Our Awards & Certifications

Clean Label Project Certification

For food and consumer product safety regulatory fabric in America is largely focused on pathogen & microbiological contaminants. For categories where Clean Label Project does not have benchmarked data to warrant a Clean Label Project Purity Award, Clean Label Project borrows a page out the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Informally known as Proposition 65, this regulation was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. It considered the strictest regulation in the country when it comes to protecting consumers from industrial & environmental contaminants and chemicals of concern. Proposition 65 aims to protect the state’s drinking water sources from being contaminated with chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals.

How does it work?

Clean Label Project purchases products at retail, tests them for purity (chemicals of concern including heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers), and compares the results to high risk chemicals listed on the State of California Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Office’s Proposition 65 list. If the product is found to comply, it qualifies for Clean Label Project Certification.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and current quality assurance and control initiatives.

STEP 2 Sampling

After the product scope is identified, Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America.

STEP 3 Testing

After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The scope of testing varies depending on the product category. Testing typically includes heavy metals (Total Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury), over 300 of the most commonly used pesticides, including glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up that has been linked to non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and plasticizers (including BPA, BPS, phthalates), and other chemicals of concern. The testing process can take up to 3 weeks.

STEP 4 Analysis

Upon completion of the testing, Clean Label Project schedules a call with the testing laboratory and the brand. The test results are shared and discussed. Products that yield test results that comply with the State of California Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Office’s Proposition 65 list in addition to other supporting compliance requirements, qualify for Clean Label Project certification.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing compliance. It’s about making sure that the brand continues to maintain their internal quality assurance and control programs. Clean Label Project will continue to use its consumer chain of custody sampling and testing process to perform unannounced sampling and testing. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Clean Label Transparency Project Certification

The foundation of the Clean Label Transparency Project is compliance with the Clean Label Project Purity Award. The Clean Label Project Purity Award evaluates products for substances that would never be found on a product label. These substances include chemicals of concern and industrial and environmental toxins and contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers) that have the long-term potential to adversely affect health and well-being. Clean Label Transparency Project gives brands an opportunity to use a QR code or tracking number on product packaging. This gives consumers an opportunity to look into the details of the testing and evaluation process.

How does it work?

Clean Label Project purchases products at retail, tests, and benchmarks the product test results. If the product is enrolled in the Clean Label Project Transparency Project, Clean Label Project works with the brand on a mutually agreeable tracking system. The product’s unique identification number (such as a lot number) and test results are uploaded to the Clean Label Transparency Project website. Consumers can access the tracking number on the Clean Label Project website to see the details of the testing and the test results.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and identification/tracking system ideas.

STEP 2 Sampling

After the product scope is identified, Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America.

STEP 3 Testing

After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The scope of testing for Clean Label Project: Purity Award Code of Practices varies depending on the product type. The testing process can take up to 3 weeks.

STEP 4 Benchmarking

Upon completion of the testing, benchmarking is next. The test results for your product are compared to the test results of product category. If your product test results are in the top 33% of the category, in addition to other supporting compliance requirements, you qualify for the Clean Label Project Purity Award and your test results qualify to be used on the Clean Label Transparency Project website.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing superiority. Many brands elect to test and post each product lot to ensure consistency in product packaging. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

HOW DOES IT WORK

First 1,000 Day Promise Certification

The World Health Organization says that the first 1,000 days of life are critically important to long term health and wellness. It is the window of opportunity when optimum brain and immune system development are formed. These first 1,000 days begin at pregnancy through the age of two. While there continues to be advocacy and regulatory calls to action for the quality and safety of baby food, the narrative has yet to expand to discuss the inextricable link between the health of a mother and her child. Clean Label Project's First 1,000 Day Promise standard is the first of its kind to utilize elements of European baby food regulations to set maximum contaminant thresholds for food, supplements, and other consumer products targeting pregnant women, infants, lactating mothers, and children.

How does it work?

Clean Label Project requires that brands do their own routine testing in addition to Clean Label Project’s consumer chain of custody sampling and testing. If the brand has the required food safety best practices coupled with compliant test results and nutritional formulation, the product can be certified to the First 1,000 Day Promise standard.

STEP 1 Contact with Clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand and product portfolio.

STEP 2 Documentation Review

The First 1,000 Day Promise standard requires food safety best practices including routine internal testing, supplier assurance program, detailed product specifications, nutritional requirements, certification to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) or other food safety certification programs and more. This documentation must be received and reviewed prior to certification.

