The battle of organics

A group of US organic personal care products manufacturers are trying to clean up their industry's aisles of what they claimed as fake organics with its recently released study.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) recently accused manufacturers of leading organic personal care brands such as Jason Pure, Naturals and Organics; Nature's Gate Organics; Juice Organics; Kiss my Face Organics; Giovanni Organic Cosmetics; Dessert Essence Organics; Estee Lauder; and Stella McCartney Care 100% Organic, on organic misbranding and mislabeling.

According to OCA, they found these brands to contain 1,4 dioxane, a chemical considered a known carcinogen in California.

OCA is also accusing certification bodies such as the European ECOCERT of pandering to their clients engaging in organic mislabeling, and the recently formed US-based OASIS (Organic and Sustainable Industry Standard) of having useless standards.

OCA says it is filing suits against the reported manufacturers and certification bodies in California if they don't clean up their acts by September 1.

Here is a copy of the Organic Branding Agreement contract along with the cover letter sent by OCA to their nemesis.

As one industry consultant said, it is definitely not easy formulating personal care products without using any chemicals. I don't see these major brands manufacturers meekly agreeing to OCA's demands and I'm betting there'll be more organic fireworks to follow.

Let's see how this will develop, and in general, how the trend towards organic personal care products affect chemicals demand as organics seem to be moving more towards the mainstream market channels.

[Photo source from Columbia News Service]