Will USDA Organic Standards Finally Include Cosmetics?

The boom in unofficial organic standards for cosmetic products is a huge source of confusion for consumers who don’t know which standards are the most stringent. I sometimes wonder if some members of the ‘organic’ industry enjoy the bewilderment because it makes it easier for them to market synthetic concoctions as ‘organic’ and ‘natural,’ without redress. 

It is often suggested in the media and by some cosmetic companies that there are no official certification standards that can be applied to cosmetic products, but this simply isn’t true. The United States Department for Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) has standards in
 place that can be applied to cosmetics and these standards clearly define terms such as ‘synthetic’ and ‘non-synthetic’ (or natural). However, up until now, although the USDA allows cosmetic manufacturers to certify to the standards provided they meet the provisions, there is no explicit reference to cosmetics under its definition of ‘agricultural products.’ 

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a 15-member advisory group to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) and the Certification, Accreditation and Compliance Committee (CACC) make recommendations to the NOSB.

The CACC issued a document on March 13, 2009 stating that “organic cosmetics and personal care products should be recognized explicitly by the NOP to ensure that customers and businesses alike have an unquestioned home in the USDA National Organic Program.” 

Michal McGuffin, President of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has expressed his support that the NOP should be amended to explicitly include cosmetics and suggested that by not recognising organic cosmetics, the proliferation of private standards has occurred, leading to inconsistent regulation of organic cosmetics. I second this statement!

The USDA only regulates organic cosmetics if they apply for USDA certification. Cosmetics with USDA approval can claim organic certification on three levels: ‘100% organic,’ ‘organic’ (must contain 95% organic ingredients) and ‘made with organic’ (must contain at least 70% organic ingredients). 

A CACC spokesperson has said that if the CACC document was adopted as it stands, private standards would have no place in the marketplace and only ‘100% organic’ and ‘organic’ products (those containing 95% organic ingredients) would be allowed to bear USDA certification.

This would have numerous benefits, increasing regulation of products marketed as ‘organic,’ hopefully instilling more consumer trust in organic products, putting to bed claims that there are no official standards for cosmetics and ensuring that manufacturers can only bear ‘organic’ labels if their products contain at least 95% organic ingredients, rather than a lax 70% stipulation.

If the NOSB adopt the CACC recommendation they will present it to the NOP for enforcement. This would be a positive move and provide clarity for consumers. 

Source: Cosmeticsdesign-europe.com