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Certification
Organic certification addresses a growing worldwide demand for organic food. It is intended to assure quality, to prevent fraud and to promote commerce. Certification was not necessary in the early days of the organic movement, when small farmers would sell their produce directly at farmers' markets. However, organics have grown in popularity, and more and more consumers are purchasing organic food through traditional channels, such as supermarkets. As such, consumers must rely on third-party regulatory certification.
OTC-USA only works together with certified organic farmers. Our Quality Control Department checks the presence and the validity of our growers on a regular basis. OTC-USA itself is certified as an organic import & export, distribution and pre-packing company on USDA NOP and IFS level.
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What's USDA NOP?
The National Organic Program (NOP) regulates all organic crops, livestock, and agricultural products certified to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards. Organic certification agencies inspect and verify that organic farmers, ranchers, distributors, processors, and traders are complying with the USDA organic regulations. USDA conducts audits and ensures that the more than 90 organic certification agencies operating around the world are properly certifying organic products. In addition, USDA conducts investigations and conducts enforcement activities to ensure all products labeled as organic meet the USDA organic regulations. In order to sell, label, or represent their products as organic, operations must follow all of the specifications set out by the USDA organic regulations.
Please find here our USDA NOP certificate.
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What's IFS?
The development of the IFS is based on the ever-rising demands of consumers, the increasing liabilities of retailers and wholesalers, the increasing legal requirements and the globalisation of product supplies. All of these points made it essential to develop a uniform quality assurance and food safety standard. The members of the German retail federation – Hauptverband des Deutschen Einzelhandels (HDE), – of its French counterpart – Fédération des entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution (FCD) and of its Italian counterparts COOP, CONAD, Federdistribuzione – have drawn up a quality and food safety standard for retailer (and wholesaler) branded food products, which is intended to enable the assessment of suppliers’ food safety and quality systems, in accordance with a uniform approach. This IFS Food applies to all the post-farm gate stages of food processing. Retailers from Austria, Poland, Spain and Switzerland also support IFS as their food safety standard.
Please find here our IFS certificate.
