The Fragrance Industry's Price-Fixing Scandal, Explained

Fragrance suppliers have faced competition investigations and civil lawsuits over alleged coordination in fragrance products and ingredients. The proceedings involve Givaudan, Firmenich, Symrise and International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), with different cases and outcomes in different jurisdictions.

The distinction matters: an investigation, a private lawsuit and a settlement are separate developments. The updates below were checked on October 19, 2026.

Why Ingredient Suppliers Are Involved

These businesses operate behind many consumer-facing fragrance brands. They supply scent ingredients or fragrance compositions used in perfume and other scented products, including personal-care and household goods.

Competition cases can concern the way suppliers compete with one another, rather than the design or retail pricing of a particular branded bottle. The UK investigation concerns suspected anti-competitive conduct in the supply of fragrances and fragrance ingredients.

The UK Investigation

The Competition and Markets Authority’s case page records the investigation opening on March 7, 2023. In January 2024, it was extended to suspected reciprocal arrangements concerning recruitment of certain staff.

In May 2025, the CMA closed its investigation into Symrise on administrative priority grounds. Its September 2026 update records the investigation continuing into Firmenich, Givaudan and IFF.

The CMA says it has not reached a view on whether there is sufficient evidence to issue a statement of objections. Closing one part of the investigation on priority grounds and continuing the others are procedural decisions, rather than a single verdict covering every company.

IFF’s Account of the US Investigation

IFF’s filing for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 describes European Commission and CMA inspections in March 2023 and a US Department of Justice grand jury subpoena served that day.

The filing says IFF received a DOJ letter on February 5, 2026 confirming closure of that investigation. It expressly separates that decision from other civil and regulatory matters. The same filing also describes civil settlements, which should not be confused with the DOJ investigation.

The US Civil Settlements

Different groups of purchasers have brought separate proceedings. Two examples show why the parties, class and procedural stage need to be identified.

Direct purchasers

The court-authorised direct-purchaser settlement site records preliminary approval of settlements with IFF on November 17, 2025 and Firmenich on August 4, 2026. IFF’s filing identifies its direct-purchaser contribution as $26 million.

The settlement site says the court has not decided whether the settling defendants did anything wrong, and that they deny wrongdoing. It identifies Givaudan and Symrise entities as non-settling defendants against which that litigation continues.

The January 2018 to December 2023 dates on the notice identify the relevant class purchase period. They are not a single timeframe covering every regulator’s investigation worldwide.

End-user plaintiffs

The separate end-user settlement site describes an $11 million IFF settlement and records final approval on September 16, 2026. It says the settlement does not dismiss claims against other defendants and that IFF denies wrongdoing.

A settlement amount is not a refund assigned to every perfume buyer. Anyone following the proceedings should use the notice for the particular case to understand the class definition and its process.

Does This Explain Your Perfume’s Price?

Ingredient supply is one part of the route to a finished bottle. Development, packaging, distribution and brand positioning also affect the product offered to shoppers. Our perfume-pricing guide explains those factors.

The case updates above do not calculate an overcharge on a named retail perfume. They also do not establish that a recent price change at your favourite brand resulted from the alleged conduct.

For a purchase, compare the exact fragrance, concentration and size at the price offered. For the legal story, follow each jurisdiction and purchaser group separately: a development in one proceeding may leave another unchanged.