According to the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) regulation update §205.201(a)(3), all organic operations are now required to establish monitoring practices and procedures to prevent fraud in the organic industry (these procedures are often referred to as Fraud Prevention Plans or “FPPs”). The NOP states Fraud Prevention Plans are required for every operation, and they must […]
Read More… from Organic Fraud Prevention Plan Guidance for Handlers and Processors
The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Rule published by the USDA implementation period ends March 20, 2024. This means operations have until March 19, 2024, to become compliant with the rule. Handling operations, including brokers, traders, importers, distributors, and manufacturers, are among those who will be most affected by this new rule. In this post, we […]
Read More… from Handling SOE: 6 Priorities for Handling Operations Implementing the New Rule
The USDA announced earlier this week that the USDA organic seal has been trademarked with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Registration of the seal increases the USDA’s ability to take action when the image is misused. Although the seal was already protected by the Organic Foods Protection Act (OFPA), now that it is trademarked, […]
Read More… from USDA Organic Seal Trademarked, Increasing the Cost of Fraud
From time to time we like to share tools and resources that we think are helpful to our certified organic operations. In this post, we are excited to introduce you to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions. The Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions is a voluntary program designed to help organic businesses minimize […]
Read More… from Introducing OTA’s Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions
On August 5, 2020 the USDA released their “Strengthening Organic Enforcement” proposed rule, opening a 60 day public comment period. The changes are meant to improve organic oversight and to protect integrity in the organic supply chain. The proposal includes: Reduced exemptions from certification requiring more operations to be certified Requirements for import certificates for […]
Read More… from The USDA’s Game-Changing Proposed Rule: Open for Comments