[in Japanese]

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Air Fresheners and Deodorizers Conference was established for sound development of air-fresheners and deodorizers market with guidance from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in October 1988. In 1990, we set the voluntary standard regarding product safety, effectiveness, stability and methods of product description, and enforced it next year. Since then we have given the passed mark to about 350 products according to this standard. Also, operating procedures have been established to support it. Still now we have made continued efforts to promote the voluntary standard and the passed mark.

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The effectiveness testing methods for air freshener and deodorizer, established in 1990, had not been updated. Then, we reviewed them to meet the needs of the times, and introduced them. There are three significant points in this revision. First, we considered effectiveness of products in real space where people usually use. Second, these new methods are very simple and easy to work out. Third, the judging standard became clear.

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Market of house hold air fresheners in Japan had been saturated recently, but new comers stimulated the growth of this market in 2005. Especially the growth of deodorizer market is worth noting and it has been created by new products which focus on odor eliminating in the air. Target of these new products are not specific odor from pet, restroom or tobacco but distinct complex smell each room has. Makers have tried to develop this kind of products with new technology, so this trend seems to continue. On the other hand, it is one of the big challenges for Japanese market that people in Japan don’t use air freshener to create good atmosphere.

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As part of the efforts to prevent health hazards, Japan Poison Information Center (JPIC) analyzed over 50000 health hazardous cases caused by household products which were inquired to JPIC. The result showed that various factors such as chemical or physical nature of ingredients, forms, packages, usages and situations were associated with the accidents. The finding showed that air fresheners and deodorizers that are often used in the home are no exceptions, and the risk is especially high among the elderly. On the other hand, few manufacturers are fully aware of or have enough information on health hazards of their products. The information of health hazardous cases will help manufacturers develop product labels that are useful and understandable. From the toxicovigilance standpoint, therefore, JPIC proposes the new system for developing effective product labels.

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