Certifications required for organic products

With multiple research studies recommending the use of organic products, people are increasingly becoming aware towards its benefits and harmful effects of non-organic contenders.

However, while buying an organic product from a store, you must ensure that the label of the product carries the certifications required for organic products. As an end consumer, the certification carries a great deal of significance in informing you about the credibility of the product you invest in.

Just labelling the product as ‘organic’ or ‘100% organic doesn’t verify the genius of the products contained therein. Besides, the farmers engaged in cultivation of organic products are benefitted by these mandatory certifications for organic products.

Becoming a certified organic farmer helps him in accessing the local and international markets easily. He receives his due share in the revenue generated from organic farming and thus supports the local economy.

Though every country has its own process of certification, the following certifications are mandatory for organic products:

USDA Organic

The USDA organic certification verifies that the organic products adhere to the regulations, requirement and specifications recommended by United states Department of Agriculture.

Being the most comprehensive and demanding system of certification, it covers a wide range of detailed monitoring and control measures.

SGS GMP certification

SGS GMP (Good manufacturing practices) certification verifies that all measures are being taken to ensure an effective food safety program. It addresses the issues of hygiene at every level of the manufacturing process, including the premises and equipment, primary production, packaging, warehousing, distribution, pest control and waste management, as well as routine personal hygiene of the staff involved.

SGS HACCP certification

Hazard analysis and critical points (HACCP) certification ensures that the standards of WHO (World Health Organization) are met during management of food safety and hygiene.

It is an accredited registration scheme for assessing the operational status and performance of the organizations regarding safety of foodstuffs. Organizations that successfully complete this assessment process are given HACCP certificate and registration, ensuring the consumers, retailers, and government authorities to have justified confidence in the way that organization controls food safety and food hygiene.

SGS ISO 9001: 2008

ISO Certification is the most essential and pre- requisite for organic products worldwide. There is no better guarantee than ISO Certification in earning the buyer’s confidence and recognition for the product, internationally.

ISO standards ensure features like quality, ecology, safety, economy, reliability, compatibility, inter-operability, efficiency and effectiveness of the product.

It is responsible for spreading awareness about the product, share technical advances in its manufacture, and the management practices; thus facilitating business.

ISO standards provide practical solutions to achieve benefits in every sector of business, industry and technology, and for all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social.

EU Organic Certification

The EU organic certification is a guarantee for the product in compliance with the common European organic food standards. The certification can ensure the consumers that at least 95% of the product’s ingredients have been organically produced.

Moreover, the product complies with the rules of the official inspection scheme, is directly delivered from the producer or the vendor bearing his name and the name or code of the inspection body.

NPOP (National Program for Organic Production) India Organic

The standards for organic production in India and the organic logo are governed by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development authority), which provides national standards for organic products through a National Accreditation Policy and Programme.

NPOP aims to provide the means for evaluation of certification programmes for organic products according to the international standards. Further, it strives to encourage organic farming in India.

An organic website may not carry all these certifications at once, however, any of these is the hallmark of purity of organic products.