Step by step to NATURE THANX certification
Certification of your products sets clear quality standards and communicates this in a simple way. The NATURE THANX label thus consolidates your marketing and supports your credibility.
At the same time, certification places high demands on production. To ensure that these do not become an obstacle, we recommend approaching certification step by step.
Guide to NATURE THANX certification
Obtain information and a cost estimate
Please contact us - with this letter - and the certification body EcoControl www.eco-control.com for information on the possible costs and procedures for certification.
If your products have not yet been registered, please contact your competent authority (veterinary office or food control authority) to find out what is required for you to be allowed to place your products on the market.
If you have your products manufactured in a country other than Germany, but would also like to sell them in Germany, we recommend that you contact Pfeiffer Consulting(https://www.pfeiffer-consulting.com/en/) for advice on the legal requirements.
Product development
Please read the standard in detail. The current version of the standard can be found here.
At this point, it is important that all raw materials used originate from natural source materials and may only be produced using the processes listed in the standard. Exceptions to this are the substances listed in the standard for therapy support. The auxiliary materials used to manufacture the raw material must also comply with the standard. If you wish to offer a vegan product, it must not contain any ingredients of animal origin.
We recommend creating a small checklist for each raw material:
- Are the starting materials of the raw material natural (no petrochemical starting and auxiliary materials permitted, except for preservatives and therapy-supporting substances according to the positive list)?
- Are the processes, chemical or physical, used to produce the raw material listed in the standard?
- Are the auxiliary materials used in the production of the raw material compliant with the standard?
- Are the raw materials free from genetically modified organisms?
- Is a GMO-free declaration available, if necessary also for auxiliary substances such as fermentation organisms?
For vegan claims:
- Are all raw materials free from animal origin?
- Do you have a vegan declaration?
If all points can be answered with "yes", step 3 follows.
Conclusion of contract and registration of products
Once your products have been developed and you are sure that all raw materials comply with the standard, you conclude the certification contract with EcoControl and the label usage contract with us. Our contract contains a registration file in Excel format, which you should fill in completely and send to us with the signed contract. Important: please do not forget to enter the countries in which your products are to be marketed. EcoControl will send you an Excel spreadsheet which you can use to register your products for testing. In this table, the raw materials must be specified and broken down into INCIs. If you choose a vegan claim, please indicate this when registering. Please attach all documents relating to the raw materials to this registration table. The documents should contain the following information on each raw material:
- Source material of the raw material
- Processes, chemical or physical, used to produce the raw material
- Auxiliary materials in the production of the raw material
- GMO-free declaration, if necessary also for auxiliary substances such as fermentation organisms
- If applicable, organic certificates if organic labeling of the individual ingredients with an asterisk is desired
- If applicable, vegan declaration - if vegan claim is desired.
If all of this information is available to the certification body and complies with the standard, nothing should stand in the way of your certificate.
Design of the labels
After receiving the certificate, the label will be sent to you digitally. You can use it to design your label. We have drawn up a guideline for this, which you will receive with the label. You should clarify with a lawyer how you are allowed to name your products.
As NATURE-THANX is on the borderline to medicinal products, a clear demarcation must be recognizable. As soon as products are labeled as "healing" or similar, they fall under pharmaceutical law. Please note that you must mention the use of preservatives on the label.
The requirements for this are explained in chapter 2.3.2 "Nature-identical preservatives" of the standard. If you plan to sell your products in distribution channels that are related to the BNN product range guidelines, these products may not be advertised as certified natural cosmetics, but must bear the following addition: "Natural therapeutic care, contains active ingredient(s) of non-natural origin" (see also Chapter III 1. Natural cosmetics c of the product range guidelines https://de.calameo.com/read/00403887520c50739446c ).
In Austria, the definition of natural cosmetics according to the Austrian Food Code applies. According to this definition, NATURE-THANX products would not be natural cosmetics. If you want to market your products in Austria, you should therefore clarify in advance how you are allowed to label your products.
Communication
You now have a successful process behind you and can communicate the special nature of your products to the outside world. The label helps you to identify your products not only on the label, but also on your website, in your advertisements and in all other communication channels. Use the condensed statement to make your products stand out.
Audit
You have received the certificate on the basis of the documents submitted. You are still responsible for ensuring that the products are manufactured in accordance with the standard. Part of the certification is the on-site audit, which checks whether the products are manufactured in accordance with the standard.
An auditor from EcoControl will contact you or your contract manufacturer at the beginning of the year to arrange an appointment.
Please allow some preparation time for this appointment.
The following should generally be prepared (please also note the EcoControl audit announcement):
- List of all products bearing the symbol => Customer list, parts list, advertising material, price catalogs, etc.
- Viewing the labels
- Batch traceability of the last production run (retained samples of the products as they leave the company: Bulk goods, semi-finished goods or finished goods)
- Documents on the raw materials used
- Insight into the merchandise management system
- Possibility to set up a factory tour and gain insight into basic aspects of cosmetics GMP
Although the audit is an audit, auditors are not representatives of the authorities or even the police. Therefore, no unnecessary excitement.
You can make good use of the audit by looking at your manufacturing processes together with the auditor and finding out whether you can still improve on certain points. Auditors are also often well informed about the industry, so you can use the annual audit as an opportunity to talk to experts.
And a little tip: Auditors are often on the road for days on end, have sometimes not slept as well as at home and are very happy when they are treated as welcome guests. A pleasant atmosphere during the audit makes the work easier for both sides.
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