From PFAS to petrochemicals, the number of toxins we're exposed to everyday is staggering, both from environmental and human health perspectives. Like you, we do our best to choose products across categories (food, personal care, paper products, etc) that avoid toxic chemicals in their ingredient formulations and production processes or that test for contaminants.
Hive is here to help reduce your mental load so that you can feel good about what you’re buying without needing to do lots of work and research.
We do that through our Hive Five Certification.
Our goal is to help you feel informed about the choices you’re making for yourself and your family.
Let’s get started.
Ingredient lists are… complicated
In the U.S., nearly 4,000 substances can be added to food to improve food safety and appeal. The many uses of food additives include antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, enzymes, nutrient supplements, pH regulators, preservatives, stabilizers, and texturizers. Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) ingredients can be used freely, but other additives must meet FDA safety standards and comply with use limitations. While the idea of adding substances to food can sound scary, many of these additives are found in nature and have been used in food throughout human history, including the world’s original food additive—salt. Other naturally-occurring examples include carrageenan, a vegan gelatin alternative that comes from Irish moss seaweed and has been used for centuries in Ireland, or tocopherol, a form of Vitamin E found in nuts, seeds, and leafy vegetables, that reduces oxidation and rancidity.
While the majority of food additives are derived from plants and minerals, other substances have only recently been synthesized as a result of modern chemistry, like the artificial sweetener saccharin which is derived from coal tar. Although the FDA maintains that its 4,000 approved substances are safe in the ways and concentrations in which they will be used, the E.U. takes a much more precautionary approach and only allows about 400 food additives. Also, as scientific research improves, safety standards can and do change, which has led to the ban or phase-out of many additives that were previously deemed safe. One recent reversal is the artificial flavor benzophenone, a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compound that was banned as a food additive as of 2020 but is still allowed in personal care products.
Personal care and cleaning products are even more complex than food, with 3,500 possible chemicals in fragrance alone. Additionally, over 16,000 chemicals including phthalates, bisphenols, and PFAS are used in plastic production for hard goods and packaging. Some of these chemicals are easily identifiable on the label, but many are not - leaving hidden toxins and a lot of guesswork and misinformation.
How the Hive Five addresses Chemicals
Ingredient safety depends on how products are meant to be used. Across all categories, Hive prohibits carcinogens, developmental and neurological toxicants, and persistent and bioaccumulative environmental contaminants. We ban over 3,000 harmful additives on our No Good, Dirty Rotten List.
We feature information about chemicals across three areas of the Hive Five: Ingredient Integrity, Responsible Production, and Clean Packaging. We include this information when relevant in these Hive Five sections of a product page, as well as the ingredient and allergy warnings.
Ingredient Integrity
We ban over 3,000 harmful ingredients on our No Good, Dirty Rotten List.
If a product contains these products, it is not allowed on Hive - period.
For consumable products, Hive allows additives that meet the high safety and sustainability standards of the USDA Organic National List. For personal care, we follow the E.U Regulation on Cosmetic Products and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. For household products like cleaning and hard goods, we look to the E.U. REACH Regulation Chemsec SIN List and Toxic-Free Future.
We “watch” 75+ ingredients that are potential allergens.
If a product contains anything on our watch list, you will see that in the allergen section on a product’s page. If it does not, we call out that it does not contain any watch list ingredients in the Ingredient Integrity section of the Hive Five.
We prioritize brands that are validated by certifications we trust and we highlight products that choose ingredients that are safer alternatives to our banned ingredient list:
| Food, Beverage, & Wellness | Personal Care | Home & Cleaning | Hard Goods + Packaging | |
| Hive Requirement | Food & Beverage: Only additives allowed by the USDA Organic National List Wellness: Compliance with European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) | No ingredients prohibited by the E.U. Regulation on Cosmetic Products or Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (Tier 1 Red List) | No chemicals from the E.U. Reach Chemsec SIN List or Toxic-Free Future | No chemicals from the E.U. Reach Chemsec SIN List or Toxic-Free Future |
| Preferred Certs | USDA Organic, Demeter Biodynamic, Regenerative Organic (ROC) | Made Safe, EWG Verified, ECOLOGO ULE 2845, USDA Organic, EcoCert COSMOS | Made Safe, EWG Verified, ECOLOGO UL 2700, EPA Safer Choice | BPA-Free, GOTS (Organic), OEKO-TEX Standard 100, BPI Biodegradable, OK Compost |
As always, we highlight products that choose ingredients that are organic, Regenerative, Demeter Biodynamic or similar, because these certifications include bans against toxic chemicals, which means they’re better for you and the soil they’re grown in.
