New NATRUE criteria version 3.9

Good day

As your NATRUE certification body, we at bio.inspecta hope that you are doing well in this extraordinary year.

In the following we will inform you about the adjustments to the NATRUE criteria which will come into force on 01.01.2021. We have listed and explained the most important changes. Please also forward this newsletter to your colleagues in your company, for whom these changes are also relevant.

The offer from May regarding the support in raw material approval remains valid.

NATRUE Newsletter: Support with raw material approval

NATRUE further strengthens its commitment to sustainability.

1. Palm oil or palm kernel oil RSPO certified

Natural andderived natural raw materials from palm oil or palm kernel oil should increasingly come from RSPO (Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified sources. They should have at least the MB (mass balanced) level.

Derived natural substances that are available from sustainable sources and must be used in this way are marked in Annex Version 3.8. An exception applies to organic palm oil and organic palm kernel oil.

NATRUE criteria for organic palm oil or organic palm kernel oil see 5.4.

This means for you that new products and products that are up for recertification from 01.01.2021 onwards must meet the new criteria, which means they must contain compliant palm oil raw materials. We therefore recommend that you check whether you need to plan a change of raw material.

2. Raw Material Approval Process

The raw material approval procedure introduced this year (all raw materials used in NATRUE finished products must be NATRUE approved or NATRUE certified by 31.01.2022) has got off to a good start.

Consequently, finished products submitted for certification or recertification after 01.02.2022 consist exclusively of NATRUE approved or certified raw materials.

3. Raw material approval via finished product manufacturers or distributors

It is now possible for a manufacturer of finished products to apply for raw material approval from the certification body. The label usage agreement must be signed by the raw material manufacturer, who can request from NATRUE that the label fee is charged to the finished product manufacturer.

Distributors can also have raw material approved, provided that they can submit all the necessary documentation and guarantee traceability.

4. Organic raw materials: approval or certification

Organic raw materials that are certified according to a standard of the IFOAM family (i.e. also comply with the Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance or the EU Organic Regulation) do not require either a NATRUE Approval or a NATRUE Certification. These raw materials will be released for the manufacturer of finished products upon presentation of a valid organic certificate.

An organic raw material that is not certified according to the IFOAM family must undergo a NATRUE certification including an audit (every 2 years).

5. New: only 2 levels of natural cosmetics (important for manufacturers of finished products)

In order to provide consumers with more clarity about natural and organic cosmetics, there will now only be two certification levels: Natural cosmetics and organic cosmetics. This applies to products that are newly registered for certification from 01.01.2021. Products that were previously classified as «natural cosmetics with organic content» will be assigned to one of the two levels mentioned above when they are recertified.

In organic cosmetics, 95% of the natural ingredients must be organic. The classification takes into account the percentage of natural and derived natural substances (see Table 1 of the NATRUE criteria):

NATRUE criteria

6. Sustainability goals of the UN

NATRUE underlines its commitment to sustainability by aligning the NATRUE criteria with the 17 UN Sustainability Targets (SDGs). We encourage you to take note of this or to use it as a suggestion to strive for a development towards more sustainability in these areas (sustainability criteria) in your own company.

7. Use of the NATRUE logo

NATRUE wants to strengthen communication for customers and increase transparency and has updated the guidelines for the use of the logo, which are valid from 01.01.2021.

Guidelines for the use of the logo

We wish you continued success with NATRUE and stand by your side as your partner. If you have any questions regarding the implementation, please contact our natural cosmetics experts: