Organic in the Personal Care Aisle
Posted - January 12, 2009
A Pretty Controversy
By Adrian Larose
A new European “organic” cosmetics standard has reignited debate over what it should take to be labeled organic in the personal care aisle, and who should be involved in making those decisions. The Cosmos (Cosmetic Organic) Standard is being developed by seven major European organizations, including EcoCert, BDIH and the Soil Association.
Certifiers, manufacturers, and industry organizations have all come under fire regarding how similar or different from organic food regulations organic personal care (including cosmetics and hygiene) products should be. Some argue what consumers put on their skin and give their children should be as healthy and natural as anything they eat, while others argue the non-organic – for now – necessity of certain large-scale chemical processes and ingredients.
Consumers already face a formidable array of various certified organic, made with organic, and natural claims as they purchase healthier ways to care for themselves. Between big names like the Soil Association and EcoCert, industry alliances such as Cosmos (in Europe) and Oasis (in North America), and various “natural” standards, there is no one acknowledged central player.
The USDA’s NOP food standard could be applied to personal care, perhaps with minor changes, many in the industry have suggested. “My company, Organic Essence, only makes USDA 95% to 100%- certified organic,” said Ellery West, president of Organic Essence. “Many large, established concerns claim that most body care products cannot be made to USDA made with standards, not to mention certified organic standards. They are wrong.”
“They have a tremendous investment in their current business models, and their branding strategies are well set,” West argues. “It is much more cost-effective to make your brand look natural, and advertise it as such, then to actually make a genuine organic product.” Her firm has just created biodegradable packaging for its lip balm and shea butters, green products in many senses of the word.
Not all standards are created equal. The Organic Consumers Association, a US consumer advocates group, gave the US NOP food standard 5 stars (when applied to bodycare), the Oasis US industry-led standard 0.5 stars, the Soil Association 3, US NSF standard 3.5, “natural” standard Natrue 0.5, and EcoCert zero.
“Consumers automatically assume that the entire product is organic and that the product itself is certified organic,” Michelle Thomas, owner of US wholesale distributor KISO Organics, said of organic labelling in personal care. “This is very rarely the case.” While a USDA NOP product (whether food or personal care) must have 95% organic ingredients and meet other requirements to feature an organic label, and at least 70% organic ingredients to have a made with organic label, standards such as Cosmos could allow firms to apply “organic” labels with organic content of as low as 20%.
Labels that use large-print, simple “organic” wording without being clear about the percentages are one hot-button issue. Being the big name star, EcoCert is pointed at as not being clear with consumers about what the word “organic” means on its diverse labels; just to look at the list of approved raw materials on its website requires a password given only to organizations that register with EcoCert.
“Personally, I will only use products that are certified organic to food grade standards,” said Thomas. Others argue such standards eliminate too many reasonable options.
Supply-chain issues do exist, West said. For instance, David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, generally very supportive of stringent, food-safe standards, highlighted a complex manufacturing process that turns oils into key cosmetic ingredients. “The operations that do this are very capital-intensive, huge-volume operations, and impossible to get a small dedicated batch run with certified organic oil exclusively within any reasonable cost-efficiency structure,” he said, his firm having researched the topic. Organic operations do not yet consume enough of the end ingredient, he suggested, to finance an organic run-through in such a processing plant.
Still, allowing these difficult ingredients to “sunset” by permitting use for several years until the organic supply chain improves is not frank with consumers, West said. “Though well meaning, these new standards will not give health conscious consumers what they want other than confusion as to what ‘organic’ really means.”
Even water is a problem. Standards approach it differently. The USDA NOP considers it neutral – neither organic nor non-organic. If a product is, say, 70% water (as plenty of personal care items are), only the remaining 30% is considered. “Organic consumers know that the non-organic content cannot be more than 5% by non-water product weight,” Bronner said of certified organic NOP personal care.
The Cosmos standard requires 20% organic content. It counts water as non-organic, seemingly justifying this low percentage. Yet, Bonner said, “there is no implicit and accurate disclosure of non-organic non-water content” – which might constitute up to 80% of the product.
Large organizations are already taking sides. Cosmos members account for more than 1,000 certified companies and 11,000 products in about 40 countries. Firms like Clorox, a large US conventional firm, are buying up “natural” consumer-oriented companies such as Burt’s Bees, a purchase Clorox made in 2008.
Some small entrepreneurs see their own position as an advantage, though. “Small, nimble firms can innovate circles around the established behemoths. Size and scale can get in the way of innovation,” West said. Little firms have the flexibility to create genuinely organic product and standards.