STEP 3 Sampling and Testing

Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America. After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The testing and evaluation process can vary depending on the product type. The testing process can take up to 4 weeks.

STEP 4 Evaluation

Upon completion of the review, certification compliance will be determined. Any deficiencies must be responded to prior to receiving certification.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing superiority. Clean Label Project will continue to use its consumer chain of custody sampling and testing process to perform unannounced sampling and testing. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Natural Wine Certification

Within the wine industry, there has been an emergence of private environmental standards, self-affirmed 'natural' claims, as well as the French Ministry for Agriculture and the French Fraud Control Office’s new 'vin méthode nature'. In all cases, there is a desire to get back to more simplistic wine production. Using more art and flexibility with what nature yields as opposed to additives and chemicals to achieve a desired flavor profile match. Clean Label Project Natural certification provides two levels of certification for wine brands electing to have a third party evaluation of 'natural.' Clean Label Project Natural Wine Certification captures traditional natural wine best practices including but not limited to the exclusive use of organic grapes, indigenous yeasts, and minimal additives. Clean Label Project Natural Path Certification utilizes elements of traditional natural wine production while allowing for some modern wine production techniques including but not limited to the exclusive use of certified organic or Clean Label Project Pesticide- Free certified grapes, allowance of minimal cultured bacteria, and minimal use of added sulfites for shelf-life.

How does it work?

Consistent with other Clean Label Project Codes of Practice, Natural Wine Certification follows many of Clean Label Project’s consumer focused best-practices including unannounced sampling, unannounced testing, and unique to this program, unannounced audits. The Clean Label Project Code of Practice: Natural Wine requires brands to proactively disclose which level of certification they are seeking for each product- Natural or Natural Path. This dictates the unique requirements and given the use of affidavits for some compliance parameters, Clean Label Project utilizes the element of surprise in the form of unannounced audits to ensure that brands stay true to Clean Label Project Code of Practice Natural Wine requirements.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project and its Technical Administrator to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and current quality assurance and control initiatives.

STEP 2 Compliance Evaluation

After the product scope is identified, the Clean Label Project Technical Administrator will review the responses to the Clean Label Project Code of Practice: Natural Wine application and supporting documentation. After satisfactory review, the Technical Administrator will grant preliminary certification.

STEP 3 Unannounced sampling and testing

When products are released into the marketplace, the Clean Label Project Technical Administrator will use unannounced sampling and testing to confirm that the brand continues to comply with the Natural Wine Code of Practice.

STEP 4 Unannounced Audits

Part of the application process is to disclose when the Natural Wine products are scheduled to be produced. The Clean Label Project Technical Administrator will conduct an unannounced audit to confirm that what was represented on paper during the application and compliance evaluation process is what is truly done in practice. Upon satisfactory completion of unannounced sampling, testing, and the unannounced audit, annual certification is granted.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with brands on the marketing of certification to both consumers and retailers. If a brand elects to add additional products to its portfolio, they will be reviewed for compliance. The Clean Label Project Code of Practice: Natural Wine Certification is an annual certification process.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Pesticide Free Certification

From the belief that neonicotinoids are the culprit behind Colony Collapse Disorder to the active ingredient in Round-Up, glyphosate, being linked to cancer, consumers are increasingly concerned over the environmental and public health risks associated with pesticides. While certified organic goes a long way to reduce the chemical load used in agriculture, the fact that over 99% of domestic farmland is treated as conventional agriculture means that because of birds, bees, water, and wind contamination of organic farmland can and does occur. Market opportunities exist for growers, suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers looking to curate products and systems that actively commit to reducing reliance on pesticides in order to meet evolving consumer expectations and concerns.

How does it work?

Consistent with other Clean Label Project Codes of Practice, this Pesticide-Free Code of Practice looks to minimize direct consumer exposure to residual pesticides. While laws and tolerances exist around specific maximum pesticide levels on a variety of commodity crops, consumers ultimately want to reduce or eliminate, where possible, their and their family’s direct exposure and consumption of these chemicals. To that end, Clean Label Project Code of Practice: Pesticide-free identifies the most commonly used pesticides for different commodity crops and then samples and tests products seeking compliance to this Code of Practice to ensure the absence of these chemicals in the finished product.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and current quality assurance and control initiatives.

STEP 2 Sampling

After the product scope is identified, Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America.

STEP 3 Testing

After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The scope of testing for Clean Label Project: Pesticide-Free evaluates product for over 300 of the most commonly used pesticides. This includes glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up that has been linked to non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The testing process can take up to 3 weeks.

