Start with your own market's organic rules, not the supplier's brochure. Find out which certification your market accepts, then look for a processor whose certificate covers your exact product, the processing they do and the destination you sell to.
Then verify that certificate with the certification body, test each lot, and make sure the shipment paperwork is issued correctly. Organic goods without valid paperwork are sold as conventional, or rejected.
Step 1: know what your market accepts
The rules differ by destination and they change. Confirm the current position with your own control body or certifier before you place an order. Our article on NPOP certification in the EU and US gives more background. In outline:
- United States: organic goods need USDA NOP certification. The USDA ended its recognition of India's NPOP certification in 2021, so NPOP alone is not enough.
- European Union: imports need a certificate of inspection (COI) issued through the EU TRACES system. The EU has recognised NPOP for some product categories, but that scope has narrowed and some Indian certification bodies have faced EU action.
- Other markets: rules differ. Ask your own control body, certifier or authority.
Step 2: check the certificate properly
An organic certificate is only useful if it covers what you are buying. Ask for a copy and check it against the certification body's own records.
- The certificate holder is the company you are buying from, or the chain is clear and every link is certified.
- Your product is listed, not just a related one.
- The scope includes the activities done, such as cleaning, sterilisation, grinding or packing.
- The standard matches your market, for example NPOP, USDA NOP, or another accepted standard.
- The certificate is valid for the dates of production and shipment.
- The certification body is accredited and in good standing for your market.
Step 3: check the supply behind it
Ask how much certified organic material the supplier can actually source this season. Ask where it is grown, whether through their own farms or a grower group, and how they keep it apart from conventional stock in storage and processing. A supplier that handles both must show clear separation, with marked storage, cleaned lines between runs and separate lot records. Be cautious if the volume offered seems large for the area of certified land behind it. A factory audit should cover this; our guide on what a factory audit should contain lists the basics.
Step 4: test and document every lot
- Test for pesticide residues against your market's limits, even with a valid certificate.
- Test for ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, and state no ETO treatment in the spec.
- Check microbiology and mycotoxins as for conventional goods.
- Ask for the transaction or inspection certificate for each shipment in good time, before the goods arrive.
- Check that lot numbers on the bags match the certificate and invoice.
- Keep copies of all certificates and test reports for each shipment, in case your control body or customer asks for them later.
How we help
We check organic certificates and scope with the issuing bodies, audit how processors separate organic stock, and have lots tested at NABL-accredited labs before shipment. To start an organic sourcing project, ask for a free sourcing review.