Organic Natural Cosmetics

Lawrence, KS (PRWEB) September 15, 2014

Today scientists with the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) joined with the American Phytopathological Society (APS) and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) to recognize the 50-year anniversary of the national Land-Grant University Pesticide Safety Education Program. Although the program has evolved over the past 50 years, it remains the focal point for pesticide safety education throughout the United States.

The Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) had its genesis in 1964 to enhance pesticide label compliance and to develop the first training manuals. In the early years, the program was under the direction of each Land-Grant University’s Cooperative Extension Program and was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 1970, USDA passed the safe-use education torch to the newly created U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which concentrated especially on safety issues on the farm and in other occupations.

In 1978, EPA classified the first 12 restricted-use pesticides (RUPs). Applicators were required to demonstrate competency to apply RUPs, and Pesticide Applicator Training (as PSEP was then called) served as the primary developer and deliverer to inform and educate on safe pesticide use.

The reach of the Pesticide Safety Education Program has expanded greatly over the years. There are many more RUPs, and many states now require whole categories of users to be certified, even if they do not apply RUPs. Examples include certification of hired applicators, public employees and those treating schools or aquatic environments. In fact, an estimated 40% of certified applicators in the U.S. today do not apply RUPs.

Though it once focused predominantly on the education of applicators controlling agricultural pests, PSEP now teaches applicators working in urban, natural, industrial and other settings. It provides training to those who control weeds, insects, disease-causing organisms, rodents and other pests in forests, structures, turf, ornamentals, rights-of-way, aquatic areas, and other important and sometimes unique “sites.” These include food manufacturing and processing establishments, interior plantscapes, pet grooming, pools, public health, seed treatment, sewers, water sanitation, wood preservation and more. In addition, PSEP impacts more than one million pesticide users in the general public who apply pesticides in their homes and on their lawns, gardens, ornamentals and pets.

Last year, approximately 900,000 certified applicators in the U.S. applied pesticides or supervised their use. Many more individuals who did not require certification sold, transported, stored, mixed, applied, disposed or were otherwise involved in the life-cycle management of pesticides. To reach all these audiences, PSEP and its not-for-profit partners provided in-person and on-line training sessions, distance education, manuals, brochures, presentations and videos. Today you can surf the web for pesticide safety education in any state to locate resources developed by PSEP. These resources promote safe handling of pesticides and protection of applicators, workers, the general public, beneficial organisms and the environment.

Everyone benefits from a strong national Pesticide Safety Education Program – the general public, the registrants whose products’ availability depends on safe use, the applicators who must be competent in the safe use of pesticides, the expanded network of trainers educated by PSEP and the regulatory agencies that enforce the law.

The recognition this program deserves is often muted, due to the increasing number of organizations and initiatives that erroneously equate pesticide safety education with promoting pesticide use. On its 50th anniversary, the WSSA, APS and ESA salute the Pesticide Safety Education Program in the Land-Grant Universities and in the territories for its many efforts to protect human health and the environment, as society continues its ongoing battle against pests.

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net.

About the American Phytopathological Society

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is a nonprofit, professional scientific organization. The research of the organization’s slightly less than 5,000 worldwide members advances the understanding of the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health. For more information, visit http://www.apsnet.org.

About the Entomological Society of America

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry and government. Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, students and hobbyists. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Ann Arbor, MI (PRWEB) February 14, 2014

Global public health organization NSF International has launched the NSF Cosmetics and Personal Care Program in response to growing concerns from consumers and retailers regarding adulteration, mislabeling and counterfeiting issues. The new program provides auditing, training, product testing, claim substantiation and certification services developed by NSF to enable manufacturers to improve the quality and safety of their products and retailers to strengthen the oversight of their cosmetic and personal care suppliers.

