How to get an organic certificate. Eco bio organic - what do you need to know about organic labels? What is the difference between a certificate and a label?

BIO certification is the process of obtaining certificates for producers of organic products (food, agricultural products, cosmetics). Any business involved in the production and distribution of BIO products can be awarded a BIO certificate (be it suppliers of seeds, meat, dairy products).

European certification

BIO certification standards are a set of standards for the cultivation, production, processing and packaging of goods. The standards were developed and approved in 1980 by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM).

Basic operating principles of IFOAM
Health principle;
The principle of environmental friendliness;
The principle of justice and honesty;
The principle of care.

Here are some of the standards by which BIO certification takes place:

Agricultural plantations must be processed without the use of chemical fertilizers for at least 3 years before growing organic products;
The use of genetic engineering in food production is prohibited;
When raising livestock, it is prohibited to use any growth hormones or antibiotics;
The use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nitrogen-containing and other types of chemical fertilizers is prohibited;
The use of fertilizers containing magnesium, trace elements, mineral potassium, manure and heavy metals is limited;
Soils must be maintained with a varied crop rotation and biodegradable fertilizers of exclusively microbiological, plant or animal origin;
To combat pests, physical barriers, light, ultrasound, ultraviolet radiation, and special temperature conditions are used.

These norms contribute to the development of national standards that take into account the characteristics of individual countries.

Certification is carried out by independent certified organizations. Manufacturers, developers and suppliers must undergo certification at least once a year by special bodies and inspections.

The work of farmers and suppliers who are certified according to BIO standards is complemented by a number of new activities. Such as:

Study of organic product standards and compliance with these standards;
Compliance of the production process, as well as the farm infrastructure, with accepted standards;
Records management. Documents including soil and water tests and farm history;
Planning. Annual detailed plan production and sales, in which everything must be spelled out - seeds, fertilizers, pest control methods, harvesting methods, storage methods and places, etc.;
Inspection. Annual planned and unscheduled inspections, testing water, soil. Subsequent examination.
Annual payments for confirmation of certification;
Record keeping. Regular records covering all activities that must be available at all times.

Different countries have their own labels for organic products (depending on the certifying organizations). The generally accepted mark of BIO/organic products is the European Biocertificate (EU Organic Bio).

This is the single European Union mark used to label organic products. Since 2010, new requirements have been introduced to obtain this certificate. In particular, products must consist of at least 95% of ingredients that meet BIO standards, the remaining 5% must be of natural origin.

AB (agriculture biologique) (France) abbreviation for Agence Bio - the mark of the French Agency for the Development and Promotion of Organic Agriculture. Products must contain more than 95% organic ingredients.

France became the first country to introduce a national mark for BIO products.

German eco-label Bio-Siegel (Ecological seal). This mark confirms that the products comply with EU standards.

Demeter certification company mark. German Demeter quality indicates not only special conditions strict control at all stages of the creation of organic products, but also on the concept of careful agricultural management, taking into account natural features (time of year, phases of the moon, etc.), i.e. a caring approach environment, soils, growing conditions.

EC Control-System Organic Farming. Mark of the European regulatory system for organic agriculture.

USDA ORGANIC (USA). National organic standard. Products marked with this mark guarantee that more than 95% of the ingredients are organic products.

Sign of French producers of organic cosmetics

ECOCERT (France) is an organization that has been certifying BIO products since 1991. It is located in Europe, but has already become widespread in more than 80 countries.

Cosmetics certified by ECOCERT do not contain silicone, preservatives, dyes, synthetic fragrances, acids and fatty alcohol, mineral oils, emulsifying agents, and other hazardous petrochemical products.

“I saw a new organic food section at the supermarket,” my friend happily tells me, noting that she cares about my vegan choice. I happily rush to the store, but all I find is meat labeled “organic” or organic cookies with milk. For most people who follow a traditional diet, all those who eat differently fall into one big, fat category code-named “I don’t understand and don’t want to understand,” with no attempt to distinguish between a healthy lifestyle follower and a farmers’ market fan. vegan - from pescatarian.

I've been an ethical vegan for eight years and have fond memories of actively researching certification in the early days. All this was new to me. Over the years, however, Europe has become "bio" sick.

Who are you?

