What you need to know:

The US market for organic products is growing year by year and has become one of the main target markets for organic products. The US has trade agreements for organic products with several countries, e.g. the EU or Japan. More detailed information on the different trade agreements can be found at this link.

For more information on NOP, please visit NOP-Website.  

More on the currently applicable final rule you can find HERE.

By certifying your organic products according to the NOP regulations, you are entitled to sell your products in the USA as certified organic.

NOP certification with Kiwa BCS:

Kiwa BCS conducts USDA NOP (National Organic Program) inspections and certifications in all areas of organic production, including growing, processing, and trading.

The entire food chain of an NOP certified product intended for sale in the US must be certified according to NOP regulations. This includes the raw material producers, processors and also the traders. Certification of traders only needs to be given as soon as they handle the product. Handling already includes the application of labels or repackaging of products.

For more detailed information, please follow this link. 

Procedure for NOP certification:

First, you obtain a non-binding offer from us. After a positive response and conclusion of the contract, we carry out the initial inspection on your farm. For each organic inspection, a final inspection report is drawn up containing all inspection points and their results.

In order to guarantee high quality and independence in the certification process, we always work according to the four- to six-eyes principle. This means that the inspection and the certification cannot be carried out by the same personnel. After the inspection, a second expert in our office makes the certification decision on the basis of the inspection report.

If your company fulfills all legal requirements, our certifiers will issue your USDA NOP certificate. From this day on, you are allowed to export the corresponding products to the USA as certified organic. 

Your advantages:

  • Access to the American organic food market - only with USDA NOP certification can you export organic goods from countries without trade agreements to the USA.
  • Consumer confidence - due to the awareness and appreciation of the USDA NOP seal, customers in the USA trust products with this seal.
  • Kiwa BCS is your competent and personal partner for your certification project and for all questions during the process.

News:

  • The emergence of longer and more complex supply chains has made the need for more verification tools and methods necessary. Find here our article Labelling of non-retail containers and calculating the percentage of organic ingredients.
  • Beginning March 19, 2024, a NOP import certificate will be required for all organic imports into the United States. Find our article on Strengthening Organic Enforcement: NOP import certificates here.
  • You can find here our artile for the New Final Rule.

  • You can find here our artile for the NOP-SOE Exemptions - Flowchart

  • ALERT for Certifiers and Certified Operations: Be Aware of Email Phishing Scam
    Falsely Using the USDA Logo
    The National Organic Program (NOP) is aware that certifiers and certified operations have received emails from sources pretending to be the USDA. These emails, referred to as phishing emails, have been sent using the following information:
    • Fake Sender: `NOP.guidance@usda.gov` <`xxxx@stceciliafc.com`>
    • Email Subject: USDA-NOP Certificate Holder Information verification
    Phishing is a common type of cyber attack that targets individuals through email or text messages to attempt to acquire sensitive data, such as email passwords. These messages are often designed to look like they come from a trusted person or organization, to get recipients to open malicious links or enter information on malicious websites.

NOP policy extension Mushrooms and Pet Food

Effective Date: March 21, 2025

Compliance date: Organic operations must comply with the requirements of this rule by February 22, 2027.

National Organic Program: Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the USDA organic regulations to clarify standards for organic mushrooms and organic pet food.

The topics addressed by the rule include mushroom substrate composition and sourcing of mushroom spawn in organic mushroom production, composting requirements for organic mushroom production, composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food, and the use of certain synthetic substances, including taurine, in organic pet food.

Supporting documents:

Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE): Electronic NOP Import Certificate Update

What Happens Starting September 19, 2024
  • Regulatory Discretion Ends
  • Use of 999 temporary code in ACE for organic entries without an NOPIC is no longer allowed
  • Importers and exporters facilitating organic goods must be fully certified – not just in progress
  • Certifiers must not issue NOPICs listing an uncertified importer or exporter
  • All organic imports must have a valid NOPIC
  • If not, convert it to conventional – reinvoicing and relabeling is required

Need more information: Strengthening Organic Enforcement | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)