Nine months ago, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families asked the top ten retailers to remove one hundred hazardous chemicals from their store shelves. After months of communications from this organization as well as consumer pressure, last week Target announced their first step in the Mind the Store challenge.

Target now has a new “Sustainable Products Standard.”

I think it’s great that Target is starting to look at toxic chemicals in the products they sell. They have identified authoritative lists of chemicals of concern and will give a product ZERO points in their rating system “if they have one or more ingredients on one of the designated hazard lists…A product can receive a maximum of 50 points if they have no ingredients on the hazard lists.”

So can you now assume that all products sold by Target are or will be safe?

Not yet.

First, their rating system only covers a limited list of toxic chemicals. The worst ones, to be sure, but there are still others not addressed.

And I agree with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families that Target should make their ratings for each product known to consumers, so we can tell which products on their shelves are the safest.

Meanwhile, you can shop at Debra’s List, knowing I’ve listed only the safest products I can find.