I want to say right away that most of the food products that I regularly buy do not have any certificate at all; I just, at the beginning of my then vegetarian journey, studied the market and observed what I wanted to eat and what I didn’t. Since then, having already become a vegan, I only periodically double-check what’s new or whether the composition of my favorite chocolate has changed. Unfortunately, this also happens: a vegan product may no longer be vegan after changing the recipe. So I lost my favorite British cookies...

How to distinguish vegetarian and vegan products from all others if they do not have certificates? Very simple! Buy only those products whose ingredients you can actually read. If among the words you are familiar with there is no milk, eggs, honey and other obvious non-vegan delights, then this product is quite suitable for you. If it shows the entire periodic table, then, most likely, you simply do not need such food in your body. For example, the famous Skittles chewy candies are vegan, but contain eight unreadable ingredients that come from the chemical industry. I don’t think that this kind of vegan diet is any different from the most incorrect and unhealthy one.

I have lived in the Czech Republic for many years. In the European Union, the famous American “Organic” certificate was nicknamed “bio” for the reason that in most languages of the Union we're talking about about biological farming.

Manufacturers do not have the right to simply write the word “bio” on the packaging. Obtaining a certificate is preceded by a series of European inspections. Depending on which body the control was carried out, that certificate will appear somewhere near the name of the product. In total, in Europe there are about 30 institutions that have the right to issue certificates indicating that the product meets certain standards: the absence of pesticide particles in the product, the method of its packaging, the absence of synthetic and unsafe components in the product, etc. American products also reach Europe and carry one of the top five organic labels. In fact, almost every country in the world has its own unique certification badge; In addition, the European Union has a single unique sign. Therefore, if you come across an icon that you have never seen, it is better to check on the Internet whether it is genuine.

Biological food products are checked much more often than conventional ones. For a company that has wrongfully applied a certificate to its product, the very first inspection will mean closure and fines.
Organic food is the safest in the world. It is believed that it is as close as possible to what it was before industrial scale. The same as our great-grandfathers ate when they grew it themselves.

In the modern world, complying with the requirements put forward by certification firms is not at all easy. Often the same companies grow both “bio” and “non-bio” food side by side, which allows prohibited substances to get into organic products and leads to huge fines.

Due to the difficulty of obtaining a certificate, biological products are many times more expensive than conventional ones. So, for example, in Prague bananas cost 1.5 euros per kg in winter, and the same product in bio-quality costs about 4 euros/kg, regular flour costs 0.5 dollars per kg, but “bio” on our counters you will find a minimum of 1 euro per kg.

Not vegan

One very important aspect of learning about organic certifications is that organic food does not mean it is vegan. Meat, eggs and any other food products are also produced in bio-quality. Organic products can be either vegan or vegetarian, but they can also be completely unethical. For example, the label “bio-pork” just means that the animal was not fed antibiotics when it was sick and it lived a little more before dying. better conditions How do ordinary pigs live on an intensive livestock farm? For example, she was let out for a walk.

Fair trade - an incredibly popular certificate in the world, literally meaning “Fair Trade”, guarantees its customers the fulfillment of environmental, trade and international fairness criteria. For example, slave labor cannot be used to produce goods marked with such a certificate, and when disposing of waste, they can only be destroyed environmentally.

This certificate includes a huge number of aspects that can be studied further. The same product can have both an “organic” and a Fair trade certificate.

Fair trade certified products do not have the same stringent environmental requirements as organic products, and of course they are neither vegetarian nor vegan by default, but the combination of different certifications means the most high quality, which can be obtained within industrial production food in the modern world. If the product you bought has three certificates: “Bio” (Organic), “Fair trade” and “Vegan”, then we are talking about a product best quality, carried out with the highest ethics towards people, nature and animals.

Without certificate

Certificates for food producers are not issued just like that. You have to pay for checks aimed at assigning a certificate, and for the badge itself, which makes the product increase in price. Some famous and respected companies that produce the highest quality products have been known to bypass certification and promise safety and ethics regarding the production of their products on their websites. For example, the famous Belgian manufacturer of plant-based milk alternatives Alpro has not had a “bio” certificate for many years, while promising that they use only organic ingredients. For many years they did not have a “Vegan” certificate, until the British Vegan Association finally gave it to them, like many others. The Italian vegan pet food “Ami” does not have either vegan or organic certification, although they are known throughout the world for their standards.

