Organic Certifier QAI Announces Agreement With NaTrue in Europe

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. organic industry is celebrating a groundbreaking certification path for personal care products, the NSF/ANSI Standard 305: Personal Care Products Containing Organic Ingredients label. Industry leaders gathered today at Quality Assurance International's booth #2232 at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., to see the first personal care products in the U.S. achieve certification and earn the right to place the blue and white seal on their packaging.

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The agreement between QAI and Brussels-based NaTrue allows companies certified to NSF/ANSI 305 in the U.S. to simultaneously garner NaTrue certification in the EU.

"Retailers want concrete standards for what organic means in the personal care aisles," said Joe Smillie, QAI's senior vice president. "With the adoption of NSF/ANSI 305, we have a peer-reviewed, transparent standard for retailers, regulators and consumers looking for a trustworthy label."

To date, QAI has certified five companies to the new standard: Weleda, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Naturally Nova Scotia, Amala brand of Primavera and Trademark Cosmetics.

"We've been steadfast in our dedication to clear standards for personal care in Europe," said Julie Tyrell, secretary-general at NaTrue. "It's thrilling that companies in the U.S. can now achieve certification to similarly careful standards, and will be able to sell their products in the EU."

American National Standard NSF/ANSI 305 enables companies to be certified and use the "Contains Organic Ingredients" designation for products with organic content of 70 percent or more while meeting strict requirements regarding organic ingredients, materials, processes and production specifications.

About QAI

Quality Assurance International (www.qai-inc.com), founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is the leading provider of organic certification services worldwide. Accredited by multiple organizations, QAI verifies organic integrity at each link of the supply chain. QAI remains dedicated to fostering sustainable agriculture and a healthier planet while providing educational outreach to the organic community and consumers.

About NaTrue

NaTrue, the International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association based in Brussels, promotes authentic Natural and Organic Cosmetics worldwide since May 2008. The NaTrue label sets a high standard of quality and integrity so people worldwide can enjoy Natural Cosmetics truly worthy of that name.

http://www.natrue.org

SOURCE Quality Assurance International