Latest USDA Policy on Organic Personal Care Will Punish Real Organic Brands While Protecting Those Who Mislabel

WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) recently reaffirmed that as of October 21, 2005, companies cannot label certified organic body care products with the USDA Organic Seal or represent that certified organic products comply with the National Organic Program. This policy change was initially proposed in April 2004 but was rescinded shortly thereafter after widespread public outcry. The new policy completely contradicts the previous 2002 USDA directive that invited body care companies to invest in certifying NOP qualified products, punishing legitimate organic body care companies while rewarding "organic" labeling fraud.

"Under pressure from big business, the Bush Administration's USDA is attempting to re-interpret the National Organic Program so as to kick out personal care companies that actually make certified organic lotions, balms and other products certified to National Organic Standards," says Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), a nonprofit consumer watchdog organization. "Certified organic olive oil does not magically become non-organic if it is used as a massage oil instead of on a salad. There is no logic in the NOP denying use of the USDA seal on personal care products that meet the NOP standards especially when numerous personal care brands mislabel their products with 'Organic/Organics' that use conventional and synthetic ingredients and preservatives. OCA believes the USDA seal is the only way bona fide organic personal care products can be distinguished by organic consumers versus misbranded 'Organic/Organics' products."

The National Organic Program is for all products that comply with the program, that truly support sustainable organic agriculture and ecological processing without unnecessary synthetic ingredients. In May 2002 the NOP formalized this position to personal care manufacturers when they said in their scope policy statement, "Because these and other products, classes of products, and production systems contain agricultural products the producers and handlers of such products, classes of products, and production systems are eligible to seek certification under the NOP."

"The USDA is sadly confused about free speech in this country to try and censure companies from communicating they comply with the NOP. It's totally outrageous that companies which spent considerable resources to develop high quality organic personal care products at the USDA's invitation may have to remove the USDA organic seal by October 21, 2005 unless legal action is taken," says Cummins. "OCA will join with any personal care company that already qualifies for the USDA organic seal in fighting more duplicity in the marketplace through this policy change. We urge companies that already qualify for the USDA organic seal to ignore the latest guidance because it is arbitrary and capricious and is beyond the authority of the NOP to enforce."

Personal care products can enter the body through the skin. Increasingly consumers are demanding organic products they know are free of chemicals and synthetic ingredients that can be harmful to environment and human health. For more information on the organic personal care crisis visit OCA's Coming Clean Campaign at http://www.organicconsumers.org .
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