In the Czech Republic, a small movement “without a certificate” has also begun. We only have two local vegan companies; they produce very inexpensive and incredibly tasty products, on which they simply write “Vegan”, and sometimes not at all.
Marks&Spencer products, which are extremely popular in Europe, belong to the Premium category. One sandwich costs about 3.5 euros. The company guarantees that their products provide bio-quality, but you will not find a corresponding certificate on their product. But they actively work with the Fair trade sign. In addition, they have a lot of vegan food in their arsenal, but all you will find on it is the inscription: “Suitable for vegetarians.”

The most popular certificates in Europe:
Fair Trade is a single worldwide certificate that guarantees compliance with the principles fair trade, where market prices are not so low that small producers go into debt, and where all workers are paid for their work.

VEGAN ACTION is an American certificate indicating the absence of animal components in the product.

Vegetarian Society Approved and Vegetarian Society Approved vegan are certificates from the British Vegetarian Association for vegetarian and vegan products, respectively. Certificates exclude the use of GMOs.

The Vegan Society logo is the famous certificate issued by the British Vegan Association, the world's most famous and oldest vegan charity. Currently, they give out their certificates after checking the product for its ingredients.

Leaf of Evropian union - a leaf on a green background, consisting of stars, is a single bio-certificate of the European Union.
AB L "agriculture biologique - the French certificate of biological farming is one of the most famous in the world.

Bio-label is a bio-certificate from Germany, one of the three European leaders in the production of bio-products. In Germany, 810 thousand hectares are planted with bio-products, in Italy - more than a million, and in Spain - 808,000 hectares.

USDA organic is the most famous organic certification in the world. With it on the packaging the most a large number of bio-products. It is issued in the USA.

Funny and scandalous incidents in the life of certificates:
in 2013, the Austrian Consumer Union ruled that water cannot be certified “bio” because no water in the world can ever meet the conditions for obtaining a certificate;
in 2016 in the Czech Republic, when monitoring the quality of food products, it was revealed that the most expensive bio-flour contained two prohibited substances at once, while the most common and cheap flour did not contain any;
In 2011, in Italy it was revealed that 3.8% of all organic products sold in the country are not organic. Manufacturers stuck certificates on products themselves, without ever actually receiving them. The police then arrested seven groups of people who were involved in this. Among them were two heads of the largest food companies in Italy;
In 2012, it became known that the Institute, which issues bio-certification for food in Canada, receives a percentage of the sale of these products. This has caused concern in society that the certificate is being issued to everyone. Canada rechecked all its products for a whole year, during which it was revealed that a number of products did not even have a hint of receiving a certificate.

Advantages of eating organic products:
In 2012, the British Journal of Nutrition conducted a large-scale study, during which it found that eating bio-fruits and vegetables virtually eliminates the occurrence of cancer, since these products do not contain carcinogens;
In 2016, leading British nutrition experts published a report in which they proved that organic products contain 50% more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional ones;
Bio-products do not contain antibiotics and synthetic hormones, which most often act as a source of disease;
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study showing that organic products contain 20% more antioxidants. Research on the experimental onion was conducted at Harvard;
Growing organic food is much kinder to nature, as it does not use many hazardous substances and takes a more sensible approach to water and soil.

We can only hope that despite the fact that it is impossible to feed the world’s population of more than 7.5 billion using the old fashioned methods, modern scientists will find a way to do it with dignity – both in terms of usefulness, availability and ethics of these goods. The main thing is that manufacturers do not deceive us. However, we order the ball because we pay for their work, which means we have the right to check their work and contact the relevant authorities to confirm their certificates.

Olga Krupenkova

From January 1, 2016 on the territory Russian Federation GOST R 56508-2015 “Organic products” came into force. Rules for production, storage, transportation”, developed by the State Duma Committee of the Russian Federation on Agrarian Issues with the participation of specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The main task of GOST is to establish rules and regulations for the production and circulation of organic products on the territory of the Russian Federation. GOST contains general principles organic production, requirements for the processes of collection, packaging, labeling, transportation and storage of organic products.

GOST largely repeats international organic standards, primarily the EU, and entails government regulation bio-industry in the Russian Federation, which is welcomed by its representatives.

The pre-audit of the processing production of OJSC "RUZSKOE MILK" for compliance with Russian and European eco-standards of ecological (organic) agriculture has been completed. Now, after bringing management into full compliance with them and passing bio-certification, Russian consumers will be able to purchase a whole list of high-quality ecological (bio, organic) products “from the fertile Ruza.” The pre-audit was carried out by the Eco-Control Company within the framework of the state registered System of Voluntary Certification of Ecological and Biodynamic Management “BIO” (registration number ROSS RU.3238.04BH00).

Reference. Since 2011, the Russian Milk Agroholding has chosen the production of high-quality ecological (bio, organic) products as the strategic vector of its development. The agricultural holding is one of the largest in the Moscow region and Russia and unites 8 agricultural enterprises (dairy farms and feed cultivation) in the Ruzsky district, vegetable production LLC Ruzskie Vegetables, the Bogorodskoye feed mill, the Ruzskoe Milk dairy plant and trading house"Ruzskoe Moloko"; the total land area is more than 35 thousand hectares owned and used.

In March 2007, the Ruzskoe Moloko dairy plant received an international certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the ISO 9001:2008 standard, which was an important step towards the implementation of the plant’s plans for the development of a quality system at the enterprise. In March 2013, the plant confirmed compliance with the international certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the ISO 9001:2000 standard and received an international certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the ISO 22000:2005 standard (dairy product safety).
In 2012-2013 15 products in the range underwent the procedure state registration and transferred to the category baby food for preschool and school age from 3 years.
The products of Ruzskoye Moloko OJSC are regularly awarded medals at the largest exhibitions of agricultural products in Russia: “Golden Autumn”, “Gourmet”, “Russian Food Products”, “Dairy and Meat Industry”, “Prodexpo”, “Agrorus”, “Green Week” and other. In July 2006, the activities of the agricultural holding were awarded an Honorary Diploma from the Moscow Fund for the Protection of Consumer Rights. The highest quality of dairy products of the agricultural holding and its contribution to the development of a civilized consumer market Russia have received recognition from professional experts - the company has more than 25 gold medals for quality.
In 2014, for achieving significant results in the field of product and service quality and implementation highly effective methods quality management of OJSC "Ruzskoe Moloko" was awarded the 2013 Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of quality.

Since the beginning of 2007, Eco-Control has expanded the capabilities of the Pre-Audit program for enterprises.

Now enterprises can undergo Pre-audit not only to confirm the “fallow status” of land(in order to reduce the period of conversion to ecological management and save costs for annual inspection and certification), but also those enterprises that are embarking on environmental management or are planning to do so, but would like to be more confident in their Conversion Program, which also takes into account such requirements of Eco-standards that may turn out to be “critical” (= a serious obstacle) to the transition to environmental management and, accordingly, the production of environmental products.

Pre-audit costs 2-3 times less than the cost of certification and allows businesses Thus, not only can you best prepare for eco-certification, better navigate Eco-standards and the Bio-industry in general, but also, in case of serious non-compliances, significantly reduce your costs for environmental certification.

The BIO certificate is a document that confirms that the product meets biological safety standards and that it was grown without chemical fertilizers. This document is issued for natural products, cosmetic products and those products that are produced on the basis of biological cultures.

The BIO certificate is very common in developed countries, in particular in Europe and America. Since July 2010, all products that are manufactured in accordance with the requirements of BIO standards are subject to the BIO-list label. This marking is mandatory requirement for all goods that were packaged in the EU after mid-2010. As for goods produced before this time, they could be used during the transition period - until July 2012. At the moment they are not being processed.

Is the BIO certificate a mandatory document?

In Russia, as in other EAEU countries, the BIO certificate is not mandatory for registration. However, entrepreneurs are increasingly seeking to pass this type environmental certification in order to emphasize the high quality of their products, distinguish them from competitors’ products, and promote their business to a new level.

What exactly are the benefits that a BIO certificate can bring?

