In a milestone victory resulting from years of work by the US organic community to address known fraud in the organic marketplace, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has voted 12to 1 for the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to enforce the law fororganic personal care just like they do for organic food. This would mean shampoos and other body care products that claim to be organic, but are not certified, would be forced to drop the organic claims made on their productsor improve formations to meet organic standards. 'I'm really pleased by the NOSB's recommendation,' says Ronnie Cummins,Executive Director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). 'Brands thatare using the word organic improperly should be on notice that USDAenforcement is imminent. Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has said that sheis going to get 'tough on crime' in the organic industry. At the NOSB meetingthis week, National Organic Program director Miles McEvoy announced a 'new ageof enforcement' in organic. I expect them to make organic cosmetics fraud atop priority. In the meantime, retailers should start cleaning up their bodycare aisles.
Whole Foods Market, for one, was a big supporter of the NOSB recommendation.'At the end of September, the OCA promised to announce the names of brands that have cheated consumers for years and recommend honest organic brands in order to promote certified organic personal care. As of today, the Boycott/Buycottis in effect. Major Brands OCA Will Boycott: Desert Essence Organics Body Care, Organics by Noah's Naturals, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Nature's Gate Organics, Amazon Organics, JASON Pure Naturaland Organic, and Avalon Organic. Major Brands With USDA Organic Seal and OCA recommends to BUY: Alteya, Amrita, Baby Bear Shop, Badger Balm, Buddha Nose, Dr. Bronner's MagicSoaps, Earth Mama and Angel Baby, Kimberly Organics, Little Angel, Mercola, Motherlove, ONEgroup, Organicare, Origins Organics, Purely Shea, RainwaterOrganic Lotion, Rose Tattoo Aftercare, SoCal Cleanse, Seasons of the Soul, Sensibility Soaps/Nourish, Terressentials, Trillium, Vermont Soap.
Dan Giacomini, the only NOSB member who voted against the personal care recommendations did so because he felt the board was looking at things in a limited way. He wanted to address fraud in all product sectors, such as dry cleaning and not simply personal care. The Coming Clean Campaign has been working to clean up the natural and organic personal care industry for the past six years. To view the CertificationCommitment Contract; the NOSB Recommendation or for further information on theComing Clean Campaign, go to:http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm
Whole Foods Market, for one, was a big supporter of the NOSB recommendation.'At the end of September, the OCA promised to announce the names of brands that have cheated consumers for years and recommend honest organic brands in order to promote certified organic personal care. As of today, the Boycott/Buycottis in effect. Major Brands OCA Will Boycott: Desert Essence Organics Body Care, Organics by Noah's Naturals, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Nature's Gate Organics, Amazon Organics, JASON Pure Naturaland Organic, and Avalon Organic. Major Brands With USDA Organic Seal and OCA recommends to BUY: Alteya, Amrita, Baby Bear Shop, Badger Balm, Buddha Nose, Dr. Bronner's MagicSoaps, Earth Mama and Angel Baby, Kimberly Organics, Little Angel, Mercola, Motherlove, ONEgroup, Organicare, Origins Organics, Purely Shea, RainwaterOrganic Lotion, Rose Tattoo Aftercare, SoCal Cleanse, Seasons of the Soul, Sensibility Soaps/Nourish, Terressentials, Trillium, Vermont Soap.
Dan Giacomini, the only NOSB member who voted against the personal care recommendations did so because he felt the board was looking at things in a limited way. He wanted to address fraud in all product sectors, such as dry cleaning and not simply personal care. The Coming Clean Campaign has been working to clean up the natural and organic personal care industry for the past six years. To view the CertificationCommitment Contract; the NOSB Recommendation or for further information on theComing Clean Campaign, go to:http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm