Certification News - CCOF

Why Maintain Organic Certificates?The CCOFClient ProfileCCOF’s client profile sheet providesa detailed listing of yourcertified products and services.We provide this document asa client service while maintainingthe strict NOP requirementsof company name, typeof operation and certificationstatus on the actual certificate.This document, coupledwith your certificate, providesthorough verification of yourcurrent certification status andthe specific products coveredunder your Organic SystemPlan and CCOF certification.It demonstrates your ongoingcertification and provides yourcustomer with the highestlevel of comfort. During 2005CCOF will continue to improvethe client profile sheet to supportyour needs and highlightthe strengths of your company.We hope to add personalizedclient statements and otherinformation as our systemscontinue to improve and ourclients’ needs are expressed.CCOFHoliday HoursThe CCOF main office willbe closed for the holidays:Friday, December 24,through Friday, December 31Certification staff will beon call to provide memberservice during that time.Happy holidays and bestwishes for a joyous andprosperous New Year!Maintaining copies of your suppliers’organic certificates protects you andensures your operation is processing in accordancewith the National Organic Program (NOP) standards.Maintaining these documents can preventunpleasant surprises and allows CCOF to standbehind your organic certification. Without them,you are not able to document that the ingredients orproducts you have labeled “organic” truly are organic.While fraud is uncommon, suppliers can makemistakes. Organic certificates protect you by clearlydemonstrating your due diligence in verifying theorganic status of your ingredients, thereby ensuringthe organic status of your finished product.Annual VerificationWhen you made yourinitial application, youprovided CCOF copies ofyour suppliers’ certificates.CCOF reviewed the certificatesand suppliers toverify they met the NOPstandards. This was a criticalstep in approving your Organic System Plan. Organichandlers are required to maintain on-site verificationthat their ingredients are NOP certified. Tomaintain your certified status, it is important to followyour plan by continuing to only purchase fromsuppliers who remain in compliance with the NOP.To save you time and reduce paperwork, CCOFdoes not ask that certificates for approved vendorsbe provided annually. Sending new certificates toCCOF and updating your Product Profile is onlynecessary if suppliers change during the course ofthe year. For suppliers that haven’t changed, CCOFinspectors will ensure that you maintain verificationof current certification for your suppliers. CCOFchecks each certificate and accompanying documentationto verify:1 It is issued by a USDA accredited certificationagent.2 It demonstrates the product is certified to theNOP standards (sometimes shown as “7 CFRPart 205”).3 It identifies the supplier named in your OSPProduct Profile as the ingredient source.4 It was valid when the ingredients were purchased.5 It demonstrates your supplier is certified forUpdating supplier certification keeps youin control of your organic program andensures that your products remainrecognized as organic inthe marketplace.the specific products supplied. This means theproducts are included in your supplier’s OrganicSystem Plan just like your products areincluded in yours.There can be exceptions for each of these fivepoints. Sometimes this information is not readilyapparent on the organic certificate, but the productor supplier may still be acceptable.For instance, many NOP accredited certifiers donot identify specific products on their certificates orverify current certified status. (There are no longerexpiration dates on many certificates.) In these cases,the supplier should provide other documentation todemonstrate ongoing compliance for specific products.This protects you byensuring that your supplierdidn’t drop their certificationand simply giveyou their original (but nolonger valid) certificate.Another common exceptionis that the USDAhas approved certain foreigncertifiers based onrecognition of their government’s program to assessconformance, rather than their application tothe USDA for accreditation. New Zealand, BritishColumbia, the United Kingdom, and Quebec areexamples. In these cases, although the organic certificateis not from an accredited certification agent,it may still be acceptable. However, the certificatemust still identify the NOP or 7 CFR Part 205 anddemonstrate that the client and products are currentlycertified.Unfortunately, we have found that foreign suppliersmay be more difficult to verify than domesticsuppliers. Sometimes a foreign supplier presents anorganic certificate from a USDA accredited certificationagent, but the certificate names the EuropeanUnion standard (EEC 2092/91) instead of the NOP.Also, foreign suppliers sometimes provide an exportcertificate or transaction certificate instead of an organiccertificate. While these documents give valuableinformation regarding a particular transaction,they are not the same as organic certificates underthe NOP and do not adequately protect you or allowCCOF to issue certification. In these cases, werequest that additional information be provided. Inmost cases the issue is addressed and the supplier’sproducts are approved. However, to avoid delays and6 Certification News Winter 2004