Guide to successful NCP certification

Bitte befassen Sie sich ausführlich mit dem Standard. Die gültige Fassung des Standards finden Sie hier.

Rohstoffe

Wichtig ist zu diesem Zeitpunkt, dass alle eingesetzten Rohstoffe aus natürlichen Ausgangsmaterialien stammen und ausschließlich nach den im Standard aufgezählten Verfahren hergestellt sein dürfen. Auch die Hilfsstoffe zur Herstellung des Rohstoffs müssen dem Standard entsprechen.

!Achtung: Einige Rohstoffe müssen aus kbA stammen, solange sie als Naturstoff – also nicht chemisch verändert – eingesetzt werden. Diese sind im Standard aufgeführt: Sonnenblumenöl, Olivenöl, Sojaöl, Sheabutter, Kokosöl, Jojobaöl. Der NCP-Standard regelt Anforderungen an mehrere Produktkategorien. Wie in der Einleitung beschrieben sind damit sowohl Wasch- und Reinigungsmittel als auch Biozide oder Pflanzenstärkungsmittel abgedeckt. Bitte achten Sie in der Positiviliste auf die jeweiligen Reiter um Ihre Inhaltsstoffe korrekt den Anforderungen zuzuordnen. Möchten Sie ein veganes Produkt anbieten, darf es keinen Inhaltsstoff tierischen Ursprungs enthalten.

Verpackungen

Seit 01.01.2023 beinhaltet der NCP-Standard Kriterien für Verpackungen. Diese gelten für Verpackungen, die ab dem 01.01.2026 bestellt werden. Die Kriterien werden ergänzt um eine Materialliste. Bitte machen Sie sich mit den Anforderungen vertraut.

Bitte achten Sie auf Folgendes:

1. Die Zertifizierungsstelle nimmt nur aufbereitete Dokumente als Nachweise an. Die Spezifikationen, Datenblätter oder Sicherheitszertifikate müssen markiert sein an der Stelle, an der die relevante Information steht (Art des Materials, Rezyklat-anteil, etc.)
2. die Dokumente müssen eindeutig zuordbar sein. Entweder über eine Chargen, Artikel oder Spezifikationsnummer ist die Zuordnung zum Produkt eindeutig erkenn- und nachvollziehbar.
3. Die Dokumente befinden sich nicht verschachtelt in mehreren weitergeleiteten emails. Auditoren oder die Zertifizierungsstelle muss leicht und ohne langes Suchen auf die wesentlichen Informationen zugreifen können.

Achtung: dauert die Zuordnung oder das Suchen nach den wesentlichen Informationen länger als 1,5 h, bricht die Zertifizierungsstelle die Prüfung ab, um exorbitante Kosten zu vermeiden.

Eigene Checkliste

• Wir empfehlen das Erstellen einer eigenen kleinen Checkliste für jeden Rohstoff:
• Sind die Ausgangsstoffe des Rohstoffs natürlich (keine petrochemischen Ausgangs- und Hilfsstoffe erlaubt, außer der Stoffe gemäß Positivliste)?
• Liegt für die Pflicht-Bio-Stoffe ein Bio-Zertifikat vor?
• Sind die Prozesse, chemische oder physikalische, die zur Herstellung des Rohstoffs verwendet wurden, im Standard gelistet?
• Sind die Hilfsstoffe, die bei der Herstellung des Rohstoffs verwendet wurden und im Produkt verbleiben, mit dem Standard konform?
• Sind die Rohstoffe frei von gentechnisch veränderten Organismen?

Liegt eine GVO-Freiheitserklärung vor, ggf. auch für Hilfsstoffe wie Fermentations-Organismen? Bei Vegan-Auslobung:

• Sind alle Rohstoffe frei von tierischem Ursprung?
• Liegt eine Vegan-Erklärung vor?

Verpackungen:

• Fällt die Entscheidung für eine Verpackung nach den Kriterien Vermeiden, Vermindern, Re-Use, Recyclingfähigkeit und Entleerbarkeit?
• Entspricht das Material der empfohlenen bzw. tolerierten Materialien gemäß Materialliste?

Wenn alle Punkte mit „ja“ beantwortet werden können, folgt Schritt 3.

Once your products have been developed and you are sure that all raw materials meet 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. Your certification body 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 this is possible for your product group.1 If you choose a vegan claim, please indicate this when registering.

Please attach all documents relating to the raw materials to this notification table. The documents should contain the following information for each raw material:

1. Source material of the raw material
2. Processes, chemical or physical, used to produce the raw material
3. Auxiliary materials in the production of the raw material
4. GMO-free declaration, if necessary also for auxiliary substances such as fermentation organisms
5. Organic certificates, if applicable, for the mandatory organic substances
6. If applicable, vegan declaration - if vegan claim is desired.

Not all substances that end up in NCP products can be broken down in INCIs. However, this does not mean that they are not compliant. We are always breaking new ground for new product categories. When registering, it is important that sufficient evidence is available to provide the required information.

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.

After signing the contract, the label will be sent to you digitally via a download link. You can use it to design your label. We have drawn up a guideline for this, which you will receive with the label. You may use the NCP label in its various versions, depending on how it fits on your packaging.

Please ensure that you comply with Chapter 9 of the NCP standard. This means that all ingredients of the product must be listed in everyday language that consumers can understand. The positive list contains suggestions for everyday names for raw materials. If you have used raw materials from organic farming in your product and would like to indicate this on the label, you can mark these raw materials with an asterisk* and explain what the asterisk stands for further down on the label. It is important that you state either on the label or on your website how high the proportion of organic raw materials is in relation to the proportion of raw materials that can be organic. This usually requires an explanation. Take the opportunity to inform consumers about the composition of your product and why some raw materials cannot be organic (e.g. surfactants).

In the first audit, which will take place at your premises either by means of documents or an on-site visit, you must, among other things, demonstrate the auditability of your production facility. To do this, please complete the "Description of measures" form in advance, which you will receive from the certification body. The information you provide on the form is the basis for the certification body to decide whether your production site is auditable at all. The basis of GMP is queried, such as release systems, goods flow controls and possibilities for batch traceability.

A further subject of the initial audit is proof of the conformity of your packaging. Please have the documents described above ready for this.

The third point of the initial audit is the labels. It is important to note the explanations from "Label design".

If your steps up to this point have been successful, you will receive a certificate and can start producing and marketing your wonderful products.

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 highlight your products. Since 2024, all certified products have been published on our website. After signing the contract, you will receive a log-in and can design the appearance of your products yourself.

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 process is the on-site audit, which checks whether the products are manufactured in accordance with the standard. An auditor from the certification body 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 audit announcement of the certification body):

1. List of all products bearing the logo => customer list, bill of materials, promotional materials, price catalogs, etc.
2. Viewing the labels
3. 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)
4. Documents on the raw materials used - see specially created checklist in steps 2 and 3
5. Packaging documentation (decision documentation and material specification)
6. Insight into the merchandise management system
7. Possibility to set up a plant tour and gain insight into basic aspects of cosmetics GMP or other management systems

Please ensure that there is a welcoming atmosphere during the audit. Auditors are often on the road for days, have sometimes not slept as well as at home and are very happy when they are treated as welcome guests. Auditors must have at least:

1. A warm or temperature-controlled workplace where you can set up your laptop
2. Space for storing viewed documents
3. Something to drink and eat

A pleasant atmosphere during the audit makes work easier for both sides. Although the audit is an examination, 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 well informed about the industry and have undergone numerous training courses, so you can use the annual audit as an opportunity to talk to experts.