WASHINGTON—The Natural Products Association (NPA) extended its natural seal and standard to include home care products, such as household cleaners, laundry detergents, concentrated and ready-to-use hard surface cleaners.
Until now, there was no standard definition of the term “natural” used by the home care industry. Now, an easily identifiable seal will help consumers discern which products are natural. Shoppers can expect the seal to begin appearing on certified home care products in the coming months.
“A number of products that are mainly synthetic are being positioned as natural,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the NPA. “This leads to significant consumer confusion about the category and products people are choosing. To provide the consumer peace of mind in the marketplace, the new natural standard for home care will inject integrity into natural for the person who matters most, the consumer," he said.
Under the new program, products must follow strict guidelines set out by the NPA to merit bearing the seal. The criteria include, but are not limited to:
- Products must be made up of at least 95 percent truly natural ingredients or ingredients that are derived from natural sources, excluding water
- No ingredients with any suspected human health risks
- No processes that significantly or adversely alter the natural ingredients
- Ingredients that come from a purposeful, natural source (flora, fauna, mineral)
- Processes that are minimal and don't use synthetic/harsh chemicals
- Non-natural ingredients only when viable natural alternative ingredients are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks
- Transparency and full disclosure of ingredients
The full set of criteria can be found on the Natural Products Association Web site.
The NPA standard is science-based and was developed by a team of experts from the association as well as natural products manufacturers and retailers. The advisory panel drew from a variety of sources, including relevant international standards, third-party organizations, existing research and years of experience in the field. Advisors to the association are the leading natural home care suppliers, manufacturers and retailers, including Green Works® natural cleaners, Seventh Generation ®, J.R. Watkins®, Cognis®, Trilogy Fragrances®, Aubrey Organics®, Eco-Me®, PCC Natural Markets® and Sun & Earth®.
In May 2008, the NPA established a standard and seal for natural personal care products, such as lotions, balms and shampoos. More than 340 products have currently been approved and certified.