And innovation is just what is needed to help gradually develop a uniform, accepted standard as to what “organic” will mean when a consumer wanders out of the produce section and into the personal care aisle.
Organics Advance in China
Posted - November 1, 2008
China’s New Sophisticates
By Adrian Larose - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
Demand for certified organic products is growing in China, with three organics trade fairs taking place annually, an associated year-round exhibition centre in Beijing and an increase in both interest in and research on domestic organics consumption.
Of course, China’s organic trade channels remain limited, compared to well-developed Western markets. Yet, according to the World of Organic Agriculture 2007, China ranked third in area of organic land under cultivation, after only Australia and Argentina. This area farmed organically in China has been growing at astonishing rates – 20 to 30% per year, according to the final report from the BioFach China fair.
Amongst Chinese consumers in Beijing, meanwhile, more than 65% currently buy some organic foods, according to Ipsos Marketing research commissioned by the environmental NGO Greenpeace. Over 80% of survey respondents indicated they planned to buy organic foods at some point in the future. A major reason listed for choosing organic was concerns about health and safety.
A new 500 square-metre exhibition centre in Beijing is aimed both at those consumers, and at the organic businesspeople who are quickly increasing in number throughout China. The Organic Life Experience Center is organized by the same team as the Organic China Expo (OCEX), with the national Chinese government’s financial support. It offers year-round display and purchase of organic goods that are sold in the country.
Among the many brands now on display there are Green dot dot, the Beidahuang Group, Bolongbao organic wine, Lowcarbs organic, COFCO, Hona Organic, Qingpuyuan Vegetables, Beijing Well Full Food, Joyful Organic and products from as far as Mexico and Colombia as well as from German natural cosmetics firm Weleda.
“The Organic Life Experience Center in Beijing aims to provide a platform to build new business contacts for enterprises, promote an ecological lifestyle to consumers and stimulate the development of China’s organic food industry,” says Gao Chayao, of OCEX . “It holds lectures on health and organic food and cooking methods to promote awareness of organic agriculture.”
Besides providing year-round display spaces for the organic products, the Center also offers trade facilitation services, including market data analysis, and an experience center that holds these public events and product tastings. “The experience center allows visitors to taste delicious foods made of organic ingredients and healthy and nutritious diet alternatives,” says Gao. There is also a shop where goods on display can be purchased. All goods in the centre are certified organic.
The OCEX fair itself takes place in Beijing, this year from Nov. 27-29, 2008. Yet OCEX is not alone. The Organic & Natural Products fair in Shanghai has been established for a couple of years and big business has truly “come to town” with BioFach China now being held annually in Shanghai
This addition to the global BioFach fair network is heading for its third edition May 29-31, 2008. Compared to the two Chinese fairs, BioFach has had special success in attracting foreign firms that are eager to start harnessing the potential to export to China’s enormous population – as well, of course, attracting the expected qualified Chinese firms, eager to develop their own foreign export connections.
At BioFach China 2008, 242 exhibitors presented to more than 9,000 trade visitors, the latter a growth of almost 25% over the 2007 premiere edition. Amongst exhibitors, the international category had the strongest growth. The 2007 premiere had almost no foreign exhibitors, but 24 foreign firms graced the halls in 2008. This number will no doubt grow over coming years as confidence in the Chinese market’s potential and systems increases.
Other fairs that dot the region include Natural Products Expo Asia, held in Hong Kong, by the same organizer as major US fairs Natural Products Expo East and West; and Asia Organic & Lohas Expo, in Taiwan.
For visitors and locals alike, the organic lifestyle is steadily becoming an easier one to follow within China. The China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre has produced organic shopping guides listing stores for several Chinese cities in recent years, while Greenpeace just released The 2008 Beijing Organic Guide. It lists more than 60 shops, some of which are franchises, as well as restaurants and even farms.
Exactly who will be visiting these suppliers is becoming clearer. A visitors’ survey conducted by OCEX found that they are generally middle-aged, well-educated and live in a family setting. Only one third of those surveyed correctly identified China’s organic seal, and many named high prices as one major reason against buying organic.
Some of this goes with Greenpeace’s survey findings. “On one hand, a survey commissioned by Greenpeace China in January 2008 shows that nearly 80% of Beijing consumers are willing to buy organic food,” says Wu Haiyan, with Greenpeace China. “On the other hand, Greenpeace is concerned over the effect of chemical-intensive and GMO-intensive agriculture has on the environment and human health.” More than 90% of the Greenpeace survey respondents listed safety and health as reasons to buy organic, something they have in common with health-conscious shoppers in more developed organic markets worldwide.