STEP 4 Analysis

Upon completion of the testing, Clean Label Project schedules a call with the testing laboratory and the brand. The test results are shared and discussed. Products that yield test results that are non-detect, in addition to other supporting compliance requirements, qualify for Clean Label Project Pesticide-Free certification.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing compliance. It’s about making sure that the brand continues to maintain their internal quality assurance and control programs. Clean Label Project will continue to use its consumer chain of custody sampling and testing process to perform unannounced sampling and testing. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Purity Award

Let’s face it, marketing departments do an effective job at selling comfort and security. The Clean Label Project Purity Award evaluates products for substances that would never be found on a product label. These substances include chemicals of concern and industrial and environmental toxins and contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers) that have the long-term potential to adversely affect health and well-being. Clean Label Project uses benchmarked data to compare individual product test results to the test results of the best-selling products in the same product category. In the process, we reveal to brands how their ingredient supply chain and quality assurance systems fare compared to industry leaders. We reveal to consumers what brands are taking the extra steps to minimize consumer exposure to known chemicals of concern.

How does it work?

Clean Label Project purchases products at retail, tests them for purity (chemicals of concern including heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers), and benchmarks the results. If the product is found to be among the top-performing in a given category, it qualifies for the Clean Label Project Purity Award.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and current quality assurance and control initiatives. Remember, Clean Label Project awards require benchmarked data. In other words, not all food and consumer product categories may currently qualify.

STEP 2 Sampling

After the product scope is identified, Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America.

STEP 3 Testing

After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The scope of testing for Clean Label Project: Purity Award varies depending on the product category. Testing typically includes heavy metals (Total Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury), over 300 of the most commonly used pesticides, including glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up that has been linked to non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and plasticizers (including BPA, BPS, phthalates), and other chemicals of concern. The testing process can take up to 3 weeks.

STEP 4 Benchmarking

Upon completion of the testing, benchmarking is next. The test results for your product are compared to the test results of product category. If your product’s overall test results are in the top 33% of the category, in addition to other supporting compliance requirements, you qualify for the Clean Label Project Purity Award.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing compliance. It’s about making sure that the brand continues to maintain their internal quality assurance and control programs. Clean Label Project will continue to use its consumer chain of custody sampling and testing process to perform unannounced sampling and testing. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK

THC Free Award

When it comes to CBD, consumers are looking for the assistance it can provide with anxiety, pain, and insominia. Consumers aren't looking for the psychoactive component (THC) that is found in marijuana that creates a high. That's why Clean Label Project created it's THC Free certification program for CBD products. So high quality brands can reassure concerned consumers that they are putting the necessary quality control and assurances in place to stay true to their THC Free promise.

How does it work?

Clean Label Project purchases products at retail and tests CBD product down to 0.05% THC. Products that meet Clean Label Project’s strict testing and labeling requirements, are permitted to use the Clean Label Project THC-Free certification logo.

STEP 1 Contact with clean Label Project

Reach out to Clean Label Project to get a non-disclosure agreement and application materials. We’ll schedule a call to discuss your brand, product portfolio, and current quality assurance and control initiatives.

STEP 2 Sampling

After the product scope is identified, Clean Label Project will use it’s Consumer Chain of Custody Sampling Process. Clean Label Project simulates the consumer shopping experience, by purchasing samples from local co-ops, national retailers, and brand websites. This independent approach to sampling is meant to mirror the consumer shopping experience and evaluate the true contents of what’s in refrigerators, drawers, and pantries across America.

STEP 3 Testing

After the products are purchased at retail, Clean Label Project submits the samples to one of it’s ISO-accredited analytical chemistry partner laboratories. The testing process can take up to 3 weeks.

STEP 4 Analysis

Upon completion of the testing, Clean Label Project schedules a call with the testing laboratory and the brand. The test results are shared and discussed. Products that yield test results that are non-detect for THC down to 0.05%, in addition to other supporting compliance requirements, qualify for Clean Label Project THC-Free Certification.

STEP 5 Ongoing Compliance

Clean Label Project will work with you on the marketing of your award to both consumers and retailers. However, keep in mind, a single test point is not enough to demonstrate ongoing compliance. It’s about making sure that the brand continues to maintain their internal quality assurance and control programs. Clean Label Project will continue to use its consumer chain of custody sampling and testing process to perform unannounced sampling and testing. The expectation is that you maintain the same ingredient quality assurance requirements to maintain these high standards.

If a product is found to be non-compliant, adverse action policies are outlined in the applicable Clean Label Project Code of Practice.

HOW DOES IT WORK
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