Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

As many of you know, I have fought for years against the creeping corporate takeover of indie and microbusinesses. Just search on this blog for IFRA, EU, FDA Globalization Act and government. The future of our businesses is in immediate danger. I am horrified that several organizations that represent indie and microbusinesses are in lockstep with the FDA and tweeting and blogging about their 'victories" with legislators, either blinded or too blind to see the horrible demise in store for our businesses - they should be fighting the FDA, not kowtowing to it, giddy with "making progress". They're not, they're being fooled. Please everyone - don't be the frog in the pot of cool water who never feels the heat being turned up until it is too late and he's cooked. Read this following speech, given at the International Herb Symposium by Stephen Buhner and pass it around, and more importantly, ask those who are all puffed up and happy that the FDA and legisla

You can't move forward in fear. You must be motivated and feel you have some power, some ability to change things, or effect a different outcome. The following blog is meant to erase fear and replace it with a sense of being awake and aware at the forces that shape our artful industry. What is all means to me: I don't want any more government regulations that can limit my ability to conduct a safe, environmentally-friendly small business. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you have a small USA-based business that manufactures perfume, aromatherapy or body care products such as lotions, body butters, soaps (soaps with a claim of moisturizing or some other attribute beyond cleaning) and related products, the Federal Drug Administration's Global Harmonization Act of 2009 (FDAGA2009), currently in committee, but fast moving towards a vote into law, can pose problematic to you continuing your business. The requirements for testing, paperwork and personnel ar

From the Farm Stand to the Farmers Market - if you make food or cosmetics, the FDA wants to change your way of life I've been putting these mini updates on Twitter and Facebook to the neglect of my blog. I'm going to start posting them here, too. Spread the word, and look for a more in-depth post in a few days. 1. The way the FDAGA2009 is written - it reads like there are no fees now, but they can set fees in a year or two. At their discretion. 2. The FDAGA2009 revised - allows an exemption for foodie small businesses (to be given special consideration because they are a small business) but NO exemption for cosmetic small businesses! Big trouble looming. More later. 3. T he FDAGA09 will allow the FDA to force registration of farm kitchen goods for sale. Up til now, it was the USDA. TWO Federal agencies in your kitchen? All artisan, craft and indie associations we can find will be contacted about this. If you can spread the word to foodies - breadmakers, chocolatiers, folks wit

What the FDAGA 2009 will do to the American artisan food of cosmetic businessperson Do you make any body care or foodie product in the artisan manner? Artisan soap, artisan bread, artisan cheese, artisan perfume, etc? Don't let your guard down over the new "improved" Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 (FDAGA2009). Please bookmark the links I'm providing here, you'll need them if you are an artisan. Also subscribe to this blog and others who are updating our efforts to understand (and in my case, fight) the FDAGA2009. A big sigh of relief went out from many who had opposed the horrifying fees proposed in the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2008 were eliminated from the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009. I agree, dropping the fee was a great act. I called Donna Maria of the Indie Beauty Network in early June of 2008, alarmed. I had blogged about it the month before, and knew it was trouble, but couldn't figure out just what the trouble was. Don

Click here to read or download a copy of HR 759, the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 The FDA Globalization Act of 2008, which died in committee in December was expected to be introduced this year modified and it's here, much earlier than expected. On Tuesday I called Rep. Janet Schakowsky's office because it had been reported earlier that she might be the one to reintroduce the bill. Her rep said it was "unclear" at this time if she would. Well, the next day, in true DC confabulation, it was introduced by Rep. Charles Dingell (DemMI) (the original author of the 2008 bill) and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (DemNJ) as the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 HR 759. Until the bill is released on the internet today for close examination, a cursory look indicates that they may have backed off on the high fees and registration hurdles (more fees) that they were aiming at us, the little guys of the cosmetics industry. This is what is gleaned from the press release , but I'm holding of