USDA organic certification guarantees that a product has been produced according to strict guidelines under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s national organic production and handling standards NOP (National Organic Program) certification process.
USDA Organic products can be traced from farm to store, and are guaranteed to not contain:
- Harmful chemicals
- GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
- Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
The organic standards set specific requirements for different types of products. Dietary supplements can be certified organic by the National Organic Program as long as:
- They are derived from organically produced plants or animals
- They comply with the NOP's list of permitted and prohibited substances
- They meet the NOP requirements for their category or tier
The USDA allows three tiers of certified organic supplements based on their organic content:
- 100 Percent Organic: Contains 100% organic ingredients
- Organic: Contains at least 95% organic ingredients
- Made with Organic: Contains at least 70% organically produced ingredients
The government restricts USDA logo use to sustainable, environmentally friendly operations that cycle resources, preserve biodiversity and ecological balance.
- Organic farms and businesses are certified by USDA-accredited organic certifiers
- To become certified, operations go through a rigorous process
- Further inspections are done yearly with additional surprise inspections and testing
- Systems and processes confirm that what consumers buy is genuinely organic
- USDA regularly audits certifiers
- The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule leads to detailed records of organic production and transactions to allow businesses to choose trusted suppliers and verify that what they sell is organic from the store back to the farm
- Certifiers audit organic supply chains to detect and defer fraud
- NOP frequently maintains the accuracy of the Organic INTEGRITY Database
