The question being asked is do we need to have a system in place to ensure that products advertised as organic are actually organic or should we simply trust everyone involved in the organic supply chain to do the right thing in order to eliminate certification? This would in effect eliminate a massive overload of  bureaucracy and red tape that currently exists within the NOP/EU organic certification process.

Consumers need to have an understanding of the “organic supply chain” and how it works. There is alot that goes on behind the scenes in order to get that “Organic” sticker and/or label on the foods we are buying these days. The supply chain is the collection of steps involved in creating an organic product, starting from land factors, collection techniques and manufacturing considerations. The supply chain exists from the field all the way to the end customer. The following is an example so we can see what a simplified chain could look like.

EU Organic Logo

First, the land where the maqui berry is grown must be free from pesticides and fertilizers for a certain period of time.  The maqui berries must be grown in a manner that complies with organic regulations which is referred to NOP (National Organic Program) in the USA. Once grown, the maqui berries are processed, typically in two stages.  First, to create a puree and then secondly, to convert this puree into a powder.  All processing must be carried out by an organically certified processor and the consolidator of the fruit must pay for a field certificate in which the maqui grows.  Often the puree is manufactured where the maqui is grown in Chile and then shipped to an organic processor in the US where it is converted into a powder.  The powder is then sold into the USA by a supplier/distributor where it is sold direct to the consumer and/or sold into the food ingredients arena. If the powder is encapsulated, those facilities must also have organic certification.  As you can see there’s a lot of parties involved in making what is a relatively simple product.

Organic certification is the process that ensures that everyone in the above chain adheres to the rules and doesn’t get tempted by cutting corners to make a fast buck.  The process is arduous and does add cost to the end product but it aims to ensure that the organic product a customer buys is actually organic.  Certification is necessary because for many commodities, it is very difficult to tell the difference between organic and non-organic products without certification. Think of certification in terms of authenticity that allows for the “Organic” label claim.

How can you tell whether an organic product is organically certified?  That’s quite easy, simply look for the organic certification code on the product.  It should be made of three elements: country code, certifier code and organic certification description.  For example, the code on all Soil Association products is “GB organic certification 5″ (this will change after July 2010).  This code is on the product so that customers have someone they can contact to verify that the product is actually organic.  Remember, if it doesn’t have a code, it is not organically certified.

Buy organic maqui berry freeze-dried powder today direct from the manufacturer at www.patagoniamaqui.com or call 214-717-4914 for more information.