Washington, D.C.—The Natural Products Association (NPA) submitted comments to the House Energy and Commerce Committee (ECC) regarding Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for cosmetic products, according to a press release. The comments note that in the past, NPA has asked for amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) introducing measures to regulate ingredients, monitor adverse reactions to cosmetics, and establish good manufacturing practices.

NPA's comments include this statement:

Currently, there is no definition of the term natural, leaving the door open to false-advertising class action lawsuits in the cosmetics space. Once FDA defines the term “natural,” it will alleviate the current backlog of congestion in the courts and future potential lawsuits from the plaintiff’s bar over use of the term and how it is perceived by consumers.

NPA believes better clarity over the term “natural” will be positive for the cosmetic industry and consumers and strongly urges the Committee and Congress to push for the FDA, under the Trump Administration, to finally define the term in personal care products.

ECC’s Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing entitled “Building Consumer Confidence by Empowering FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety” today at 10 a.m.
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NPA supports legislative efforts to amend the FDCA by introducing measures to regulate ingredients, monitor adverse reactions to cosmetics, and establish GMPs, the release says. The NPA Natural Standard for Personal Care Products requires companies to fully disclose their ingredients, maximize their use of recyclable and post-consumer recycled content in packaging, and not conduct animal testing. Companies must also provide verifiable information regarding all company personal care products to confirm that 60% of the personal care products in that brand line meet the NPA Natural Standard requirements.

“More and more, consumers are turning to natural alternatives for personal care products. Consumers have a right to know what is in the products they use every day and that those products are manufactured at the highest quality,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., President and CEO of NPA. “NPA was instrumental in developing manufacturing standards for nutritional supplements and the NPA Natural Seal has been a symbol for consumers looking for quality natural products for more than 10 years.”

NPA’s comments can be viewedhere.