NOP - National Organic Program (USA)

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

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)

Further certifications of Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH:

Overview of our services in the area of ​​organic certification and sustainability.

• EU Organic certification in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
• American organic certification NOP (National Organic Program - USDA): NOP certification.
• Japanese organic standard JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard: JAS certification.
• Korean organic standard: KOC certification.
• Organic Standard of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: OSKSA certification.
• Inspection in accordance to: Rainforest Alliance Certification.
• Sustainable aquaculture ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council): ASC certification.
• Sustainable fisheries MSC (Marine Stewardship Council): MSC certification.
• Swedish organic standard KRAV: KRAV certification.
• Organic textile standard: GOTS certification (Global Organic Textile Standard).
• Coffee standard Bird Friendly (Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center): Bird Friendly certification.
• Sustainability standard Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance (FairTSA): FairTSA certification.
• Organic association inspection Demeter: Demeter certification.
• Organic association inspection Bioland: Bioland certification.
• Organic association inspection Naturland: Naturland certification
• Swiss organic association inspection BioSuisse International: BioSuisse certification.