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AnnouncementAugust 11, 2016


The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) announces that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the USDA will co-host a roundtable October 20 to better understand how consumers perceive "organic" claims for non-agricultural products.
Roundtable: Perceptions of Non-Agricultural "Organic" Claims 
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will co-host a roundtable in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20, 2016, to help the agencies better understand how consumers perceive "organic" claims for non-agricultural products, such as personal care products.

At the roundtable, invited panelists, including consumer advocates, industry representatives, and academics, will discuss the following topics:
  • Consumers' interpretations of "organic" claims for products and services that generally fall outside the scope of the AMS's National Organic Program;
  •  A recent FTC-USDA study on organic claims, including its methods, limitations and conclusions; and
  • Approaches to address potential deception, including consumer education.
The roundtable is open to the public, and the FTC welcomes written comments, including further evidence of consumer perception. Interested parties may file a comment at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/organicroundtable.  
 
Paper comments may be mailed to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Suite CC-5610 (Annex B), Washington, DC 20580, or they may be delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 400 7th Street SW, 5th Floor, Suite 5610 (Annex B), Washington, DC 20024.

Commenters should write "Green Guides - Organic Roundtable, Project No. P954501" on their submission. The public comment period will remain open until Dec. 1, 2016. Comments will be posted on the roundtable's public webpage.
 
The roundtable is free and open to the public. It will be held at the FTC's Constitution Center Building, 400 7th St., SW, Washington, DC 20024. The Commission will publish a detailed agenda at a later date
About the Agricultural Marketing Service
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) facilitates the competitive and efficient marketing of agricultural products. Through its National Organic Program, AMS facilitates trade and ensures the integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations throughout the world.
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