The event should 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 USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program;
• A recent FTC-USDA study on organic claims, including its methods, limitations and conclusions;
• Approaches to address potential deception, including consumer education.

To facilitate in-depth discussion, the panels will focus on evidence circulated to the panelists before the roundtable. Audience members may ask questions, if time allows.