It’s encouraging, if not surprising, to see the organic market begin to develop in China for the same reasons as it has in so many other countries. Perhaps in domestic organics, as in many other things, the Chinese will quickly catch us all up!
Labels, Tests and Education
Posted - November 1, 2008
Dangers of Playing Hide and Seek with Product Labels
O.W.N. News Network – as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
In her new book Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family, author Theresa Holler addresses three problems that haunt the food and household product market: poor labelling, lack of proper testing and lack of education. Frequently, labels omit toxins, and the consumer receives scant information about them. Other products containing toxins can go onto the shelf without proper testing, turning consumers into guinea pigs.
This well referenced text grounded in science, offers tips on simple ways consumers may protect their family’s health from deadly commonplace toxins.
Holler warns against products with hidden chemicals, which can harm children and adults, and lead to sickness, fatigue and obesity. But because of lax labelling regulations and trade secrets, the uninformed consumer cannot choose between good products and toxic ones.
Holler has a Bachelors degree in Biology, holds a Masters Degree in Primary Care Medicine and has completed Doctoral coursework in Medical Writing and Environmental Health. She is director of education for Project Wellness in Roanoke, VA and a public speaker. Holler for Your Health is available online at Amazon and from her website www.holler4health.com.
A portion of proceeds are donated to children who are dying alone in US hospitals.
OTA Receives USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Funding
Posted - October 15, 2008
$750,000 over 3 years to Analyze Barriers to US Organic Exports
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has approved $750,000 in funding over 3 years to the Organic Trade Association in partnership with Sustainable Strategies for projects that analyze technical barriers for the export of US organic products.
“This funding will go a long way towards understanding the hurdles that impede the trade of organic products and finding solutions to opening trade options for US organic producers,” said David Gagnon, OTA’s Chief Operating Officer and OTA leader on US organic export projects.
OTA member Sustainable Strategies: Advisors in Food and Agriculture will conduct comparative GAP analyses and overviews of international markets. (Comparative GAP analyses are detailed, side-by-side comparisons of US organic standards with the standards of other countries.) Each analysis will identify barriers to exporting US organic products to specific markets.
In their project proposal to the USDA, the partners emphasized that US organic producers are disadvantaged because while various foreign nations, certifiers and producers enjoy full access to the US market, US organic producers have no reciprocal access – an inherently uneven playing field.
“As organic production and trade expand around the world, requests from countries for recognition and equivalence of standards grow, as does the need to compare standards,” said Kelly Strzelecki, agricultural economist with the Processed Products and Technical Regulations Division in the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. OTA’s previous work on trade policy and side-by-side comparisons of organic standards has provided the USDA with vital information, she said.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America.
Natural and Organic Consumer Trends
Posted - September 19, 2008
New Data on US & EU Natural & Organic Consumers
Total consumer spending on natural personal care, including narrow, broad and organic definitions, currently stands at almost US$14 billion in the US and Europe, and by 2011 is set to reach more than US$20 billion. The US is the largest market at US$7.7 billion currently.
About one in three European and US consumers sought cosmetic and toiletry products that have natural credentials on a more frequent basis in 2005-06. Some consumers across Europe and the US are now also avoiding certain personal care products more, due to fears over ingredients.
While the consumer profile of who makes up the natural –seeking segment varies from country to country, there are some similarities. These consumers tend to be middle-aged, middle-income females who are well educated. New and expectant parents are expected to drive future usage.
A report that explores the key trends driving the boom in natural personal care consumption in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, including the above data, is available from Research and Markets. The quantitative data cover three classifications of natural personal care products: broad, narrow and organic. Extensive primary research of consumers and senior industry figures was used to uncover the latest thinking and reveal emerging opportunities.
For more, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/8fd2b8/natural_personal_care_consumers_unlocking
Billion Dollar Boom
Posted - September 11, 2008
Organic and Natural Markets Expanding Rapidly
America’s shopping habits are experiencing a sea change when it comes to natural and organic products. These are now available in most every retail outlet, meaning consumers can easily purchase alternatives.
The new report (issue two) titled Natural and Organic Food and Beverage Trends in the U.S., by market research firm Packaged Facts, investigates the trends and demographics behind this solid growth. The report features material not in the first edition, including in-depth consumer analysis from both Simmons NCS and BIGresearch and case studies examining brand performance, sales data, and trends in nine key product categories.
The natural and organic markets continue to gain strength in food, drug, and mass outlets alike. Stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have now brought natural and organic products to mainstream Americans, leading to savvier consumers.