Responsible Production
We prioritize safer and more sustainable production methods that minimize chemical use, protect worker and consumer health, and reduce environmental impact. Our brand partners work with manufacturing facilities that comply with safety and quality protocols like Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Especially risky geographies also require social compliance mechanisms like the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) for safer working conditions and environmental standards. To ensure that products do not contain harmful contaminants like pesticide residues, environmental contaminants (such as mycotoxins or heavy metals), or industrial chemicals, we look to the rigorous certification standards of the Clean Label Project, MADE SAFE, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
In contrast to direct additives that appear on ingredient lists, secondary additives may be used during the production process to transform raw ingredients into finished products. Because these processing aids are not meant to be in the final product, they do not appear on ingredient lists, but residues may remain. That’s why we prioritize certifications like USDA Organic and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) that restrict harmful chemicals not only in the field but also in processing facilities. Under these standards, rather than chemical-intensive techniques that can leave behind harmful residues and strip ingredients of beneficial nutrients, brands utilize naturally-occurring processing aids or mechanical processing methods to create their products. Natural processing aids include diatomaceous earth to filter impurities and contaminants and calcium carbonate to adjust pH. Mechanical methods include cold-pressing oils, stone-milling grains, and sun-drying fruits.
Below are a few examples of commonly-used chemical processing methods and their organic alternatives.
| Category | Chemical Processing Methods | Organic & Mechanical Processing Methods |
| Oils | Chemical solvents like hexane, a highly flammable and hazardous air pollutant, are used to “wash” oils from seeds, nuts, and other crops. Although the oil is heated to burn off the solvent, residues often remain. Further chemical refining to remove impurities and improve shelf life also strips away nutrients. | Cold-pressing and expeller-pressing are solvent-free methods of mechanically extracting oil using a press. Cold-pressed oil like extra virgin and virgin oils maintain more nutrients and flavor due to the absence of high heat and refining. Vacuum-steam distillation is a chemical-free method of refining vegetable oil to improve stability. |
| Field Crops: -Grains -Legumes -Oilseeds -Roots & Tubers | Harvest-aid chemicals are used to defoliate and “dry down” crops to make harvesting them easier. These toxic herbicides include diquat and paraquat, both of which are banned in the E.U., as well as glyphosate. Highly-toxic fumigants like phosphine are then sprayed onto crops to protect them from pests during storage. | Swathing (or wind-rowing) crops involves cutting them and allowing them to naturally dry in the field before harvest. During storage, carbon dioxide is used to protect against pests. |
| Dried Fruits | Sulfites are used in food processing as a bleaching agent and preservative, particularly in dried fruits, but can cause allergic reactions and deplete nutrients. | Natural preservatives such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid are safer alternatives for preserving color and extending shelf life in food products. For bleaching, alternative methods such as steam blanching or the use of natural enzymes can be employed. |
| All-purpose Flour & Baked Goods | Chemical bleaching agents like azodicarbonamide are used to make ultra-white all-purpose flour. Oxidizing agents like potassium bromate are used to improve the texture of baked goods. Both are banned in the E.U. for potential carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. | Unbleached flour is whitened and aged naturally, by exposure to the air. |
| Fiber & Paper products | The chemical processing of bamboo fibers often involves the use of lye and carbon disulfide (CS2), which are highly corrosive and can pollute the environment and endanger worker health. Chlorine bleach is used to whiten toilet paper, diapers, and other fiber products, leaving behind residues that can affect the body’s pH levels as well as toxic byproducts like dioxins, a likely human carcinogen and “persistent, bio accumulative, and toxic chemical.” | Bamboo lyocell is produced using a closed-loop process where non-toxic solvents are used to dissolve cellulose and then are almost entirely recovered and reused, minimizing environmental impact and reducing health risks. Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) products rely on safer derivatives like chlorine dioxide to whiten fibers, while Total Chlorine Free (TCF) products do not use any whiteners and are instead steam processed and purified. |
Clean Packaging
We prioritize plastic-free packaging whenever possible and make it easy to shop for 100% plastic-free packaging with our “Plastic-Free” tag. Our preferences are for recycled glass, paper, and aluminum/steel, and we never allow these to be covered in plastic shrink labels or plastic lamination, which affects their recyclability. However, a lot of packaging contains hidden plastic, such as jar lids, freshness seals, and can linings, so we make that clear on our site with our “Plastic Minimal” tag and require these components to be BPA-free. We also look for innovative packaging solutions that are home compostable or certified industrially compostable to meet ASTM D6400 standards, meaning they break down into non-toxic, soil-friendly materials and are free of “forever chemicals”.
