In the world of pesticides and repellents the words "organic" and "natural" are often mistakenly used to replace one another. To be "organic," a pesticide or repellent has to be certified "organic." No such certification exists for a product to be "natural" or even "all-natural."
So, you have certified organic products that have gone through a battery of tests and reviews from third-party, disinterested entities, competing against products that allegedly use the words "natural" or "organic" (without any validation) to describe a product that may contain a few ingredients that are found in nature, as well as an ample bevy of artificial components that make getting too close a bit dangerous to your health.
When a manufacturer freely uses the terms "organic" and "natural," you can easily be duped into thinking that you are buying an organic product when unknowingly buying a chemical pesticide along with all its negative lingering side effects.
That is why the government and recognized, non-profit institutions such as the Organic Materials Review Institute should be important to you.
We will try to help you better understand product labels and certifications so as to clear up some of the confusion. Then, you can make decisions on whether or not a product is truly natural or organic.
National Organic Program (NOP)
What is it?
The National Organic Program (NOP) is the federal regulatory framework governing organic products. Administered by the USDA, it covers in detail all aspects of product production, processing, delivery and retail sale.
Under the NOP, manufacturers who wish to use the word “organic” in reference to their products must be certified organic.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) redefines “organic” by setting up its own standards for “certified organic product.” Certified organic products offer consumers the peace of mind to know that their gardening efforts will do less harm to people, pets and the environment than in using chemical pesticides.
Levels of Compliance
Products approved as organic by the USDA are "100% organic" or "organic."
Products labeled as "100% organic" must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients.
Products labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the national list or non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form..gif)
Products meeting the requirements for "100% organic" and "organic" may display these terms and the percentage of organic content on their principal display panel.
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Organic Materials Review Institute®
What is it?
OMRI® is an independent national nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing and offers certification based on whether or not a product meets their requirements.
OMRI® provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers with an independent review of products intended for use in organic production, handling or processing. OMRI® accepts applications for products intended to be used in organic production or processing to determine whether they are in fact allowed under the NOP.
Typical examples of the types of OMRI® reviews are for animal repellents, fertilizers for organic farming and feed supplements for organic animal production.
OMRI® has assembled a national board of experts from the organic industry that review not only the ingredients contained in a product, but also the sources of those ingredients and how they are processed.
OMRI® Listed Seal
Products that pass the OMRI® review carry the OMRI® Listed Seal and appear on the OMRI® Brand Name Products List. The Listed Seal assures the suitability of a product for organic production, handling and processing.
EPA/25(b) List
What is it?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set forth the 25(b) Active Ingredient Exemptions List , which contains the active ingredients that are known as "minimum risk pesticides," exempting them from the requirements of federal registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), allowing products to be labeled according to the guidelines set forth by the USDA.
Criteria
The use of 25(b) active ingredients for pesticide products must comply with the following criteria:
- Must be formulated using only the EPA’s list of 4A inerts (Minimal Risk Inerts).
- Active ingredients must be listed by name and percentage on the product label.
- All other ingredients must be listed by name on the product label.
- Label must not have any false or misleading statements under 40 CFR 156.10 (a)(5)(i)-(viii).
- Products containing active ingredients listed as 25(b) are exempt from the requirements of FIFRA, alone or in combination with other substances provided that all of the criteria are met. These active ingredients are either biologically derived or listed as a food additive by the FDA .
Inert ingredients in pesticides are those ingredients that are not intended to affect a target pest but are added to enhance some characteristic, for example the pesticides solubility in water.
Inerts are not necessarily harmless and some inerts may be quite toxic, and make up a large percentage of the product. FIFRA does not require inert ingredients to be identified by name and percentage on the product label. However, the total percentage of inert ingredients must be declared.
The EPA classifies inert ingredients in four lists:
- List 1-Inert Ingredients of Toxicological Concern
- List 2-Potentially Toxic Other Ingredients/High Priority for Testing Inerts
- List 3-Inerts of Unknown Toxicity
- List 4A-Inert Ingredients of Minimal Concern
- List 4B-Other ingredients for which EPA has sufficient information to reasonably conclude that the current use pattern in pesticide products will not adversely affect public health or the environment.
What you should know
Just because certain product ingredients find their place on the EPA 25(b) list does not mean that a product touting such ingredients as the main pieces of its make-up are completely safe.
Certain companies abuse the verbiage and terminology allowed by highlighting words in their labeling. This is a way for companies to get around the strict rules and regulations that deem a product “organic.”
Some labels that tout organic ingredients while not being certified display the claim “safe around children and pets.” While a repellent may be fine to spray in spots off of the beaten path in your lawn or garden, kids and pets generally have unfettered access to areas that have been treated. It would not be good for a child or pet to “roll around” in such areas. If you use sprays that do not have the USDA organic seal or a third-party regulator such as OMRI®’s seal on its labeling, be sure to use extra haste.
EPA 25(b) listed ingredients are not required to list inactive ingredients in their labeling. A product that has, for example, capsaicin (pepper oils), an ingredient that appears on the EPA 25(b), is not required to list the other potentially harmful chemicals that make up its composition.
These chemicals that do not have to appear on the labeling may well be harmful to people and pets when a company is trying to make it look as though its product is all-natural, or organic. Always look for an official organic seal.
If you are in doubt about a product being organic, do not hesitate to get in contact with the company in question. While they may not be quick to fix their misleading label practices, they are likely to make clearer the meanings behind the label when directly confronted by a potential consumer.
Havahart® offers a variety of OMRI® organic-listed and USDA approved for organic gardening animal repellents that are not only effective but also gentler on the environment.
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