SC Johnson Addresses the Needs of European Consumers with Industry-Leading Access to Product and Fragrance Ingredients

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RACINE, Wis., May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SC Johnson expanded its global ingredient transparency program and industry-leading website whatsinsidescjohnson.com across Europe, offering consumers a comprehensive list of product ingredients for such iconic brands as Glade®, Mr Muscle®, Raid®, Pledge®, Duck® and Autan®. This makes SC Johnson the first major consumer packaged goods company to list specific fragrance ingredients for products sold in Europe, and marks an important step in the company's long-term efforts to transform ingredient transparency.

"We believe consumers should know a product's ingredients so they can make educated choices about what they bring into their homes," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "Providing ingredient transparency allows for straightforward dialogue about specific ingredients."

Johnson added that in a recent survey(1) the company conducted with European consumers, they found that a full two-thirds said it was important for consumer packaged goods companies to be transparent about ingredients. "Clearly this is an important issue in Europe. We are finding it is equally important globally as well."

The company's whatsinsidescjohnson.co.uk ingredient website is mobile friendly and helps consumers in Europe easily access and understand ingredient information. The site now includes the majority of more than 3,000 products sold by SC Johnson in 25 countries across Europe including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom; with more to come. The website also provides a listing of specific fragrance ingredients for many of the products sold, versus simply listing "fragrance" or "parfum."

Making Information Easy to Access and Understand

For many years, companies selling products such as air fresheners, household cleaners and pest repellents in Europe have listed their ingredients on websites to comply with the law. The challenge for consumers has been ease of access and ease of use with these types of sites. Consumers visiting these sites can often end up more confused than they were before. In fact, the SC Johnson survey in Europe found that less than one-third of consumers believe they have sufficient information about ingredients in cleaning products and air fresheners.

SC Johnson goes far beyond the EU regulatory requirements of providing basic product information with the whatsinsidescjohnson.com website, which provides an easy-to-understand list of ingredients for each product and background information on why certain ingredients are used. The products are organized by language and brand with images of the actual products by country, making them easily recognizable and accessible with just a few clicks.

Disclosing Product-Specific Fragrance Ingredients and SC Johnson's History of Leadership

The whatsinsidescjohnson.com website lists product-specific fragrance ingredients for many of the products sold, going beyond the industry standard of disclosing a small number of specific allergens and then simply listing "fragrance" or "parfum." In fact, in disclosing product-specific fragrance ingredients, SC Johnson shares more than 99.9 percent of ingredients in most product formulas.

"Fragrances play an important role in many of our products, and disclosing the ingredients of which they are composed helps build consumer trust, and is ultimately good for our business," said Johnson. He illustrated this point by noting that in the same survey, nearly two-thirds of respondents said that disclosure of ingredient information would positively impact their perception of a company and their purchase decision.

Historically, fragrance ingredient lists have been considered trade secrets, closely guarded by fragrance suppliers and consumer product companies. In its efforts to increase transparency, SC Johnson has been working with suppliers since 2008 to increase transparency of fragrance and non-fragrance ingredients alike. Key transparency milestones include:

2009: Launched U.S. ingredient disclosure program, followed soon after by Canada.
2012: Published SC Johnson Fragrance Palette, the complete list of approved ingredients for SC Johnson products.
2014: Published list of ingredient restrictions for transparency about how SC Johnson makes ingredient choices.
2015: Introduced product-specific fragrance disclosure, sharing more than 99.9 percent of ingredients in most product formulas.
2016: Launched Glade® Fresh Citrus Blossoms Collection with 100 percent fragrance transparency.
2016: Launched European ingredient transparency program at whatsinsidescjohnson.com.

Legacy Milestones

For more information about SC Johnson ingredients, visit whatsinsidescjohnson.com. To learn more about the SC Johnson Greenlist™ program and other examples of the company's responsibility and leadership, download the SC Johnson 2015 Sustainability Report.

SC JOHNSON INGREDIENT TRANSPARENCY Q&A

1.     Why did SC Johnson launch this program in Europe?

A.    SC Johnson has expanded its global ingredient transparency program to Europe as its latest step in ongoing ingredient transparency leadership. Product ingredient information is available online and via mobile access in a way that is user friendly for consumers. The company goes beyond current regulation and industry standards and includes product-specific information on fragrance ingredients.

2.     How is SC Johnson going beyond the rest of the industry in terms of fragrance disclosure?

A.    SC Johnson is the first major consumer packaged goods company to list specific fragrance ingredients for products sold in Europe, sharing more than 99.9 percent of ingredients in most product formulas. This goes beyond the industry standard of disclosing just a small number of specific allergens and then simply listing fragrance or "parfum."

3.     Why does SC Johnson use fragrances in its products?

A.    Consumers enjoy fragrances for many reasons. Fragrances freshen the air, eliminate unwanted orders, and offer that just cleaned ambiance that many families desire. SC Johnson also makes some fragrance-free products for those who prefer them.

4.     What countries are included in this European launch?

A.    Today's launch includes the following European countries in their respective languages: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In the coming months SC Johnson will complete the European rollout with Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 130-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

[1]SC Johnson commissioned Ipsos Operations GmbH to conduct an online survey of European adults in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. This survey was fielded between March 25-27, 2016. The margin of error for this study (n=1,000 per country) is at most +/- 3.7% at a significance level of 90%.

SOURCE SC Johnson

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