If products are only available in plastic packaging, we prioritize post-consumer recycled PET #1 and HDPE #2, both of which are widely curbside recyclable and made without BPA. HDPE is a particularly inert and stable plastic, making it less likely to shed microplastics or leach harmful chemicals. For products like snacks that are often packaged in plastic bags and pouches, we look for single-material LDPE #4, which is not made with BPA and is regarded as a safer and more stable flexible film. Our brand partners who do use plastic often commit to Plastic Neutral certification by removing and recycling plastic from the environment.
For household goods like reusable containers and kitchen supplies, we continue to prioritize plastic-free materials such as stainless steel, bamboo, and food-grade silicone, an extremely inert material that doesn’t contain plasticizers. All of our home goods are made without PFAS (“forever chemicals” used in nonstick cookware and microwave popcorn bags), BPA, PVC, and plasticizers like phthalates. Bioplastics like PLA and PBAT must be certified industrially compostable under ASTM D6400 standards.
Common QuestionsI want to avoid harmful chemicals as much as possible for myself or my family. How do I do that?
First, know that our No Good, Dirty Rotten list doesn’t allow for over 3,000 harmful chemicals - so anything you choose from Hive is a safer alternative.
Look for brands on Hive that:
- Choose ingredients that are certified Organic, Regenerative, Demeter Biodynamic or similar. Each of these certifications is tagged on the relevant products, so you can search for them easily.
- Choose products that are plastic-free or plastic minimal - and BPA free at a minimum. Or select compostable or biodegradable options.
- Feature certifications like MadeSAFE, the Clean Label Project, EWG, and EPA Safer Choice. All the products that carry these certifications are tagged with them, so you can easily search for them on the site.
You can take it a step further and avoid anything that contains a “watch list” ingredient - which may cause allergens. Nearly all of the products on Hive are free of “watch list” ingredients, but you can always check the allergen section for particular sensitivities.
If you have more questions or would like some help choosing products, please reach out to our Customer Care team.
What is a Proposition 65 Warning and does that mean the product isn’t safe?
California’s Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is a California law that requires businesses to warn Californians about exposure to chemicals that may cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm and prohibits businesses from releasing large amounts of these chemicals into drinking water sources.
You may notice a Prop 65 warning on some products across Hive’s site. The warning means the product contains a contaminant, like a naturally occurring heavy metal such as lead or cadmium, above the “safe harbor” threshold allowed by the State of California. These levels are 1,000 times lower than a level that has been shown to cause harm and the warnings are not an indication that a product is unsafe, but rather a tool to help consumers be aware of potential risks. Notably, you would see the same warning on a bag of potato chips that you would see on life-saving but highly toxic drugs like chemotherapy.
Our Promise to you
As standards and science change, so too will our requirements for the Hive Five. We will continually update our standards to match the latest findings. Over the coming months we will be introducing deeper dives into each category with helpful information on how to choose the brands and products that are right for you.
Status as of 9/19/24
Complete:
Our standards are complete and have been uploaded to hivebrands.com. Any item that did not meet our new standards (there were only a few!) has been discontinued.
All of our product pages to reflect the above information based on information provided by our makers. The team will continue to follow up with makers directly for additional details.