127-51-5
23	Evernia Prunastri Extract	90028-68-5
24	Evernia Furfuracea Extract	90028-67-4

In conjunction with this draft regulation, Taiwan also announced draft amendments to Article 7 of the Labeling Requirements for Cosmetic Packaging, Containers, Labels or Directions, incorporating the new labeling requirements for fragrances and flavorings into this regulation.

To give stakeholders ample time to comply with the new requirements, Taiwan announced transitional provisions with draft amendments. The amendments will take effect one year after the final regulations are published. Cosmetics manufactured or imported before the effective date can continue to be sold within their original shelf life.