🔎 ZOOM ON... // USDA NOP, organic certification in the United States

WHAT IS USDA NOP CERTIFICATION ?

The National Organic Program (NOP) is the federal organic regulation of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture)

The American organic certification NOP guarantees:

1. Conservation of soil fertility
2. The maintenance of biodiversity
3. The respect of natural cycles and animal welfare
4. The non-use of synthetic chemicals and GMOs
5. Transparent labeling for the consumer

In order for a product to be marketed as organic in the US, it must be NOP certified and all of its certifiable ingredients must also be NOP certified.

✔ USDA x ECOCERT KEY FIGURES

Ecocert SA is accredited to certify the USDA NOP label:

• Approximately 45,000 NOP-certified operators worldwide.
• Of which 3780 operators certified by ECOCERT
• In 94 countries through 21 Ecocert subsidiaries

4 CERTIFICATION LEVELS FOR THE USDA

The level depends on the composition of the finished product:

1. "100% ORGANIC": The product contains 100% organically grown ingredients ¹
2. . " Organic": At least 95% of the ingredients are raw or processed agricultural products from organic farming ¹
3. "Made with Organic ..." Consists of at least 70% organically produced ingredients. The remaining 30% may be produced conventionally, but not with the help of ionizing radiation, sewage sludge or genetic engineering. ²
4. "Specific Organic Ingredient Listings": Specific organic ingredients may be listed in products containing less than 70% organic products. ²

¹ (excluding water and salt)
² (use of the USDA certification logo is not permitted for this level of certification)

List of USDA NOP certified products

OBTAIN USDA NOP CERTIFICATION BY ECOCERT

A pioneer in organic farming since 1991, Ecocert has become a global reference for the organic certification of European and international regulations such as the USDA NOP.

EXPORT TO THE UNITED STATES

The USDA currently has organic equivalence with the following governments: canada, european Union, japan, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and United Kingdom

Example: It is possible to obtain an equivalence if your production is certified organic according to the European regulation (except for aquaculture). The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has aligned organic standards with the European model. (see image below)

Ecocert can assist you in this process.

A WIDE RANGE OF NOP-CERTIFIABLE PRODUCTS

As long as the products comply with the USDA NOP program, all categories can be certified with this label: Crops / Livestock / Processing and even cosmetics.

USDA NOP has a wide scope whereas the European organic label only applies to agricultural raw materials and foodstuffs that are 100% organic or contain at least 95% organic agricultural products.

💡 "Organic Agriculture USA" makes regular updates!

The USDA NOP program is currently undergoing a revision. A new version is planned for spring 2022 with changes concerning, among other things livestock production, producer groups and in export terms.

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