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Bureau Veritas Certification Services

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
Assure the environmental quality of food products

BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Organic food products are increasingly in demand throughout the world as a means of guaranteeing
quality and safety for consumers. The organic agriculture industry is faced with the challenge of
producing foodstuffs and agricultural products while using methods which respect the environment and
animal welfare. Globally, these demands are defined by public regulations, particularly in countries
which consume organic products.

SOLUTION
What is Organic Certification?
Organic Certification is an internationally recognized set of RELATED SERVICES
standards aimed at proving that agricultural and food In addition to Organic Certification,
products have been produced with emphasis on the Bureau Veritas can help you to comply
protection of soil and water, the enhancement of with a wide range of standards and
biodiversity and the responsible use of energy and natural norms including:
resources. All food products, clients and suppliers can BRC
seek organic certification including farmers (individuals or IFS
associations), retailers and independent processors. ISO 22000
Dutch HACCP
What are the key benefits? ISO 9001
Use of the organic logo on your products to ISO 14001
demonstrate compliance and communicate to clients SA 8000
(retailers, traders, importers, etc.) ISO 22005
MSC (fishing ecolabel)
Ensure greater access to existing and fast-growing
ASC (responsible aquaculture)
markets GLOBALGAP Certification
Help protect the environment from harmful products
and processes and preserve animal welfare

WHY CHOOSE BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION?

Food Expertise - Bureau Veritas can help every actor in the food supply chain meet the highest
standards of Quality, Health & Safety and Environmental compliance. More than 10,000 operators are
certified by Bureau Veritas Certification.
Recognition - Bureau Veritas is accredited for certification of the European organic production standard
as well as NOP certification* and JAS certification**. Bureau Vertias can perform inspections in
compliance with the following private standards: BIOSUISSE (Switzerland), Naturland (Germany) and
Soil Association (the United Kingdom).
Network - Thanks to its worldwide network, Bureau Veritas Certification can deliver organic certification
in the following countries: France, Slovenia, India, Morocco, Spain, Madagascar, Indonesia and more.
Mark of global recognition - The Bureau Veritas Certification Mark is a globally recognized symbol
N°11-C82-04/2012

of your organization's on-going commitment to excellence, sustainability and reliability.

*NOP (National Organic Program) certification: organic specifications for the US market
**JAS (Japanese Agriculture Standard) certification: organic specifications for the Japanese market
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OUR APPROACH
Bureau Veritas uses the following process for Organic Certification:

Application, assessment and

documentation

Notification of your “organic” activity

Application review On-site audit

Audit technical review

Issuance of organic license

Annual recertification program

Extend validity of
the organic license Technical review of follow-up audit Follow-up audit

End of conversion period

Use of EU / NOP
ISSUANCE OF “ORGANIC” CERTIFICATE organic logo

NB: For agriculture products, a conversion period is necessary between the initial audit and the issuing of the certificate
(i.e. a period of 2 years is necessary for vegetable products).

FAQ
Will my organic certified products be commercialized internationally?
The European Organic Certification is recognized by all European Union member countries. In order
to access the US market, your products must be certified against the National Organic Program
(NOP) when the product is exported from a non-European Union country.
Is Organic Certification also possible for cosmetics?
There is no public organic European regulation on cosmetics. Nevertheless, the European cosmetic
industry has recently launched an international private standard, Cosmos. Bureau Veritas is qualified
to certify against the Cosmos standard and can help you use the "Cosmebio" labeling on your
products.
Is it possible to have my aquaculture products certified organic?
Yes, the EU regulation allows Organic Certification of aquaculture products (such as shrimp, trout,
salmon, sea bass, mussels, oysters, etc.) Bureau Veritas Certification is approved worldwide to
organically certify aquaculture products.

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION

For details about this service, please contact please visit:
Bureau Veritas www.bureauveritas.com/scs
By phone: +33 (0)1 55 24 76 94
By e-mail: certification.contact@bureauveritas.com