How could I tell a product is “certified organic food??
Organic seal(s) on the packaging is/are a good start to identify whether the products are certified as organic against the standards and requirements of certain organic certification organizations.
What do those labels tell us?
Each organic certification body has its own organic label seal. The label tells the customers the type of standards with which the food product has complied during production and processing. Many certification bodies operate worldwide, most of which are private and originate in developed countries.
What kinds of Organic Standards the certification bodies based on?
In general there are three major types of organic standards: international voluntary standards, national voluntary standards, and local voluntary standards.
International Standards
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) is the international agricultural association creating the guidelines in International Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing. IFOAM is the private sector’s equivalent to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (the inter-governmental body that sets standards for all foods) which has produced international guidelines for the production, processing, labeling and marketing of organically produced food to guide producers and to protect consumers against deception and fraud.
National Standards
Many countries (E.U. countries, U.S.A, India, Australia, and others) have developed national organic food standards to guide their domestic organic production practices. In most cases, these national organic standards are based on the guidelines and minimum standards set out in the Codex Alimenarius or published by IFOAM.
Local voluntary standards
In some countries such as Germany, individual certification bodies may derive their own standards which can be more stringent than the regulation in force, usually in response to specific consumer demands. Although these are not legally binding, private certifications may be more restrictive than is required by law.
How could I tell that organic certifiers are recognized by these standards?
Accreditation is the answer. Accreditation is a process by which an authoritative body evaluates and gives formal recognition that a certification programme is in accordance with the standards of that authoritative body. Authoritative bodies, such as IFOAM and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), implement an accreditation program to assess the competence of potential certifiers and to recognize that the certification is in full compliance with the certification standards.
What are the minimum standards of using these organic seals and the word “organic”?
Each authoritative body has its own regulations and minimum requirements of using its organic seal and the word organic on packing. As a general guideline, the rules of using organic seals
  • If 95% or more of the ingredients are used are organic, the product may be called organic in the title.
  • If between 70-95% of the ingredients used are organic, then the term “organic” may only be used in the ingredients listing.
  • If less that 70% of the ingredients are organic, then the term “organic” may not be used anywhere on the product packaging.