Santos Organics Care Check

We only procure products that support the health of our community and Mother Earth. We only stock Australian grown organically certified fresh produce. We are proudly Accredited by Palm Oil Investigations, meaning we do not stock any products containing unsustainable or untraceable palm oil and/or palm oil derivatives. We also do not stock any cosmetics or other personal care products that have been tested on animals. 

Our Ethics Research team ensures that every product is thoroughly checked and meets the criteria of our Santos Organics Care Check. 

One of the key components of our Care Check is our research into the ingredients of a product. We check for certified organic or certified biodynamic ingredients and if a product is not certified, then we check for any organically or biodynamically grown ingredients in the product and what percentage of the product contains these ingredients.

We then ask the supplier a number of questions about the ingredients, such as where they are sourced from, how they have been farmed or produced and where the product itself has been manufactured. 

If a product is not certified organic and contains ingredients that are imported from other countries, we ask whether those ingredients have been irradiated, fumigated or otherwise treated for pests or contamination upon entry into Australia. We do not stock any products or products containing ingredients that have been irradiated or fumigated upon entry. Organic Certification prohibits this form of treatment and only allows products to be steam or heat treated to eradicate any pests so with certified organic products we can be absolutely sure that it has not received any of these chemical treatments.

Similarly, Organic Certification prohibits the use of genetically modified processes or ingredients. Our preference is for a product to contain 100% or at least a high percentage of certified organic or biodynamic ingredients to ensure compliance with Australian or International Organic Certification standards so that we are able to guarantee that the products we stock are 100% GM free. 

Where a product is not certified organic and contains ingredients that are typically genetically modified, such as soy or corn, we ask further questions about the origins of these ingredients and request certification documentation confirming that they have not been genetically modified.

We also check the ingredients list for any chemicals, preservatives, additives, artificial colours or flavours as well as any food additive numbers to ensure that these have not been added to the products. There are a number of preservatives that are permitted under organic and biodynamic standards and for any products that are not certified, we thoroughly check and research the details and origins of any preservatives or added ingredients. 

Finally, we are Accredited with Palm Oil Investigations and this means that we do not stock any products containing untraceable palm or palm derived ingredients. For our products that contain palm oil or derivatives of palm (such as Dr Bronners, Eco Store, Britt’s Organic Bakery, Holle and products with palm oil from Daabon, Colombia), we can ensure that these ingredients can be traced right back to their source and that the palm oil has been farmed, harvested and manufactured sustainably. 

The palm oil industry is enormous and certainly one that has negative impacts on our planet. One approach we considered was to remove all products containing palm or palm derived ingredients and become completely “palm free”. However, in the end, we felt that it was more important to support palm oil plantations farming and harvesting palm oil sustainably and doing it “right” rather than boycotting palm oil altogether and potentially depleting alternative oil sources.

As with any aspect of our Santos Organics Care Check, we always welcome feedback from our lovely customers. If you have any questions, concerns or comments about our products or any ingredients in our products, please send us an email to ethics@santosorganics.com.au - we would love to hear from you! 

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