January 20, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has modified its regulations to extend control and enforcement of the production and sale of organic products in an effort to curb “organic fraud.”
Organic fraud is the representation, labelling and sale of non-organic agricultural products as organic, which Federal Register saidThis may occur on account of the high demand for organic products and the dearth of direct enforcement of USDA regulations.
“These changes close gaps in current regulations to create consistent certification practices that prevent and detect organic fraud and improve product transparency and traceability,” a summary of the revised regulations within the Federal Register states. “In addition, the changes will provide consumers with assurance that organic products meet a robust, consistent standard and strengthen the value of the organic label.”
Strengthening organic enforcement rules would require certification of more businesses comparable to brokers and distributors, require organic labeling on non-retail containers, allow more rigorous on-site inspections of certified organic operations, and establish more uniform training standards for organic inspectors. A press release from the US Department of Agriculture states.
The update takes effect on March 20. The rule may impact USDA-accredited certifying agencies, organic inspectors, certified organic operations, operations considering organic certification, firms that import or trade organic products, and retailers that sell organic products.
This is the most important update to the organic regulation because the original law was passed in 1990, said Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary of state for marketing and regulatory programs.
The Organic Trade Association advocated for this regulation.
“Fraud in the organic system – wherever it occurs – harms the entire organic sector and undermines consumer confidence in organic,” OTA said in a press release.