Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative
The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA) and The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) 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 consumers’ 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.
More information on the initiative can be found on our Commonly Asked Questions document.
Current Regulatory Information
In the United States, these products must meet labeling requirements as established through the current system of risk evaluation and risk-based labeling under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) regulations for consumer products and administered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Through the FHSA regulations, the point of purchase label informs consumers about the potential hazards, product ingredients contributing to those hazards, appropriate handling and storage, applicable first aid information and how to protect children.
In Canada, there are various laws which regulate ingredients and labels for consumer products. Ingredients that make up these product types are regulated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) by Environment Canada and Health Canada. In 2006, the Canadian government announced the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) which is a comprehensive approach to substance management. CEPA addresses new and existing substances through scientific regulations to protect the health of Canadians and their environment. The Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations, 2001 (CCCR, 2001) by Health Canada requires the use of precautionary labeling on the package to ensure that consumers are aware of the potential hazards if the products are not used correctly and safely.
