Buying Organic – Food Grade Organic Certification for Non-Food products

Its not a simple process to have Non Food products recognised as Organic or Certified Organic even if the raw Ingredients used were 100% certified organic. Skin Care and Cosmetics can be made with a base of almost 100%  Organic Ingredients. To date, body care products are not required to comply with Organic Food standards so many products have been found in the supermarket or pharmacy proclaiming to be Organic simply because they contain water or a carbon compound.

Considering there is no requirement for certification of skin care or cosmetic products to meet Organic food grade standards, receiving food grade organic certification is a major achievement for any skin care or cosmetics company.

The BFA (Biological Farmers of Australia) has recently made a positive step forward in the certification of Personal Care Products with the introduction of the “Certified Organic ‘Beauty’ Logo”. Personal care products that contain more than 70% Organic Ingredients but less than 95% chemical free ingredients can now apply for this logo which, will give better consumer confidence in choosing a genuine organic product over a “proclaimed organic” product that may contain less than 50% beneficial synthetic chemical free ingredients.

Organic Certification is available on food products where 95% or more of the product is made with organic ingredients. Muesli for example may contain several ingredients that are chemical free with 3 or 4% of the product made with an inorganic or uncertified product. The Muesli would still be Certified Organic because more than 95% of it is made with Organic Ingredients. On the other hand, A packet of mixed dried fruit containing 4 types of fruit with 3 being certified organic and the fourth conventionally grown, could not be Certified Organic because it only contains 75% Certified Organic Ingredients.

The Certification Logos are not something that can be bought. They are achieved through strict testing and record keeping practices by farmers and manufacturing companies committed to the elimination of toxic chemicals from the environment and ultimately from our own bodies, leading to improved personal health.

To assist you when looking for Food or Non-Food organic products:

  • Always read the label and pay careful attention to the ingredient list. If an ingredient sounds like it’s unhealthy, it probably is.
  • Look for an Organic Certification logo, especially if you find a product including the name  “organic” on the label.
  • Natural does not mean Chemical free. For example, Strawberries are natural, but when commercially grown they are contaminated with chemicals that humans can not consume. Natural and Chemical free often have 2 distinct meanings. If a product is called “Natural” continue looking for an Organic Logo.

June 12, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Organic Facts

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