First NZ standard for organic health and bodycare products drafted

New-Zealand-based organic certifier BioGro has drafted New Zealand’s first organic standard for local manufacturers who use organic ingredients in skin care products, hair treatments, decorative cosmetics, perfumery, among other.

This follows the demands of producers and consumers.

BioGro certified-producers in the health and bodycare sector, until now, have been measured against guidelines developed overseas that offer either limited or no scope at all for input into the criteria and do not take into account the expectations of New Zealand consumers, reported scoop.co.nz.

Said to be largely unregulated, the health and bodycare sector is attracting regulators and consumer groups’ attention who have raised concerns about the misleading claims of organic or natural cosmetics.

BioGro CEO Michelle Glogau said the firm was responding to the needs of manufacturers who want their organic claims substantiated and be audited against criteria relevant to NZ and their customers.

The organisation said that the tailor-made standard will help clarify for producers and consumers as to what constitutes an organic health and bodycare product in quantifiable terms.

"We hope it will encourage more NZ manufacturers to see certification as an important way to verify their organic claims," added Glogau.

BioGro said that it will audit producers for certification only when they meet the production requirements (treatments and practices) including the processing of raw materials, manufacture, labelling and composition.

According to BioGro, the products will be certified organic only when they contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients with the remainder being natural and/or derived natural ingredients permitted by BioGro.

The other criteria for certification are that the products also should be free of GM and should not be tested on animals, should be free of parabens, phenoxyethanol, coco betain ehanoalamides, alkyl sulphates, synthetic products, petrochemicals or synthetic fragrances.