February 18, 2009

2 Min Read
QAI to Certify to First U.S. National Standard for Personal Care Products "Made with Organic" Ingredients

Quality Assurance International (QAI) can now certify to a new American National Standard for personal care products made with organic ingredients. Companies that make organic label and marketing claims for personal care products can now demonstrate compliance with NSF/ANSI 305: Made with Organic Personal Care Products, which includes organic ingredient specifications.

NSF/ANSI 305 is the first and only American National Standard to define organic labeling and marketing requirements for made with organic personal care products. The new, voluntary standard allows “made with organic claims” for products with organic content of 70 percent (O70) or more that comply with all other requirements of the standard. Products covered by the standard include rinse-off and leave-on personal care and cosmetic products, as well as oral care and personal hygiene products.

The consensus standard specifies materials, processes, production criteria, and conditions that shall be met in order for made with personal care products to make organic label and marketing claims. It also contains requirements for agricultural ingredients and methods of extraction based on the final product’s label claim.

NSF/ANSI 305 certification demonstrates to consumers, retailers, health care practitioners and regulators that certified products have been independently evaluated to meet the standard requirements. The NSF 305 personal care logo will identify personal care products that have achieved certification to the standard.

“Consumers are demanding certified organic products beyond food and beverage as they see the link to protecting the environment and improving their health. New standards for nonfood, organic items are an important evolution in the organic industry,” said Joe Smillie, QAI Senior Vice President.

QAI will be exhibiting at Expo West from March 5-8th in Anaheim, California. If you have questions about the new standard or would like additional information on how to certify to it, please contact QAI General Manager Jaclyn Bowen at 858.792.3531 or [email protected] or stop by Booth # 2933 at Expo West.

Background on Standard
The consensus-based standard was developed through involvement of those who are directly and materially affected by the scope of the standard via American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) development process. This process ensures balanced input from industry representatives, public health/regulatory officials, and users/consumer representatives. Organic personal care manufacturers, trade associations, regulators, organic program administrators, organic product retailers, and other stakeholders from the organic products community participated in the development of the new organic personal care standard.

Quality Assurance International (QAI, Inc.), an organic industry pioneer founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is the leading provider of organic certification services worldwide. Accredited by multiple organizations, QAI’s programs verify organic integrity at each link of the supply chain. The company has grown to include operations in the U.S., Canada, Japan and the European Union. QAI remains dedicated to fostering sustainable agriculture and a healthier planet, while providing educational outreach to the organic community and consumers. For more information, visit www.qai-inc.com.

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