NaTrue extends its reach to Italy with alliance

Naturals certification body has extended its reach into Italy by entering a strategic alliance with research and quality consortium RTC Milano.

The alliance will help NaTrue in its ambitions to extend its reach in Europe by enforcing its presence in one of the continent’s biggest and most important markets.

Formed in 1990 and based out of the University of Calabria in Milan, RTC’s role in the alliance will make it responsible for the management of the certification process in Italy.

The alliance will help to reinforce NaTrue’s presence in the country, where it has already established itself with an Italian version of the printed guidelines, as well as an Italian version of its website.

NaTrue aims to be cohesive and decisive

The NaTrue standard was launched by a breakaway group last year, after its members became frustrated over the length of time negotiations had taken to develop the global natural personal care standard, Cosmos.

NaTrue has been vociferous in its criticism of attempts to harmonise the fragmentation that currently characaterises the international naturals certification landscape

Last month Cosmos published the standard for its natural and organic certification, action that many critics said was too little too late.

NaTrue aims at clear certification standards

NaTrue responded to the announcement of the Cosmos standard by stating: “There is no minimum requirement for the use of natural ingredients and no maximum threshold for the use of chemically processed agro-ingredients in products labelled Cosmos-natura.”

Although it has now been published, the Cosmos standard has to be accepted by the member organisations, Soil Association, Ecocert, Cosmebio, BDIH, Bioforum and ICEA, before companies can certify to it. The first Cosmos certified products are expected early next year.

Certification of natural and organic personal care products has become a very important issue for two main reasons. Firstly to clear up confusion over what constitutes an organic or natural product and secondly because this is such a fast-growing and increasingly important category.