November 24, 2008

Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative

The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), and the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA) have developed an ingredient communication initiative as a way to provide consumers with information about the ingredients in products in four major categories: air care, automotive care, cleaning, and polishes and floor maintenance products.

This proactive voluntary program has been collaboratively launched by the three associations to meet the changing needs of consumers and the marketplace by creating a uniform system for providing ingredient information to consumers in a meaningful and easy-to-understand way. This initiative provides different means to inform consumers about the ingredients in products: on the product label; on the manufacturers’, distributors’, or importers’ website; through a toll-free telephone number; or through some other non-electronic means.

This program builds on the already strong foundation the industry has established for sharing information with consumers. It is largely based upon the labeling conventions in use today in the U.S. for food, drugs and cosmetics that consumers are already familiar with. Through this program, participating manufacturers, distributors and importers will take an additional, significant step toward meeting consumer desire for more information about the products they use.

Program Details:

• The program’s four covered product categories include: air care (e.g. air fresheners), automotive care (e.g. antifreeze), cleaning (e.g. dish care, laundry detergents, household cleaning), and polishes and floor maintenance products (e.g. waxes, polishes).

• All ingredients in these product categories will be listed, except incidental ingredients that have no technical or functional effect in the product.

• Dyes, fragrances, and preservatives can be identified by class/function descriptors. For example, dyes, fragrances, and preservatives may be identified as “dyes,” “fragrances,” or “preservatives.” Chemical function or chemical class descriptions can also be used where there is a need to protect confidential business information.

• Ingredients present at concentrations greater than one percent will be listed in descending order by predominance. Ingredients present at concentrations of less than one percent will be listed without regard to the order of predominance.

• Ingredients will be listed by either: the International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) name, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name, Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) name, or by the common chemical name.

• Ingredients will be listed either on the product label, through the manufacturers’, distributors’, or importers' website, through a toll-free telephone number, or through some other non-electronic means.

• This is a voluntary program that will take effect in January 2010.

For more information, check out the following links:

Outline - Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative

Q&A - Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative