Essential oil sales and regulations-the future

[Guest guest]

I have posted something similar before, but in view of current

discussions I thought a few of you who sell essential oils as well as

herbs might be interested in some advice I gave a supplier in the UK.

 

As you know, the EEC are planning a whole raft of attacks on natural

medicines in all their forms. Due to the inept trade organisations

and the undemocratic EEC, these laws will go through with little

opposition.

 

In the UK it has been illegal since 1968 to make most medicinal claims

for essential oils in suppliers literature or web sites. 95 percent

of traders have pretty much complied with those regulations and a few

have built large businesses *without making any such claims*.

 

In the USA and Canada most traders have just ignored your legislation

and have got away with making preposterous medicinal claims. Now it

would seem there may be real attempts to expert existing controls as

well as introducing Draconian new ones.

 

Back to my point: I have always maintained that many of the laws

relating to essential oil sales are incorrectly applied. It is my

opinion that essential oils sold without any claims on their potential

uses are simply RAW MATERIALS. These raw materials can be reprocessed

by a huge variety of industries into thousands of products.

 

A supplier of essential oils who does not make claims on how those

oils can be used is only required to issue a material safety data

sheet. They should not need to comply with any legislation on

cosmetics, medicines or foods unless they produce such products using

essential oils themselves.

 

As with any supplier of raw materials, the legal obligation is on the

supplier to indicate known hazards and in what circumstances of use.

However, how a customer uses the raw materials is down to them. There

are of course many books around telling the public how these raw

materials may be used, but that is nothing to do with the supplier.

 

If those with web sites and literature start thinking about this well

in advance, they may stay out of trouble and be able to continue

supplying all of their raw materials. For those also selling ready

made products, it may be worth setting up a separate company to sell

them. That way at least you can prove your supply of *raw materials*

is separate to the supply of finished products.

 

I would not want to be seen to be advocating breaking the law, but

with such mad regulations on the horizon I think we need to consider

how they can be worked around and worked with. Sure you can ignore

the situation, but I think better to plan for the future.

 

Food for thought!

 

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com