oregon tilth Archives

Introduction

As consumer demands for organically certified personal care product rises, it might be time to think about creating a product that meets organic standards. We work with Oregon Tilth, one of the most trusted and accredited, organic certifying agents to create organic products with our clients. BPI Labs relationship with Orgeon Tilth enables you to have product certified either USDA NOP or NSF/ANSI 305 organic. Take a look at our registration with Oregon Tilth here. Read on to learn how to have your product certified organic.

By the end of this post you will understand how you can benefit from BPI Lab’s relationship with Oregon Tilth and make sense of the USDA’s role in regulating organic personal care products. This article will also introduce the purpose and significance of the NSF/ANSI 305 organic standard and how Oregon Tilth will organically certify your personal care product.

Image Left: This is the Oregon Tilth brand, and if your product is certified organic then you can display this image on your packaging and promotional materials.

Who is Oregon Tilth?

Oregon Tilth is one of the largest and most well-known USDA and NSF/ANSI 305 accredited organic certification agencies. They have grown to become the leading certifier, educator, and advocate for organic production and manufacturing since their establishment in 1974 (Oregon Tilth).

The expectations set by Oregon Tilth for organic standards played a role in the USDA’s establishment of the National Organic Program (NOP) and the formation of the Organic Materials Research Institute making Oregon Tilth a crucial mover and shaker in the industry. Oregon Tilth provides us with knowledge on how to formulate your product to meet organic standards, and our partnership with them enables you to have your product organically certified through the NSF/ANSI 305 or USDA NOP standards.

What is the USDA’s role in regulating organic personal care product?

The USDA has no authority to regulate personal care products that make organic claims. This means organic personal care products are not legally being held to any organic standard. Personal care products can make organic claims without going through organic certification, but consumers lack confidence in organic claims that are not proven to be true through certification.

Moreoever, the USDA does not itself certify products as organic. Instead they created a set of standards and authorized 3rd party certifiers, like Oregon Tilth, to evaluate product according to the USDA’s standards. After Oregon Tilth inspects your product formulation it can then certify your product as USDA NOP certified.

Certifying your Product

Once we create a formula of a personal care product you love, we will submit your formula to Oregon Tilth and ask them to evaluate your formula as either USDA NOP or NSF/ANSI 305 organic. Once they’ve looked over the ingredients they will authorize you to make claims regarding your organic certification.

You will be able to market your product as “Certified Organic” and feature the Oregon Tilth and NSF International or USDA NOP labels on your product’s packaging. Your personal care product will also be featured as an organic product on Oregon Tilth’s website.

Pictured Left: The Oregon Tilth brand.