Organic Certification
Organic Certification for Hemp Businesses – Become a Leader in the Industry
Achieving an organic certification means that the operation has undergone a robust review and inspection to verify compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP). Being certified as organic ensures the integrity of organic products from the farm to the consumer. The certified organic seal is a recognizable symbol of consumer trust and appreciation that the brand cares about our environment’s health.
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What is Organic Certification?
According to the USDA in an article titled Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means, “USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.”
Or in other words, in order for produce to receive the organic label, it must be grown in soil that hasn’t been exposed to prohibited substances such as synthetic pesticides or fertilizers in over three years. This list of prohibited substances has been carefully curated and maintained for years and includes a whole host of materials that have been shown to have adverse effects on human and animal health, as well as the environment.
More in Allay’s Newsletter: Going Organic in the Hemp Industry
Ecological Impact: Most notably, Organic Certification for Hemp companies contributes to increasing water quality, conservation of energy, promoting ecological balance, and conserving biodiversity.
Consumer Trust & Confidence: Organic certification expands your sales market, commands a higher price for your products, instills consumer trust and confidence. Being certified as organic ensures the integrity of organic products from the farm to the consumer. The certified organic seal is a recognizable symbol of consumer trust and appreciation that the brand cares.
Increase Demand for your Product: Consumers often prefer to purchase organic products or from a wholesale manufacturer that uses organic ingredients. In these cases, organic certification can be a powerful marketing tool that sets compliant businesses apart from the competition. This certification can be advertised on your product labels and website to let consumers know that your business follows a high standard for safety and quality, making your business among the best of the best in the industry.
Why is Organic Certification important?
Why is Organic Certification important?
Ecological Impact: Most notably, Organic Certification for Hemp companies contributes to increasing water quality, conservation of energy, promoting ecological balance, and conserving biodiversity.
Consumer Trust & Confidence: Organic certification expands your sales market, commands a higher price for your products, instills consumer trust and confidence. Being certified as organic ensures the integrity of organic products from the farm to the consumer. The certified organic seal is a recognizable symbol of consumer trust and appreciation that the brand cares.
Increase Demand for your Product: Consumers often prefer to purchase organic products or from a wholesale manufacturer that uses organic ingredients. In these cases, organic certification can be a powerful marketing tool that sets compliant businesses apart from the competition. This certification can be advertised on your website to let consumers know that your business follows a high standard for safety and quality, making your business among the best of the best in the industry.
How can I gain Organic Certification for my Hemp Products?
The certification process is straight forward and not overly burdensome. And, if you are currently working towards cGMP or GACP certification, organic certification is an easy one to layer on, as it uses some of the same SOPs. Achieving organic certification is a worthwhile goal that is beneficial to your business, your customers, and to our environment.
1
Adopt Practices
The farm or business implements organic farming or processing practices into your operation by developing SOPs and training staff, and submits an application and fees to the certifying agent.
2
Choose a Organic Certifying Body
The second step is to choose a USDA-accredited Organic certifying body who will conduct the certification audit and issue the certification. Allay Consultants will look at all options available and will work with you to choose the certifying body that works best for your company. Currently, Allay works regularly with six accredited certifying bodies and can help your company choose the best fit. Then, submit the application packet and fees.
3
Review and Inspection
The certifying agent reviews the application to verify that practices comply with USDA organic regulations and an inspector conducts an on-site inspection of the applicant’s operation.
4
Review and Corrective Action
In the fourth step, the certifying agent reviews the inspector’s report to determine if the applicant complies with the USDA organic regulations. Some corrective actions may need to be taken.
5
Issuance of Cerification
The certifying body issues the certification.
6
Annual Review
To maintain organic certification, your certified organic farm or business will go through an annual review and inspection process.
Are there other certification options besides Organic?
cGMP
cGMP regulations require a systematic quality approach to manufacturing, including the development and implementation of procedures and documentation for the design, monitoring, and control of all manufacturing processes. This quality management system helps to ensure products are made consistently and reliably to product specifications for identity, strength, quality, and purity. Not only does cGMP help businesses prevent hazards such as contamination or errors, it ensures that products are safe for consumers, every time.
ISO 9001
This is the international standard for a quality management system (“QMS”). The standard is used by organizations to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements and to demonstrate continuous improvement. Due to the overlap between ISO 9001 and cGMP certifications, Allay Consulting recommends that these two certifications be achieved at the same time.
ISO 22000
This is a food safety management standard to help organizations identify and control food safety hazards, at the same time as working together with other ISO management standards, such as ISO 9001. Applicable to all types of producers, ISO 22000 provides a layer of reassurance within the global food supply chain, helping products cross borders and bringing people food that they can trust.
How does Allay Consulting’s services work and how long will it take for certification assistance?
Allay assists hemp cultivation facilities and hemp product manufacturers achieve USDA organic certification by developing and implementing the SOPs needed to ensure organic integrity from farm to consumer. Allay can interface with the organic certifying body and put together the application packet, as well as conduct an onsite audit to prepare the business for the certification audit. Although USDA organic certification is not currently available to the marijuana industry, similar program certifications are available that Allay can assist marijuana businesses with.
Why should I hire Allay Consulting to assist my business with this?
Our expertise is unrivaled
Allay is comprised of former Denver public health cannabis regulators with over 31 years of collective, hands-on regulatory experience that has provided lessons learned for our THC Cannabis and Hemp clients. We have the high level of experience and expertise needed to interpret cGMPs and painlessly get through the certification process. Allay Consulting has completed the cGMP process with various cannabis businesses already and is always open to assist truly good companies in the industry.
Saves you time
The hectic pace of running a successful cannabis business sometimes means that you can’t stop and create numerous SOPs, much less implement a robust quality management system. Allay Consulting can do all of this for you, while you maintain normal business operations, with just needing to answer operational questions for Allay instead of having to write everything yourself.
Interested in Becoming Organic Certified?
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