Article: STANDARDIZE. RINSE. REPEAT.

Overuse of the words "organic" and "natural" by marketers of personal care products has led to mass confusion in the minds of consumers. Will the expanding jumble of competing standards help or hinder?

Consumers the world over spend billions of dollars on "organic" personal care products. But precisely what that term means depends on who defines the word. A number of competing standards, each with its own seal of certification, already exist in Europe, and two new standards with their own certification marks will soon debut in the United States. Until harmonization occurs, creating global organic formulations will be difficult at best, industry observers say.

STANDARDS AROUND THE WORLD

The ...

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