There is so much information about organics; it can sometimes leave us wondering what the truth is. The days when you could believe what you read have gone and it does mean doing a lot of research before coming up with your own conclusion.

Marketers add to the problem by telling you what they want you to hear in order to buy their product while still staying within the rules of ‘misleading and deceptive conduct’ making it even more confusing for the consumer who is only trying to buy the right product. You almost have to have a PhD to read through the amount of information out there to make an informed decision.

Companies may even show who the certifier of their certified organic ingredients is. This doesn’t mean they’ve met the requirements of over 70% but the % of ingredients they have used is certified organic, which could add up to only 5% and this also doesn’t mean the balance of other ingredients are organic or even natural. Companies have also been known to make their own ‘official’ stamps. Still more to look out for ...

When I decided to make an organic range and started research the information available I opened up Pandora’s Box as to what was right, wrong, and what companies were doing without answering to any regulator. Adding to this there were different rules in different countries. Sadly there is not one global rule and there can be a lot of grey area instead of what really should be black and white. This means there are companies importing their products into Australia who do not seem to be bound by the same rules. Products produced in Australia have also been quietly deceiving their consumers with their products by implying their products are organic.

Ingredients that are allowed in some countries are banned in others. Other than water, it can be a battle out there trying to get it right and still make a product that people will want to use.

Chemists also have a different idea of what organic is. A chemist has been taught that organic means coming straight from the ground, which includes petroleum products. This is a fair statement but conflicting to what the organic regulators state. The more people/experts I spoke with the more confusing it became.

Carla Riva falls into the 2nd and 3rd category of the organic definition. These categories allow us to use the Organic Authority Stamp on our packaging. Additionally we have shown on the front on the packaging the % of certified organic ingredients so there is no room for misunderstanding. For design purposes we have placed organic certifier’s logo on the back of the packaging of all products even when it is over 95%

With the regards to the balance of ingredients, we are still under strict guidance of the organic certifier of what can and can’t be used. Not all natural ingredients are available in the organic form and are still not farmed under the organic process making it impossible in some cases to have a 100% organic product and at the same time having a great formula. The US have their own regulator being the USDA who is in line with the Australian regulations, however there are ingredients that the 2 regulators do not agree on.

Ecocert, however is the European regulator that imposes that a minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming, which is very different and almost the opposite to the Australian and US requirements. Extra care needs to be taken when purchasing organic products and being aware of the regulators standards and their stamps to avoid paying for a lesser quality of organics