The Natural Products Association (NPA) has launched a new certification program for products that it deems are natural, which will be able to display an easily-identifiable seal on their packaging.
The move comes in the wake of increased consumer interest in the natural cosmetics industry, where many products could previously be classified as ‘natural’. This was causing confusion with consumers since there was previously no standard industry definition as to whether the contents were truly natural.
Says Deborah Short, president of the NPA: “People want to use natural products because they are good for them and good for the environment, Before anyone could claim their product was natural, even if it was 100% synthetic or petroleum-based. That wasn’t fair to consumers or to companies who make truly natural products and our new seal will end all that confusion.”
To merit bearing the seal, products must adhere to strict guidelines including:
*The product must be made up of at least 95% truly natural ingredients or ingredients that are derived from natural sources
*The product must not include any ingredients with any potential suspected human health risks
*The product must not undergo any processes that significantly or adversely alter the purity/effect of the natural ingredients
*The ingredients must come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral)
The full set of criteria can be found at www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural.