The National Organic Program (NOP) is the government administrative structure in the United States of America governing Organic food. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) programme of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for managing and authorizing the administrative system. The NOP's main goal is to guarantee that the USDA Organic mark is trustworthy. The seal is utilized for products adhering to USDA norms that contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 required that the USDA develop national standards for organic products, and the final principle building up the NOP was first published in the Federal Register in 2000 and is codified in the Code of Federal Regulations at 7 C.F.R. 205.
The US authority (US Department of Agriculture) accredits Control Union Certifications for the National Organic Program (NOP). Our global network of offices, under the umbrella of our accredited Dutch head office, allows us to make certification efficient and cost-effective, whilst upholding the same stringent professional auditing and certification procedures.
Organic farming is a way of producing food that respects natural life cycles. It minimizes the human impact on the environment and operates as naturally as possible without using GMO.
Organic farming is part of an extensive supply chain, which also includes food processing, distribution and retailing. To be suitable for organic markets, the whole chain of organic production needs to be inspected and certified. Once all requirements are fulfilled, the certificate can be issued and the organic logo can be used on the certified products. Control Union Certifications can provide you with annual audit and certification services.