Organic Standards

When the demand for natural and organic products was minimal, certification was unnecessary. Manufacturers sold their products directly to local consumers, who due to close proximity, had access to the manufacturer and held them accountable for what they produced.

As the demand for natural and organic products grew, so did the number of brands, manufacturers, and suppliers, which let to an increasingly complex, less accountable marketplace. Today, ingredients are sourced from multiple manufacturers, in multiple countries with multiple standards, making a third party regulatory standard body essential. Third-party regulatory standard body essential. Third-party certification standards level the playing field by ensuring products are what they say they are, and that the language communicating claims is clear, consistent, and correct.

Certification standards are a way to cut through the vague terminology open to marketing spin and equivocation. Without standards, it's easy to misrepresent the facts. Imagine purchasing a Toyota Prius, only to wonder if it's actually a hybrid. Imagine purchasing an expensive diamond and later discovering it's cubic zirconium. To ensure that doesn't happen, the GIA certifies diamonds' origins, and the certification allows consumers to buy with confidence by bringing expert oversight to the market. 

It's clear how certification benefits consumers, but it's equally important to manufacturers and retailers. If consumers can't buy with confidence, they'll choose to shop elsewhere or align themselves with a different brand. 

MAJOR CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR STANDARDS

There are seven major international organizations with certification standards.  It's important to understand where each one is located to understand where each one is located and what their standards represent, as they all have different standards with different requirements. Here are 3 of the most used.

USDA NOP www.ams.usda.gov

Certification type: 100% organic, organic, and made with organic

USDA NOP is a food standard for organic and made with organic ingredients. "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients. "Organic" must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. "Made with Organic Ingredients" must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Limited amounts of syntheitics are allowed in the "Organic" and "Made with Organic" standards. Excludes water and salt in calculation of organic content.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

  BUSINESS TYPE: Government

NATRUE www.natrue.org

Certification Type: Natural, Organic, and Natural with organic portion

NATRUE is a cosmetic standard that requires 100 percent certified pure natural and derived natural ingredients. "Organic cosmetics" guarantees at least 95 percent of the natural ingredients stem from controlled organic production. "Natural with organic portion" guarantees at least 70 percent of the natural ingredients stem from organic production.                   Excludes water and salt in calculation of natural and organic content. NATRUE has an equivalency agreement/recognition with NSF/ANSI 305.

                          COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Brussels, International

BUSINESS TYPE: Non-profit

ECOCERT www.ecocert.com

Certification Type: Natural and Natural/organic

EcoCert requires a minimum of 95 percent natural origin as a baseline entry and a minimum of 5 percent organic content for the "Natural" standard, and a minimum of 10 percent organic content for the "Natural/organic" standard. Up to 5 percent of ingredients can be synthetic. Limited synthetic preservatives are allowed. Water can be included in its calculation of organic content.

            COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: France

BUSINESS TYPE: Profit