Packaged Facts estimates that in 2008 sales of natural and organic food and beverages will continue double-digit growth to reach $32.9 billion. For 2005-2008, Packaged Facts estimates growth of 67.6%, being a compounded annual growth rate of 18.8%.
Not even the current economic upheaval is truly impeding the market’s steady development, according to Packaged Facts prediction of strong single-digit growth through 2013.
“While natural and organic products are no longer recession proof, Americans are waking up to expect natural and organic food in their stores, food that is pesticide-free, hormone-free and non-GMO. Suppliers and retailers are quickly acting to provide it to them. We believe this consumer demand will continue to spur the strong growth for these products,” says Tatjana Meerman, Packaged Facts’ publisher.
This second issue of Natural and Organic Food and Beverage Trends in the U.S. examines the latest information on market size, projections for future growth, future trends and opportunities, consumer demographics, the retail landscape, and leading producers.
For further information visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Natural-Organic-Food-1119530
About Packaged Facts – Packaged Facts, a division of Market Research Group, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services.
Relating Organic and Conventional Markets
Posted - September 5, 2008
Organic Foods Report Puts Organic Market in Context of Overall U.S. Food Industry
Research and Markets, a leading source for international market research, has launched Organic Foods Report 2006, the 4th edition of a comprehensive analysis of markets, trends, competition and strategy in U.S. organic foods.
Based on more than a decade of continuous research on natural, organic, functional and conventional foods, this latest report (based on 2006 data) notes that the organic movement has evolved from a fringe element into a core business strategy that is now part of the world’s largest corporations.
Organics in 2006 represented a $13.8 billion portion of the overall U.S. food industry’s $500 billion pie. Penetration rates for organics went up from 0.8% in 1997 to 2.5% in 2005, and prospects for reaching 5-10% remain strong.
This research obtains information from each level of the supply chain, providing broad perspective, reliable accuracy and seasoned analysis on the still dynamic market for organic foods.
The 460-page report covers product categories in comprehensive detail, including sales channels, distribution trends, supply chain issues, price premiums, historical market growth and forecasts, category leaders and more.
It also features more than 300 Company Profiles snapshotting leading manufacturers, including organic sales, product and sales channel breakdowns for each firm.
For more:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/876db0/organic_foods_report
Canadian Organics Grow
Posted - May 1, 2008
Canadian Organics Growing
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
Canada had 60 percent more organic farms in 2006 compared to 2001, the federal agency Statistics Canada announced recently. This represented about 3,500 farms who reported producing certified organic products, versus about 2,200 five years earlier.
Grain and hay crops were the most common, mainly for export. Various produce (combined as one category) formed the second most common Canadian organic crop.
Plenty of farms claimed to be producing via organic methods, but without certification - almost 12,000, mostly meat producers. Another 640 farms reported they were in transition to certified status.
Mandatory national organic standards still do not exist in Canada, a significant obstacle for organic producers. Voluntary standards have existed since 1999; various provincial and private standards that interpret these in slightly different ways exist. A single federal standard is to come into force in December 2008, at which point certification bodies will have to be accredited by the federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Such a standard could provide a necessary boost to organics marketing. Despite the growth in farms, Canadian shoppers’ 2006 organic purchases remained less than 1% of the approximately $50 billion they spent in grocery stores in 2006.
Mandatory Labelling
Mandatory labelling about the fruit, vegetable, added sugar and whole grain content of processed foods is not an idea that Canada will support, at least not in its current form, according to Canadian authorities.
The topic is on the agenda at the late April meeting (in Ottawa, Canada’s capital) of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, a body that works globally to implement the World Health Organization’s food standards.
The Canadian delegation, led by the federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency, presented Canada’s draft position on the Quantitative Declaration of Ingredients in pre-packaged foods in early April. It indicated Canada would not support a WHO amendment that asks national governments to require labels to list processed foods’ content of ingredients like fruits and whole grains.
By contrast, the Canadian group’s position read, packaging need only include such information where the company’s product pitch emphasizes or describes one or more such ingredients. Such logic does not bode well for genetically-modified organism labelling either. Right to Know Legislation just introduced in British Columbia would require all GMO foods and toxic and cancer causing ingredients to be labelled, but if healthy ingredient labelling is not supported by Canadian authorities, how likely is this to receive the required support?
Waiting for Stevia
Posted - May 1, 2008
Bitter-Sweet Wait for Stevia:
Despite encouraging tests, awaits EU, US approval
By Dallas Terry - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
A bitter debate surrounds stevia. A natural sweetener hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, stevia has been used by South American Indians for centuries. Stevia products have sold well in Asia in recent decades. But despite ages of problem-free usage, in the early 1990s, stevia suffered a blow: the US Food and Drug administration forbid its sale.
