Clean Label Project

Consumers want more than an ingredient list. They want to know what’s really in the products they bring into their homes—and brands that lead with transparency are finding new ways to prove their commitment to product purity.
Today, we’re sharing the story of IQ Bar—the challenge they faced, the steps they took to go beyond the status quo, and what happened when they put their commitment to the test.

Every Clean Label Project® certified product is tested and evaluated by an independent, third-party, ISO 17025-accredited laboratory for industrial and environmental contaminants, like pesticides, heavy metals, phthalates, and bisphenols.

Because what’s not on the ingredient list matters, too.

Swipe through to see the full story behind commitment to transparency and product purity.

Visit CleanLabelProject.org to learn more about certification and the brands that are setting a new standard.

Consumers want more than an ingredient list. They want to know what’s really in the products they bring into their homes—and brands that lead with transparency are finding new ways to prove their commitment to product purity.

Today, we’re sharing the story of —the challenge they faced, the steps they took to go beyond the status quo, and what happened when they put their commitment to the test.

Every Clean Label Project® certified product is tested and evaluated by an independent, third-party, ISO 17025-accredited laboratory for industrial and environmental contaminants, like pesticides, heavy metals, phthalates, and bisphenols.

Because what’s not on the ingredient list matters, too.

Swipe through to see the full story behind commitment to transparency and product purity.

Visit CleanLabelProject.org to learn more about certification and the brands that are setting a new standard.

“Why does one lab find contaminants and another doesn’t?”

Two labs can test the same product and report different results. The difference often comes down to four key factors:

- Laboratory accreditation: Is the lab ISO/IEC 17025-accredited for the methods and product categories being tested?
- Detection limits: How low can the laboratory reliably detect and quantify a contaminant?
- Equipment and methods: What analytical equipment and testing methods are being used?
- How results are evaluated: Are contaminant levels assessed based on the amount detected per serving, rather than simply whether a contaminant was detected?

Every Clean Label Project® certified product is tested and evaluated by a third-party, ISO 17025-accredited lab.

We’ll break down each of the four over the next few weeks.

"Why does one lab find contaminants and another doesn't?"

Two labs can test the same product and report different results. The difference often comes down to four key factors:

- Laboratory accreditation: Is the lab ISO/IEC 17025-accredited for the methods and product categories being tested?
- Detection limits: How low can the laboratory reliably detect and quantify a contaminant?
- Equipment and methods: What analytical equipment and testing methods are being used?
- How results are evaluated: Are contaminant levels assessed based on the amount detected per serving, rather than simply whether a contaminant was detected?

Every Clean Label Project® certified product is tested and evaluated by a third-party, ISO 17025-accredited lab.

We'll break down each of the four over the next few weeks.

We tested 57 top-selling coffees. After 7,000+ laboratory tests, one pattern was hard to miss:
☕ Medium roasts showed the highest contaminant levels in our testing. Dark and light roasts generally tested lower for acrylamide.
The label alone doesn't tell you everything about what may be in your cup. The 16 coffees that rose to the top are on our website.

We tested 57 top-selling coffees. After 7,000+ laboratory tests, one pattern was hard to miss:
☕ Medium roasts showed the highest contaminant levels in our testing. Dark and light roasts generally tested lower for acrylamide.
The label alone doesn’t tell you everything about what may be in your cup. The 16 coffees that rose to the top are on our website.

Certification isn't a one-time stamp. Clean Label Project® certification is an annual process. To continue using the mark, certified products must undergo testing and evaluation every year.
This month, Holle USA completed annual testing and once again met the criteria for certification across a number of products.
Annual renewal means a product isn't tested once and certified forever. Certified products are tested and evaluated each year to help ensure they continue to meet our standards.

Certification isn’t a one-time stamp. Clean Label Project® certification is an annual process. To continue using the mark, certified products must undergo testing and evaluation every year.
This month, completed annual testing and once again met the criteria for certification across a number of products.
Annual renewal means a product isn’t tested once and certified forever. Certified products are tested and evaluated each year to help ensure they continue to meet our standards.

Decode a testing term: finished-product testing.

A lot of "tested for safety" claims happen upstream — an ingredient gets checked before it's ever mixed, cooked, and packaged. That's useful, but it isn't the whole story. Contaminants can come from anywhere along the way: soil, water, processing equipment, packaging.

Finished-product testing means testing the actual item that ends up in your cart — the same package, off the shelf, just as consumers buy it. That's what we do at Clean Label Project, and it's why our results reflect what you're actually buying, not what a supplier shipped six steps earlier.

Next time you see "we test our ingredients," a fair question is: do you also test the finished product?

Don't get discouraged. Get involved.

Demand transparency from the brands you buy and urge your members of Congress to pass new laws that protect consumers from toxic pesticides.