Clackamas, OR – In a milestone victory today for both consumers and the organic industry, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted for the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to enforce the law for organic personal care products, just as they do currently for organic food. Therefore, lotions, shampoos and other body care products that are not certified to the USDA NOP standard will have to drop organic claims from their labels. “Currently, parents are bombarded with false organic claims as they shop for personal care products,” said Melinda Olson, founder and CEO of Earth Mama Angel Baby. “The NOSB’s decision reinforces what Earth Mama Angel Baby and other honest organic companies have been doing all along.” The USDA will now require all manufacturers to drop the word “organic” from their labels if they don’t certify to the NOP. The move is heralded by the Organic Consumers Association which has lobbied in favor of the move for several years.
Earth Mama Angel Baby is one of a handful of companies recommended by the Organic Consumer’s Association as an “honest organic brand.” Olson explained that she has always certified and labeled her products to the standards of the NOP, which was originally put in place for organic foods. Earth Mama Angel Baby products are certified by Quality Assurance International.
“It is an honor to be recommended by the Organic Consumers Association,” said Olson. “We have always set our standard at honest organic labeling and truly non-toxic ingredients. So it’s thrilling to be recognized for that standard.” Olson added that the issue is about both integrity and safety. “When consumers buy a product that touts its ingredients as ‘organic’, they should be able to trust the label. To falsely label products is not only wrong, it’s not safe.”
“Obviously products like shampoo and lotion are not food products,” said Olson. “And there are problems with using that standard to formulate products like shampoos and lotions. But, the NOP is, in my opinion, the highest standard, and the standard that assures parents of the non-toxic, certified products they are looking for.” Previous to the NOSB’s decision, companies could label products as organic without fear of enforcement from the USDA. “Because of the lack of enforcement, some manufacturers use the word ‘organic’ without being certified at all, or with certification to a lesser standard,” said Olson.
Olson cautioned that the NOSB’s decision is only the first step towards being able to easily and clearly identify non-toxic products. “There is no certification for words like ‘natural”, cautions Olson. “Parents still need to watch for false claims, read labels and most importantly look at ingredients, but at least the word ‘organic’ will mean ‘organic’.”
For more information on the Organic Consumers Association’s Coming Clean Campaign, visit www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm.
About Earth Mama Angel Baby®:
Earth Mama Angel Baby is the first, and only, company manufacturing products for pregnancy and baby care to achieve an all zero rating on the Skin Deep toxicity database. Founded by nurse, herbalist, and concerned mother, Melinda Olson, the company’s mission is to comfort the common discomforts of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and baby care with pure, safe herbal remedies. Olson’s knowledge of traditional herb medicine is combined with evidence-based research to help soothe and comfort mamas and babies naturally. Proudly pure, Earth Mama Angel Baby® products are made only with worry-free ingredients: no 1,4-Dioxane, formaldehyde, phthalates, or toxins of any kind. That’s Mama’s Promise™. Earth Mama Angel Baby’s products are certified by Quality Assurance International.
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