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Production Standards

It is a legal requirement that any food sold as organic must be inspected and certified according to approved standards in the EU

Defra, the UK Organic Control Authority, approve SOPA as an organic control body in the UK via SFQC. SOPA own the organic standards, and SFQC implement them in day to day inspections and certification procedures.

The SOPA standards meet, and in many areas exceed the minimum requirements as laid out in EU Regulation 834/2007 and Implementing Rules 889/2008

The EU Organic Regulation describe the inputs and practices which may be used in organic farming and growing, and the inspection system which must be put into place to ensure this. The Regulation also applies to processing, processing aids and ingredients in organic foods as well as labelling of organic foods.

So, all food sold as organic must come from growers, processors or importers who are subject to regular inspection and therefore carry current certification. Organic certification applies to each stage of the product life cycle so full integrity of the supply chain is covered by the organic label.