NPA Grants 500th Natural Seal

WASHINGTONThe Natural Products Associations (NPA) Natural Seal has grown to 500 certifications of personal care and home care products that are at least 95-percent natural. The NPA Natural Seal is the first and only certification program in the United States focused on the verification of natural products and ingredients, and helps consumers easily identify products that meet the NPAs high standard of natural."

The NPA certification program has been a huge success, with hundreds of products and ingredients earning our coveted natural seal," said John Gay, NPA executive director and CEO. The NPA Natural Seal is quickly growing in visibility and consumer awareness nationwide. Brands that have been certified by NPA know the value that the NPA seal brings to an increasingly competitive marketplace."

In 2008, NPA launched the Natural Standard for Personal Care Products, certifying both ingredients and products that meet NPAs standard of natural. This year, NPA launched the Natural Standard for Home Care Products, with a similar standard for certifying foods expected next year. These standards support the NPA Natural Seal.

The NPA Natural Seal has set a high bar for truly natural products, and we are committed to strengthening the Natural Standard in the years to come," said Cara Welch, Ph.D., NPA scientific and regulatory affairs manager. People everywhere are making the choice to go natural with what they eat, what they put on their bodies and what they use in their homes. NPA is helping these consumers every day by identifying products that are truly natural."

All NPA-certified products have been audited and verified to fit the Natural Standard by an independent third party. Natural certifications require ingredients to come from a renewable resource found in nature, and certified products must fully disclose ingredients on the package label so consumers can make informed decisions.

Earlier this year, NPA strengthened the Natural Standard by requiring 100-percent natural fragrances for personal care products.