NPA reaches certification milestone

The natural certification arena in North America is fragmented and competitive, with a number of players competing within this lucrative niche for a slice of the pie.

However, the NPA is increasingly emerging as a dominant player, something that is underlined by the fact that its certification program has now probably stretched to more North American cosmetic and personal care players than any other.​

Industry 'rallying' to certification​

“In almost four years, NPA has certified more than 800 products and ingredients under the Natural Seal. More and more consumers are using the Natural Seal to find natural products at their favorite stores,”​ said Jeff Wright, NPA president.

“We’re pleased that the industry is increasingly rallying to Natural Seal certification. Retailers, manufacturers and suppliers can be confident that a product with the Natural Seal will stand out for consumers.”​

NPA certified products are verified to fit the Natural Standard by an independent third party auditor, and must meet the basic criteria that they contain at least a 95 percent natural content, excluding water.

Consumer-driven expansion​

According to the NPA, demand for certification at the industry level is being driven by an increasing awareness at the consumer level, as more and more individuals want to ensure that the products they are buying can be verified as natural.

 “We are seeing more manufacturers apply for NPA certification to appeal to consumers, and more retailers asking their suppliers for products certified natural by NPA,”​ said Cara Welch, Ph.D., NPA vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.

Back in December 2010, NPA announced that it had certified 500 companies in North America for ingredients and products, which came at the end of a year when it raised the bar on its certification program by requiring that only 100 percent natural fragrances could be certified.

NPA does battle for American-wide recognition​

NPA has been doing battle with France-based Natrue and the NSF International, after the two organizations announced at the beginning of last year that they would combine resources to develop an American natural standard for cosmetics, accredited by the American National Standards Institute.

The two organizations have said that the partnership not only aims to provide a standard in Norht America, but also should help to forge harmonisation and a recognized definition of natural in personal care products worldwide.