facts > Organic labelling and organic standards

Organic Labelling and Organic Standards

How can I tell if my food is truly organic?

The term organic is defined by law, therefore all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Any organic product sold in the UK must under this law display a certification symbol or number. When you see a symbol or number you can be sure that the product complies with the minimum government standards as set by UKROFS (UK Register of Organic Food Standards).

Anyone involved in the production of organic products must be registered with one of the certification bodies. All of these bodies have been approved and are constantly monitored by UKROFS.

Just to make it a little bit more confusing there are several certification bodies in the UK each having their own symbol and code number. These are as follows:

UK1 UKROFS

UK2 Organic Farmers and Growers (OF&G)

UK3 Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA)

UK4 Organic Food Federation (OFF)

UK5 Soil Association Certification (SA Cert)

UK6 Demeter / Bio-Dynamic Agriculture Association (BDAA)

UK7 Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA)

UK9 Organic Trust Ltd

UK10 CMi Certification

+ As yet unnumbered Food Certification (Scotland) Ltd - A number has not been allocated to Food Certfication Ltd because although there are recognised private standards (as allowed by EC regulations) fish products are not yet covered by EC rules.

Click here to see the organic certification symbols.

The Soil Associations symbol is the UK's main certification mark and appears on approximately 70% of organic food produced in the UK. If the food displays this mark you can be sure that the product has exceeded the standards as set down by UKROFS.

Organic Fruit and Vegetables

If you buy organic fruit or vegetables from supermarkets you will notice that it generally comes prepacked and labeled accordingly, this helps dismay any rumours or superstitions of shops selling non-organic as organic. Where products are sold loose they usually have a small sticker on each item and the shop must provide proof of certification.

As outlined in the report of farming it takes approximately five years for farms to convert to organic. Due to increased awareness and concerns regarding health issues there is a high demand from consumers for organic produce. At present producers are unable to match this demand. You will therefore, see a lot of imported organic products. Each EU country has its own registering body which in return must adhere to the basic rules governing organic production, processing and marketing as laid down in Council Regulation (EEC(European Economic Community)), this includes UKROFS. Each Country could have more certification bodies as in the UK, but they must meet the minimum expectations as laid down by the governing body. As like the Soil Association they can exceed those standards. This ensures all organic produce in the EU has met a recognised standard. Produce from outside the EU can be brought into the UK as organic if they have obtained prior authorisation from UKROFS, in which case, they would have to demonstrate that the produce has been produced in accordance to the rules laid down in the Council Regulation.

My own personal opinion is - if the item displays a UK5 - Soil Association mark, then you can be sure it has passed a rigorous procedure. I try to buy as much UK produced fruit and veg as I can, failing which I look for an EU alternative.