USDA Allows Organic Personal Care, Supplements

USDA Allows Organic Personal Care, Supplements

WASHINGTONIn response to numerous public and industry inquiries, as well as a pending lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a memo on Aug. 23 to all USDA-accredited certifying agents clarifying the National Organic Program (NOP) position with respect to inclusion of personal care products to the list of agricultural products that can be certified organic or made with organic under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. Barbara Robinson, deputy administrator with the USDA Agricultural Marketing System (AMS), advised NOP certifying agents personal care products qualify for the various NOP organic certifications as long as the products meet existing NOP standards for organic agricultural products.

This is a major victory for organic consumers who rely on NOP certification to ensure that their personal care and other non-food consumable products, like pet foods, contain real organic ingredients free from unnecessary synthetic ingredients, said Ronnie Cummins, founder and national director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA).

In a bold move, Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps and OCA sued USDA in June in an effort to force the agency to permit non-food products under the NOP, citing a violation of administrative procedures that could have brought financial harm to companies invested in non-food organic products. The suit was a part of OCAs Coming Clean Campaign and, according to OCA, will likely be withdrawn following settlement talks over the next 30 days.

While the memo confusingly failed to specifically approve dietary supplements, Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), received written confirmation from USDA that its clarification includes organic certification for supplementsas long as they are agricultural products that meet the NOP standards.

Marketers of organic herbal supplements and growers of organic herbs for these products will now be able to gain both the environmental and the financial benefits of their organic commitments, said McGuffin. Though AHPA was right on the supplement issue, and had explicitly endorsed a position to make the organic law applicable to other products, including cosmetics and personal care products, [Bronners and OCAs] lawsuit greatly accelerated this resolution for all of us.

Other industry support included Organic Trade Association (OTA), California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Friends of the Earth, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Bath & Body Works and U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart (R-Pa.).