|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Download
this press release as a Word Doc
CONTACT: Ronnie Cummins 218-226-4164
Adam Eidinger 202-744-2671
Tuesday, June 3, 2003
State of California Launches Investigation
into ‘Organic’ Claims Made by ‘Natural’ Cosmetics Company
SACRAMENTO, CA, June 3 —The Organic Consumers Association
(OCA) has learned that the California State Organic Program
(SOP) and the California Department of Health Services have
launched an official investigation into misleading ‘organic’
claims on over 30 body care products manufactured by Avalon
Natural Products.
The investigation is in response to a formal complaint
filed with the SOP on May 5 by the OCA, a watchdog nonprofit
organization focused on protecting consumer rights. According
to the OCA, Avalon is violating multiple body care product
labeling laws, one of which is the illegal inclusion counting
of tap water from steam as an “organic” ingredientconstituent.
The investigation is also looking into Avalon’s use of synthetic
petroleum derived ingredients in its “organic” cosmetics.
“The investigation by California State regulators shows
they are taking seriously our concerns over the misuse of
the word ‘organic’ on cosmetic labels,” said Ronnie Cummins,
Executive Director of the Organic Consumers Association.
“What Avalon is doing damages consumer trust in products
labeled organic. It sends the signal to other cosmetic companies
that they can use synthetic surfactants and preservatives
in part or wholly derived from petroleum in products claiming
‘organic’ status. Avalon’s inclusion practice of counting
water from steam, in various amounts, as an organic ingredient
in shampoo, conditioner and skin creams should not continueneeds
to stop.”
Patrick Kennelly, Chief of the CA Department of Health
Services Food and Drug Branch, confirmed the SOP investigation.
In a phone conversation with OCA staff, Kennelly said, “We
already have an investigation of Avalon's products underway,
but we are a law enforcement agency, so we're not allowed
to share the blow by blow information with anyone. We hope
to have the investigation completed within the 90-day period,
but this is an extremely extensive complaint. It may take
a little bit longer, considering we have 30 different products
to examine. When the investigation is complete, the OCA
will receive a written report outlining our findings.”
Organic ‘Experts’ Misrepresent the Status of Hydrosols
(Floral Water)
Last month, members of the Organic Trade Association’s
Personal Care Task Force met to discuss recommendations
for organic cosmetic standards. At the meeting, Kim Burton,
a board member of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB),
alleged that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
the Soil Association (a U.K. based organic certifier) define
hydrosol as a “single ingredient” in which the added water
from steam is considered “organic” in another product such
as a soup or soap. In other words, they counter that OCA’s
accusation of tap water being counted as an organic ingredient
is wrong because 100% of hydrosol may count as a unique
organic ingredient under existing regulations, no matter
what the added water content.
However, upon review of this assertion, the OCA learned
that in fact there is no FDA definition of ‘hydrosol’ as
a ‘single ingredient’ or anything else. Furthermore, Maarten
van Perlo, a certification officer who specializes in health
and beauty for the Soil Association, commented to the OCAstated:,
"Hydrosols and floral waters are considered water under
the Soil Association health and beautycare standards.
They are therefore excluded from the calculations when
establishing the percentage of organic ingredients in a
health and beautycare product." The OCA is quite alarmed
by this development, and Cummins stated: “When a supposedly
independent member of the NOSB is willing to deep-six organic
integrity and flak for floral water suppliers, to the point
that outright misrepresentations of the factual regulatory
record are made to mislead and confuse the public, we are
all in trouble. This does not bode well for the future of
organics in America.”
The added water from steam in hydrosols is substantial,
unregulated, and may well constitute 90+% of the floral
water by weight. However, the body care companies that purchase
such floral waters for addition to their synthetic body
care products, do so in order to deceptively increase the
organic ingredient percentage. In actuality, they are simply
diluting the product with water.
“Floral waters may contain some amount of organic plant
water that can be counted under existing National Organic
Program food standards as organic when added to another
product, but only if that content can be determined. But
if this is too impractical, then floral waters should not
count at all, as with the Soil Association,” said Cummins.
“Consumers deserve answers about the percentage of floral
water that amounts to ordinary tap water. This water should
not be counted when added to another body care product to
make deceptive ‘70% organic’ claims.”
Regarding Kim Burtons’s misleading testimony, Cummins stated:
“When a supposedly independent member of the NOSB is willing
to deep-six organic integrity and flak for floral water
suppliers, to the point that outright misrepresentations
of the factual regulatory record are made to mislead and
confuse the public, we are all in trouble. This does not
bode well for the future of organics in America.” The California
Organic Standards Act of 2003 stipulates a mandatory 70
percent minimum weight of non-water/non-salt agricultural
organic content in a product for a “Made with Organic” label
claim to be made on the front panel, and expressly forbids
synthetic ingredients not allowed under the federal NOP.
The OCA has demanded that organic body care standards should
mirror the standards for organic food products. This means
that:
- Certified organic agricultural feed-stocks are utilized
exclusively, versus petroleum or conventional vegetable
feed-stocks, in the manufacture of the key basic cleansing
and conditioning ingredients.
- Manufacture of such ingredients is ecological.
- The toxicity of each ingredient is minimal.
- Non-agricultural water is not counted in any shape
or form as contributing to organic content.
The OCA is a nationwide non-profit organization of 500,000
organic consumers, dealing with issues such as organic
standards, public health, food safety, sustainable agriculture,
and Fair Trade.
###
ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
6101 CLIFF ESTATE ROAD
LITTLE MARAIS, MN 55614 USA
Telephone: 218-226-4164 · Fax: 218-353-7652·
email: info@organicconsumers.org
|
