FloCert – Fair Trade USA – Fair Trade Int’l – Fair Trade Federation – UTZ Certified – Fair For Life Above are the fair trade organizations I found in a 5 minute Google search…all private standards and all private non-profits. Each of these organizations has their own standards (rules), their own audit process, and most […]
Read MoreIn 1991 I decided I only wanted to earn a living in a way that was constructive rather than destructive. Supporting organic production was a clear choice and gave me a measurable way to improve the planet. I was also concerned about “safety”, both as a mom and as a physiologist. Taking care of the […]
Read MoreWe frequently get the question: “is your oil “cold pressed” ?”. Well – yes and no. First, some transparency: The references we mainly use for oil quality are: The American Oil Chemist Society (of which we are members). Codex Alimentarius (a document supported by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations – Guidelines […]
Read MoreI am always talking about Peroxide Value (PV) when I talk about oils. This is part of how we assess the quality of an oil. When we receive a new shipment of oil, we check: The Production date, The test date, The Peroxide Value, And the Free Fatty Acids (not to be confused with the […]
Read MoreI’ve no idea how many “green” brands and retailers there are but all of them seem to have a “black list”. They choose some number of nasty chemicals and promise that they are not in the products they sell. Further – everyone seems to copy everyone else’s Black List – so you see the same […]
Read More🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 There are a few ingredients of concern that keep popping up on “clean“ personal care labels that […]
Read MoreDo you have the organic certificate for each of the organic ingredients you call out on your ingredients list? Think about it – a label is a promise to a consumer. If you have not verified that you have a duly certified product, you could be in trouble and that would be a problem for […]
Read MoreHave you defined what NATURAL means to you? If you use the term “natural” to describe your ingredients or your finished products you may want to consider writing a definition of “natural” on your web site. First, let’s make clear that a synthetic, in my world, means a human has made a new molecule. What? […]
Read MoreThe problem with “All Natural” or “100% Natural” claims There is some confusion about the claim “All Natural” or “100% Natural” or even just “natural” by companies that are certified to a “Natural” standard. This is how it works: both the natural and the organic cosmetic standards allow the use of synthetics (human made molecules), […]
Read MoreA lot of cosmetic brands seem to have a “No-No List” of ingredients. I think it is time for a list of “No-No” words – because, you know, FDA and “mislabeling”. The basic thing you need to keep in mind is that unless you are selling a registered, approved DRUG, you may not any use […]
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