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Natural Products
Let’s work together
Whether you are reformulating, , responding to retailer standards, or aligning with “natural” expectations across food, personal care, and home & industrial cleaning, our teams can help. We work with you to identify products that meet our Natural characteristic, review supplier evidence, and connect that information to your regulatory, brand, and sustainability goals.
Why do natural products matter?
“Natural” is one of the most visible consumer-facing labels in the market. Consumers in certain industries expect recognisable, naturally sourced ingredients with minimal processing and a clear separation from purely synthetic or fossil-based materials.
In food, “natural” may include ingredients derived from natural sources with little or no change to their composition. In personal care and home & industrial cleaning, some limited chemical modification may be allowed, and products at lower natural content thresholds can also qualify.
What it means
In our Sustainable & Natural Product framework, Natural products focus on where the material comes from and how it is processed. Most are made from natural feedstocks, plants, animals, microbes, or minerals. They are then minimally processed using physical methods or fermentation, without relying on fossil-based inputs for the natural content of the product.
Natural products contain 100% natural content. In some personal care and cleaning applications, products with natural or derived natural content of more than 50% may also qualify. This applies where the assessment aligns with recognised “derived natural” indices such as those in ISO 16128.
Our Natural characteristic provides a structured way to understand feedstock origin and processing in line with recognised standards. It is a classification we use to help customers screen and compare products and is not intended to meet a specific legal definition, guide finished product labelling, or replace regulatory or retailer requirements.
How it works
We determine natural status at the product level based on supplier documentation. Where available, we consider Natural Index or Natural Origin Index values and similar metrics aligned with ISO 16128. When no Natural Index or Natural Origin Index is available, we consider documentation related to product origin and processing methods. The result is practical information that helps you screen and compare options and support your own evidence-based claim decisions.
Our assessment is based on information provided by suppliers; we do not independently verify all data or calculations.
Criteria and Standards
We consider:
- Definitions of natural and derived natural ingredients in standards such as ISO 16128
- Category-specific expectations in food, personal care and home & industrial cleaning
- Thresholds for natural or derived natural content
- Certifications that describe origin and processing
Supporting Documentation
- Supplier statements on naturality and feedstock origin
- Data sheets showing ingredient composition and origin
- Natural or derived natural indices where available
- Relevant natural / organic certifications for specific markets
Let's Work Together
Whether you are reformulating cleaner labels, responding to retailer standards, or aligning with “natural” expectations across food, personal care, and home & industrial cleaning, our teams can help. We work with you to identify products that meet our Natural characteristic, and provide that information to your regulatory, brand, and sustainability goals.
Explore our Sustainable & Natural product framework
Natural is one of the characteristics in the Univar Solutions Sustainable & Natural Product (SNP) framework, alongside Bio-Based, Carbon Footprinting, Safer Substitutes, Biodegradable and/or Compostable, Circularity -, Social Impact Accreditation, and Environmental Accreditation. Together, they help you build a clearer view of product-level sustainability attributes and trade-offs.
Explore our accredited products
Looking for natural ingredients for a specific application or market? Browse our SNP-classified natural products and see how they can support your performance targets and your regulatory, labelling, and brand goals around “natural” positioning.
NOTICE: All product information is provided in good faith and is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication based on information received from the supplier and secondary databases. However, Univar Solutions is not able to verify whether third-party data is accurate, complete, and up-to-date and assumes no responsibility, obligation, or liability for the information provided. NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN AND ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SUCH AS THOSE OF MERCHANTABILTIY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED. Customer is solely responsible for determining whether products and/or the information provided are appropriate for Customer’s use, and Customer assumes all risk and liability in acting on the information provided.
Our Suppliers also sign our Supplier Code of Conduct so you can be assured that we are working throughout our supply chain to transparently create our Sustainable & Natural Products Portfolio.
