USDA Organic Certification

Anyone who has been inside a supermarket in recent years has seen multiple examples of products labeled as organic. Marketing data shows an increased interest in caring for the environment among consumers, paralleled with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and making more informed purchases when it comes to their food. This growing trend has led to an increased interest among producers seeking to sell, label or represent their products as organic through organic certification.

Maybe you are one of them, so let's introduce you to the topic of Organic Certification.

WHAT IS ORGANIC?

It is a labeling term that indicates a food or agricultural product has been produced under cultural, biological and mechanical practices that encourage the recycling of resources, conserve biodiversity and help promote ecological balance. For a product to be labeled as Organic, farms and their associated handling facilities may not use synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering in any of their products related production processes.

WHAT IS ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?

It’s simply the verification of whether or not a farm or handling facility complies with the USDA organic regulations. The certification process itself can be performed by a private, foreign or State entity that has been accredited by the USDA.

It is important to mention that there are four labeling categories for organic products, which are described as follows:

100 Percent Organic

• Products must be made up of 100% ingredients and processing aids certified as organic.
• The label must include the name of the certifying agent.
• The label may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the 100% organic claim.

Organic

• All ingredients must be certified organic unless specifically allowed per the National List.
• Products can’t exceed a combined total of 5% of allowed nonorganic content (excluding salt and water)
• The label must include the name of the certifying agent.
• The label may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the organic claim.

Made with organic

• At least 70% of the product must be certified organic ingredients (excluding salt and water).
• The final product cannot be represented as organic.
• The organic seal cannot be used on the product.
• Any remaining ingredients are not required to be organically produced but must be produced without excluded methods (genetic engineering).
• All non-agricultural products must be allowed on the National List.

Specific organic ingredients

• Products with less than 70% certified organic content don’t need to be certified.
• Products can be any combination of organic and non-organic ingredients
• Products cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the word organic on the principal display panel.
• Can list certified organic ingredients in the ingredient list and the percentage of organic ingredients.

Based on the above descriptions, you can determine the proper category for your products and choose the type of certification you need. We can help guide you in case you need more information.

HOW TO OBTAIN AN ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?

While farms or handling facilities may differ based on each specific operation type and their individual characteristics, organic certifications address all practices of the farming or handling systems, such as tilling, grazing, harvesting, storing, and transporting.

If you are interested in becoming a certified organic producer, follow the steps as outlined below:

Develop an organic system plan

Basically, the plan will consist of a detailed description of the operation to be certified. The plan must specify approved substances used during the growing or handling process, monitoring practices for organic systems, recordkeeping systems and descriptions of barriers used to prevent the commingling between organic and non-organic products, or contact with any prohibited substances.

Implement the organic system plan

Once the organic system plan is completed and implemented, the applicant should contact a certifying agent who is USDA accredited to review the application and to verify that all stated practices comply with USDA organic regulations

Receive inspection

An inspector will conduct an on-site inspection of the applicant’s operation. It is important to note that these comprehensive, top-to-bottom inspections differ in scope, depending on the farm or facility being inspected.

Have a certifying agent review the inspection report

The certifying agent reviews the application and the inspector’s report to determine if the applicant complies with the USDA organic regulations

Receive a decision from the certifier

If an applicant’s operation complies with the rules, the certifying agent will issue an organic certificate listing products that can be sold as organic from that operation. It is important to ensure that the organic farm or facility continues to comply with the requirements and updates their plan as to any modifications of their activities or processes relating to the organic product that was certified.

Finally, keep in mind that you must schedule an inspection at least once each year to maintain certification.

This process can be simple if you have the right tools and training. It doesn't have to be stressful! Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding organic certification.

Fernanda Tapia, Food and Biotechnology Engineer.
“I am part of the HACCP Team at GoHACCP, specifically supporting as a Junior SOP writer. I have experience in food quality and safety area, developing and implementing HACCP to comply with audit requirements.”

Links of interest:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/national-list-allowed-and-prohibited-substances
https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/organic-basics
https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label