Fwd: B&B and the USDA Seal--Plus Earn $6

 

There are so many companies out there claiming to be "organic" but they still hide a bunch of chemicals in their products.  In an effort to differentiate ourselves from these phony natural companies, we are seeking the USDA seal and certification.  Our products have always been pure enough to carry the USDA seal, but we have to be a certified organic processing facility before we can put the special green seal on our labels.  We are ready to take care of this thing!  If the state drags its feet for too long, we'll get a private certifier to get our seal.  In the meantime, we thought you'd like to know how we're operating under USDA organic rules...

 

How we operate:

No pesticides used on the premises.  To be a certified organic processing facility, you can't use any synthetic pesticides.  But it doesn't end there.  You have to write an organic pest control plan, stating what you do to prevent and control insects.  In addition, you have to keep a log of those measures.  So, if I had an ant problem (which I don't) and I killed them with some orange essential oil (which you can do), I would need to write that down in a log and keep that on file for a minimum of five years. 

Keeping a paper trail.  For every certified organic ingredient that comes in to our facility, we have to prove that it's organic.  When we receive a shipment, we take each box, bottle and jar of ingredients and attach a special label to it.  This label specifies the supplier, invoice number, and date of the invoice.  Then, when we make a batch of something, we record each ingredient on a batch sheet, stating all the information on the label.  That way, every ingredient can be traced back to our suppliers and thus proven to be certified organic. 

Preventing co-mingling of organic vs. conventional.
This requirement isn't hard for us, as most of our ingredients are certified organic.  However, we have to make sure that every ingredient is marked organic or conventional.  For instance, we use both organic and conventional orange essential oil.  We use the organic in the lip balms and bath salts, and the conventional in the soaps and shower gels.  We have a big orange label on the conventional that says "CONVENTIONAL: shower gels and soaps only!"  That way, there's no chance that the conventional doesn't accidentally get in to something it's not supposed to. 
 

 

Labeling requirements.

Each product that's certified organic has to be correctly labeled.  On the label we have to identify the certifying agent for each ingredient, as well as our own certifying agent when we get one. 
 
Cleaning logs.
Every time we vaccuum a floor, wash the mixer, or wipe down the shipping table we have to record it in the log.  There, we state the date, the cleaning method used, any cleaning materials used, and who did the cleaning.  Any surface that comes in to contact with an organic product has to be thoroughly rinsed so there is no trace of cleansing residue. 
 
Shipping logs. 
Any time we ship out a product, we keep a log of where it's going and what batch it was from.  That way, if someone came to us with an invoice number, we could tell you which batch it was from, where each organic ingredient was from, and who certified that ingredient. 

Production map of every product we make. 
For each certified organic product, we have to create a production map.  This describes where the ingredients are stored, where in our facility it's made, how it's made, how it's packaged and labeled from start to finish.  With over 51 SKUs, this has been the biggest time-consuming part of the project.

 

Answer six questions and get six bucks!  We have so many new products in the works, we need your help.  Take this short one page survey and at the end, you'll instantly get a promo code good for $6 off your next order. 

 

We're here to make products that you want.  As opposed to the other big "organic" brands, you can influence our decisions and products directly!   With this deal, everyone wins!