The NSF Cosmetics and Personal Care Program addresses the needs raised by new legislation, retailer-prohibited chemical lists and manufacturing-related quality issues which have driven rapid changes to the $ 300 billion global cosmetics and toiletries market. Consumer safety concerns also have fueled this need. In fact, a recent independent study conducted on behalf of NSF found that 48 percent of consumers are concerned about the quality and safety of personal care products. To help address these concerns, NSF International developed the NSF Cosmetics and Personal Care Program, which includes:

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Auditing: This program meets the growing demand for third-party verified compliance to cosmetic manufacturing GMP quality standard ISO 22716, which is recognized worldwide and mandated by European regulations. It also encompasses U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance criteria for cosmetic production, laboratory controls and customer complaint handling, which is essential for cosmetics imported into the United States. Manufacturers earn a graded audit that retailers use to qualify and set standards for their suppliers, and that serves as a baseline for continual improvement.

Bundled Audits for Food, Personal Care and Dietary Supplements: Many facilities produce ingredients for multiple product categories spanning food, cosmetics and dietary supplements, each of which has its own set of specific quality and safety guidelines. NSF perform audits to multiple schemes and labeling requirements including dietary supplement GMPs, food safety schemes benchmarked under the Global Food Safety Initiative, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in addition to cosmetic GMPs. This eliminates audit redundancy and disruption to production operations while reducing costs.

Testing: This includes testing to verify label claims including “free from” substances like Bisphenol A (BPA), PABA (p-Aminobenzoic acid), sulfates, parabens and many others. NSF also screens cosmetics for contaminants to verify their safety and quality. This is in addition to substantiating compliance to regulations in Europe and the U.S. (e.g. Proposition 65). Label reviews and physical, chemical and performance characteristic comparisons against national brands are also available for retailers that have concerns regarding their private label cosmetics and personal care product lines.

Product Certification: NSF certifies cosmetics to widely accepted programs, including the EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program, which verifies that cosmetic products and ingredients do not contain chemicals of concern such as known carcinogens or reproductive and developmental toxicants. NSF International also certifies cosmetics to either the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) or the American National Standard for personal care products containing organic ingredients (NSF/ANSI 305) via NSF’s sister company QAI. These programs are important to safety-minded consumers in particular as a recent independent study conducted on behalf of NSF found that 44 percent of consumers prefer products that are independently tested and certified.

Training and Consulting: NSF provides GMP training for professionals who are involved in manufacturing and distributing cosmetic and personal care products so they can stay apprised of the changing regulatory landscape and best practices in supply chain quality. Those professionals who know how to conduct gap analyses and identify regulatory noncompliances before they become an issue will add value to the manufacturing process, and also help minimize safety and quality risks. NSF can also provide expert consulting to evaluate a cosmetic manufacturing quality and safety system, help facilities resolve complex quality problems or guide companies through the proper procedures for responding to FDA warning letters.

“The cosmetics industry is becoming increasingly scrutinized as consumers seek safer products and retailers step up to meet this demand,” said Casey Coy, Manager of NSF International’s Cosmetics and Personal Care Program. “With this new program, NSF International has applied 70 years of technical and scientific expertise to develop specialized auditing, testing and certification programs that support retailers in improving their supply chain oversight and cosmetic safety. This program also helps manufacturers demonstrate compliance to retailer requirements and U.S. and European regulations.”

To learn more about the NSF Cosmetics and Personal Care Program, please contact Casey Coy at cosmetics(at)nsf(dot)org or +1 734-904-2995.

Media Contact: To schedule an interview with an NSF cosmetic or personal care expert, contact Kelly Ingerly at media(at)nsf(dot)org or +1 734-827-6850.

About NSF International: NSF International is an independent global organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

NSF International’s Cosmetics and Personal Care Program provides auditing, ingredient and product testing and certification, and training and education for the cosmetic and personal care industries throughout the entire product lifecycle. NSF International developed the only accredited American National Standard for personal care products containing organic ingredients (NSF/ANSI 305) and provides verification of cosmetic and personal care ingredients to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program.