FoodChain ID provides third-party, global certification for organic standards, including the USDA National Organic Program, EU Organic and other worldwide organic certifications through Bioagricert, a FoodChain ID company.
Gul Basak Kiroglu, Regulatory Trends Product Manager
Lately when I talk to my family members and friends in Turkey, France and the United Kingdom, I started feeling a certain level of concern in their voices. The common point? Food safety and quality.
Turkey in fact tops the list of the European Union (EU)’s food safety violators as its exports face widespread rejections. Pesticide use in Turkey has been reported at alarming levels. In other regions, research shows that food safety attitudes and organic labeling awareness can be factors driving organic food purchase intentions.
The situation seems similar in the EU where food scares have increased consumer awareness in all aspects of food safety and quality. As a result, consumers have increasingly expressed preferences with respect to agricultural practices and geographical origin.
In the last decade, policy makers also have recognized the potential of organic farming as a means of food production that meets the demands of sustainability and the market place.
Today, informing consumers with clean labels on the agricultural practices is a crucial point for transparency and, in case of organic claims, it is a regulatory requirement for most of the countries. Each country has its own certification marks, such as EU Organic logo, USDA Organic seal, Canada Organic logo and the JAS logo in Japan.
In the USA, produce can be called organic if it is certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
In the EU, producing organically means respecting the rules on organic farming based on a number of key principles, such as:
- prohibition of the use of GMOs
- forbidding the use of ionizing radiation
- limiting the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
- prohibiting the use of hormones and restricting the use of antibiotics to only when necessary for animal health.
In Denmark, there is a long tradition of organic farming, and over the years organic food production has been supported by politicians, authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In fact, according to the latest report of The World of Organic Agriculture, Denmark led Europe in organic market share by country, with a retail market share of 11.8 percent in 2023. Switzerland’s and Austria’s organic market share was not far behind, with 11.6 and 11 percent, respectively.
In Australia, there is no mandatory requirement for certification of organic product sold domestically. Many organic businesses, however, choose to be certified by an organic certification body to underpin truth in labeling requirements and promote consumer confidence.
Unlike some sustainable practices that may focus on specific aspects like reducing carbon footprints or promoting fair trade, organic farming adheres to comprehensive standards governing the entire production process. This approach emphasizes ecological balance, biodiversity, and soil and water conservation.
The past two years have seen significant regulatory developments in the organic food sector across various countries. These changes reflect a global effort to enhance the integrity of organic labeling, protect consumers and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
