NEW! It’s Only Natural: Groups Work Toward Organic Standard

Laurie DiBerardino
The Cosmetic Site
http://www.thecosmeticsite.com/1440057.html

Expected to flourish to USD$5.8 billion by 2008, organic products remain a firmly rooted preference among consumers. As a harbinger for the personal care industry, organic foods will become more and mainstream. Last year alone, organic foods comprised 37 percent of total supermarket sales.

But legislators seem to have little motivation in standardizing organic personal care products. However, organic groups wish to see a set of standards implemented to protect consumers and businesses that do comply with current organic guides.

The U.S. Organic Trade Associate (OTA) Task Force has been working with international organic groups in modeling a uniform guideline. Groups like The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF), the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) and the UK-based Soil Association.

“I do believe there will be some uniformity and agreement on an international industry level. Whether it will be regulated, I would say that’s unlikely,” said OTA Executive Director Katherine DiMatteo in a C&T interview.

Currently, there are a variety of worldwide standards to define organics. The OTA is working closely with the Soil Association that has a set of standards the two bodies are hoping to integrate. Hoping to avoid the regulation pitfalls that happened with food, DiMatteo stated that an international, harmonious standard would solve the problem of different regulations for different countries. Also, there’s strength in numbers. “If we can come to an agreement, we can petition the governments if we wish. The government has no incentive to pick this up,” said DiMatteo.

A global standard would also shave a few years off the regulation process. In the United States, it took the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nearly 10 years to make a ruling on food products and organic criteria.

Some of the points that would iron itself out if standardization comes to fruition are: what should or shouldn’t be allowed in the final product, and what should the other ingredients consist of? “We see formulators struggling on how to formulate their products that they can put to market with the organic seal,” said DiMatteo.

Currently, to be able to wear the organic label, one of three criteria must be met:

1. Products must contain 100 percent organic ingredients
2. Products must contain 95-100 percent organic ingredients
3. Products must contain 70 percent or more organic ingredients

In the case that products contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the producers may list specific organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any claims on the front of the product.

Recently, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) accused some personal care companies of mislabeling products to draw in consumers with “green” claims. By labeling floral waters as organic, these companies inflate and abuse the organic claims. Floral waters are dressed-up pseudonyms for ordinary, common water. “Nonagricultural waters are not counted in any way, shape or form as contributing to the organic content,” said DiMatteo.

The OCA also complained to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA responded that they have no jurisdiction over the “ultimate labeling of personal care products” and the allegations regarding the ultimate labeling “are dismissed as moot,” according to a March 9 release.

And if no regulation comes out of this? Associations like the OTA and OCA will be guiding consumers on how to navigate the maze of cosmetic fact and fiction, what ingredients should and shouldn’t be in products. “It takes a lot of consumer education,” said DiMatteo.

But the biggest loss may be to the companies who have complied with FDA organic criteria. “If the FDA rules that only food needs to be regulated, than companies that have been investing money will feel like they’ve lost this huge investment. For the other companies, [who don’t comply] it will be a huge free-for-all,” said DiMatteo.