Who killed the natural sweetener? The sugar and synthetic sweeteners industries, says Prof. Dr. Jan M.C. Geuns, a founder of the European Stevia Association (EUSTAS) and head of the laboratory of functional biology at the University of Leuven, Belgium. And while stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan and other Asian countries, the United States banned its sale unless it is labeled as a supplement. Stevia is available in Canada as a dietary supplement, not as a food additive, and in the EU the EC Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has rejected applications to market the plant and its products as sweeteners and as novel foods within the Union. According to the UK’s Foods Standard Agency website, there was no satisfactory data to support the safe use of these products as ingredients in food or as sucrose substitutes.
Stevia and stevioside are safe when used as a sweetener, says Prof. Geuns. The product is suited for both diabetics as well as for obese persons intending to lose weight by avoiding sugar, and no allergic reactions to it seem to exist. Scientists in Geuns’ university lab have conducted stevia tests in animals and some human trials over the past decade. The tests on such small rodents as rats, mice and hamsters came out completely favorable in 1997: stevia-fed animals displayed perfectly normal health, with blood and urine tests to back up the conclusion. The animals showed no strange behavior, birth defects or slow growth.
But in 1999, another group of researchers not connected with the university, testing stevia on rats, showed the sweetener as dangerous. Foul, cried Geuns: The amount of stevia given to the rats equalled about 35 kg (77 lbs) a day for a typical human. “This is more than 50% of the body weight of a person weighing 65 kg (143 lbs),” said Geuns. “Such data should be seriously questioned”.
In a 2004 test in Leuven, two groups of human volunteers were given stevia regularly. Ten volunteers at the lab in Leuven took stevia for three days; nine volunteers at a laboratory in Milan took stevia for five days. In both studies, urine, feces and blood were tested. The conclusion: the stevioside - the refined portion of stevia used as a sweetener - was safe to eat in regular doses, even for diabetics.
Indeed, stevia may even have a curative effect. In a 2003 study, hypertensive patients took stevia for three months. The results suggested that regular stevia intake lowered blood pressure significantly.
Geuns said that his group of scientists is doing more stevia experiments in biosynthesis of stevioside, pharmacological effects, development of methods for environmentally sound extraction of the sweeteners, and development of methods for analysis of steviol glycosides (a breakdown product of stevia).
“We’ve also written two new applications in 2007 to get approval for stevia and steviol glycosides.” One application went to the EU Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) directed at promoting research related to stevia. The other went to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to gain approval of stevia as a food additive.
Meanwhile, bigger players may soon enter the arena. Multinational corporations Cargill and The Coca-Cola Company have teamed up to develop a processed form of stevia called Rebiana. Cargill claims that, unlike most stevia now available, Rebiana will not have a lingering aftertaste. GLG Life Tech Corporation, controlling 80% of stevia leaf production in China, has signed a 5-year renewable agreement with Cargill to provide stevia powder to make Rebiana.
According to Cargill, once approved, Rebiana will first be sold in those countries where stevia has already been accepted for a long time. Meanwhile, most consumers in North America and Europe will have a bitter wait until their food authorities decide whether stevia is fit for human consumption.
Buckwheat as Natural Weed-Killer
Posted - March 31, 2008
Buckwheat Proves Successful Weed Control
Growing buckwheat as a cover crop may be an effective alternative to herbicides when targeting certain weeds, suggests a study published in a recent issue of the Weed Science journal.
Michigan State University and Cornell University researchers theorized that because lower levels of nitrogen were available for other plants right after buckwheat is grown, the weeds’ early growth was inhibited.
Low nitrogen levels may hurt unwanted weeds more than other, wanted plants. During the early stages of development, the researchers proposed, weeds grow rapidly (by their nature!) and require rapid nitrogen uptake.
Three weed species were controlled by buckwheat in the study: corn chamomile and shepherd’s purse, due to nitrogen and fungal effects, and Powell amaranth, it for reasons the researchers have not yet determined.
As chemical-free options, intercropping and cover cropping can be essential tools on organic farms. Cover crops can help reduce erosion while improving nutrient cycling and pest management.
Buckwheat, a short-duration, broadleaf annual crop, is a suitable summer cover crop because it grows quickly enough to beat many weeds to the punch, according to a release from the journal’s publisher.
The full study is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i0043-1745-56-2-271.pdf
Weed Science, the official publication of the Weed Science Society of America, presents research and scholarship in the form of peer-reviewed articles on such topics as invasive plant species.
