NSF standard expanded to include European standards
The NSF says that its standard now includes all European organic ingredients that have been certified according to European Union standards, which are reputed to be amongst the strictest in the world.
The move will allow companies formulating to the NSF/ANSI 305 standard the opportunity to source from both the range of US National Organic Program (NOP) certified ingredients and all EU-certified ingredient suppliers.
The NSF/ANSI 305 standard was established with the aim of promoting the use of organic agriculture beyond the food sector, by defining the labeling and marketing requirements for personal care products that use organic ingredients.
From ingredients through to finished products
On the ingredients front, it establishes the criteria for the methods of extraction of raw agricultural materials, which is based on the claims made on the finished product label.
These requirements fall in line with the EU organic regulations EC 834/2007 and EC 889/2008, which also define organic production and the labeling of organic products.
“NSF/ANSI 305 opens up new growth opportunities for personal care companies whose products contain organic ingredients and speaks to the globalization of the cosmetics supply chain,” said Jane Wilson, standards director at NSF International.
“Allowing equivalent UE-certified ingredients will harmonize NSF/ANSI 305 with global organic product without any loss of organic integrity,” she added.
Competition over US standards heats up
Competition over US natural and organic standards has been intensifying lately, causing many shake ups to programs that have proved to be difficult for personal care companies to work towards.
Currently there are three primary standards on the market – the NPA standard, the NSF ANSI 305 and the USDA NOP organic standard.
According to market researcher Organic Monitor, the NPA standard is the most successful natural cosmetics in the US, but the NSF ANSI standard is steadily gaining momentum, while the USDA NOP standard continues to gain in popularity, despite being designed around organic food products.
