Green Certification

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues organic certification to make buying organics easy. Only two types of products can carry the USDA Organic seal:

Products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods, which can be labeled “100 percent organic.” Products with at least 95 percent organic ingredients, which can be labeled “organic.”

Organic

A third category of products, containing a minimum 70 percent organic ingredients, can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.” Products in this category cannot carry the USDA seal. Anything made with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot carry an organic label, although the manufacturer can list the ingredients that are organic.

Natural

There is also a certification now available from the Natural Products Association in which a product must contain 95% or more of natural ingredients, in other words derived from natural sources, and without any potential suspected human health risks.

To read more about organic certification, please see our cover story from GREENRetailer’s premiere issue, Clean Green Profits.

Emily Lambert

Lambert, a regular writer for GIFT SHOP, resides in Philadelphia. She can be reached at emilylambert@comcast.net.