How does the Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Productos Aromáticos (ANFPA) support its members?

We were formed 53 years ago to represent the fragrance and flavors industry. The association is proud of how we work. While all of our members are competitors, they behave ethically. The association works to defend the industry's interests, share technical information, and promote the best interests of the companies that are members here in Mexico.

What are the association's priorities?

One of our main priorities is frequently communicating with the Mexican authorities in a professional and responsible manner. It is crucial to help them understand how we contribute to the local economy and how important our products are in consumers' daily lives. As an industry, we supply the home, personal care business contributing to our consumers’ wellbeing. Plus, we participate as essential suppliers of the Mexican food industry. Most of our members offer superior technologies that contribute to the health of the public in Mexico.

What shifts in demand did you observe during the pandemic?

We have observed different things for both industries. On the fragrance side, we saw at first a slowdown in the fine fragrance segment, as people became less social. Fragrances have a lot to do with our social interaction. On the other hand, the home care sector experienced booming demand as people desired more cleaning and disinfection benefits from home care products. They looked for anti-bacterial benefits from soaps, detergents and softeners, and the use of anti-bacterial gel showed a considerable increase too.

On the flavors side, the industry experienced an initial slowdown in sales of the flavors used for sweet snacks and candies, such as gum and sweets. On the other hand, our products benefited from the home cooking and healthier lifestyles trend. It was an interesting shift in consumer behavior, and we feel lucky to have found lots of opportunities in the chaos as an industry.

Has the market normalized?

The bubble of unusual consumer behavior has burst as we return to normal life, a normalized new reality. However, recent trends have continued, such as the focus on wellbeing. People are more conscious about their wellbeing in a holistic way. Those trends continue to provide opportunities in both flavors and fragrances.

How does the association support innovation?

One of our pillars is the technical committee. Representatives from our member companies share their main knowledge about regulations and new policies that may impact the industry. They agree on how to manage these and collaborate with the local authorities responsibly to regulate what needs to be regulated. The committee also brings scientific information to inform members about the right use and safety of our products.

How is the flavors and fragrances industry becoming more sustainable?

Our most significant source of beautiful raw materials, for both fragrances and flavors, is nature. We have inherited the responsibility to be kind to our planet and act responsibly.

Our industry has been a pioneer of sustainable business practices for many years. Most of our members have global sustainability initiatives and targets, published in their own sustainability reports.

What is the association's focus for the next year?

We aim to be responsible and transparent about the way that we work. ANFPA recently launched its presence on social media. You can find ANFPA on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. We communicate on those platforms, sharing knowledge about what we do and who we are.

Our products are present in the daily life of consumers. The first contact a person has when they wake up is with products that include some fragrances and flavors – in their breakfast, the morning showers, shampoo, and aftershave. We are in the food the consumer eats at lunch and dinner, and when they go to bed, we make them feel comfortable and happy in sheets that smell nice. So we have an essential role in the daily life of consumers, which we love and feel passionate about. We constantly strive to bring the consumer technologies and innovation that improve their lives.