NSF to explore new standard for organic personal care products

ANN ARBOR, MI, Aug. 16 -- NSF International announced the initial development of a new organic personal care product standard. A meeting to discuss initial requirements for this standard is scheduled for Sept. 23 at NSF's headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI.

This standard will define the requirements necessary for a personal care product to make an organic label claim. The standard will be developed by a committee having a balanced representation of interested members from industry, regulatory and user sectors. The committee will be formed at the exploratory meeting.

The impetus for NSF's decision to develop an American National Standard Institute (ANSI) certification for organic personal care products is the result of several directives issued in April 2004 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the National Organic Program (NOP). The new voluntary, consensus standard will provide the personal care industry with one consensus standard for all organic products to be certified against, maintaining consistency in label claims.

All NSF/ANSI Standards are developed through involvement of those who are directly and materially affected by the scope of the standard. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) will participate on NSF's Joint Committee for developing organic personal care standards. Participation is open to all interested parties through committee membership, observer status at meetings, or public comment opportunities as ANSI requires that all standards go through a 90-day public review period prior to publication.

In other news, Robert Ferguson was appointed as NSF vice president for water systems. He'll oversees all programs in the water sector, including the NSF Water Distribution Systems, NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units, the EPA Environmental Technology Verification Program and Environmental Research Services. With 20 years experience, Ferguson previously served as Water Quality Business Unit manager for Strategic Diagnostics Inc. and has also held positions in development, management and marketing of advanced water and soil treatment technologies, environmental/industrial hygiene and safety-related industries.

In addition, NSF recently expanded its Plastics Certification Program for polyethylene (PE) pipe manufacturers to provide certification for gas pipes and fittings. Based on this program expansion, PE gas piping systems can now be certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 14: Plastics Piping Components and Related Materials, as well as model plumbing code requirements such as the International Plumbing Code (IPC), the Uniform Plumbing Code, (UPC) and the Canadian National Plumbing Code, (NPC). This program protects consumers by ensuring the integrity and durability of pipes and fittings, which ultimately helps prevent gas and water leaks.

About NSF International
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water, air and consumer goods. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd. and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education. The organization's website is at www.nsf.org.

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