This document can bring the following to the company:

Full compliance with environmental safety standards;
Protection of the environment and the end consumer;
Increasing the level of satisfaction of the consumer group;
Entering new markets – in particular international ones;
Concluding large and profitable contracts with European companies;
Participation in international exhibitions and tenders;
Increasing the chance of accepting government orders;
Simplification of interaction with regulatory authorities;
Simplification of obtaining permits;
Strengthening the image in the market, creating a favorable image for the company;
Expansion of the consumer group;
Possibility to use BIO labeling for marketing purposes;
Increasing investment attractiveness;
Attracting new business partners;
Identification of production weaknesses during the implementation of the standard, optimization of production work;
Support for environmental and natural organizations;
Promotion market value companies;
Increasing the competitiveness of products and much more.

How does one obtain a BIO certificate?

The process consists of several stages:

You contact the Gortest Siberia certification center.
We help collect and prepare the necessary documents.
After this, our experts help implement the system in the enterprise.
The next stage is an audit of the company’s work and adjustment of its functioning.
Issue of BIO certificate.

To receive a certificate, as well as a free consultation, contact the Gortest Siberia certification center. We will help you understand the nuances of environmental certification and apply for required document efficiently and quickly.

Our specialists will help you carry out all the necessary stages of the procedure, establishing a legal and profitable business!

All over the world, food products are labeled environmental safety signs that are associated with organic farming. It implies maintaining healthy soil, ecosystems and caring for human health. According to the concept International Federation organic agriculture movements IFOAM, The core principles are health, sustainability, care and fairness.

Organic Agriculture Standards The use of pesticides, herbicides, and seed treatment is prohibited. In livestock farming, it is important to avoid keeping animals in stalls all year round, grazing is necessary, growth regulators and antibiotics are prohibited, etc. In addition, the use of genetically modified organisms is impossible.

There are several main certification marks in the world. If you see products with one of these labels abroad or in Russia, you can safely buy them.

"Eurolist"

"Euro-leaf" - new sign European organic certification system, which was changed in 2010. The system itself was approved in March 2000 by the European Commission. Sign mandatory for all organic products, sold in the European Union. In our stores you can see it on imported bioproducts and goods from some Russian manufacturers that have passed voluntary certification.

Except for the sign itself The product label must contain information about the place of production. There are three designations: EU Agriculture (in the territory of the EU), non-EU Agriculture (in the territory of third countries, but in accordance with the rules defined for EU countries) and EU/non-EU Agriculture (both the EU and third countries, in accordance with with the standards defined for EU countries). If more than 98% of the materials composing the product were grown in the EU, then the country of origin will be indicated on the packaging.

From July 1, 2012, “Eurolist” was supposed to replace all national logos of EU countries, but many of them still exist in parallel.

In February 2011, the IFOAM federation proposed its own system of organic guarantees and introduced a new world quality mark Global Organic Mark. According to the organization, too many organic labels lead to consumer confusion, so IFOAM proposed the use of a single label and standards throughout the world.

National organic certification systems

German national sign "BIO Seal" (Bio-Siegel) in use since September 2001. Only producers who comply with the requirements of the EU Organic Farming Regulation and mandatory inspections are allowed to have the right to sell their products as organic, natural and ecological products and, accordingly, mark them with a special Bio-Siegel sign. For German buyers the presence of such a mark is more important than the EU mark, because the requirements for product quality organic origin in Germany higher than in the EU. But if both signs are present on the package at once, then this is obviously even better.

The Swedish KRAV mark was adopted in 1985 for labeling agricultural products. Controlled by the Swedish Agricultural Administration and the National Food Department. About 3 thousand farmers and 450 companies have the right to use KRAV certified products.

Swiss The BIO Suisse Bud and The BIO-Bud are used to label organic products sold in the country. In Switzerland more than 760 companies received the right to use The BIO Suisse Bud. Each product is marked with a certificate number and the name of the certifying authority.

French AB sign (short for Agence Bio- French Agency for the Development and Promotion of Organic Agriculture). Agence Bio is a public interest group responsible for the development and promotion of organic agriculture. Products bearing this mark are guarantee the content of more than 95% organic components. They must also be grown in the EU (exotic products are an exception).

English Standard Soil Association was developed in Great Britain by the Soil Association back in 1946. The Soil Association certificate is very authoritative in Europe - not only food products are certified, but also cosmetics and establishments Catering, the shops.

American USDA organic is the National Organic Standard, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture. It was adopted as part of a national program for the transition of American citizens to the consumption of healthy and natural organic products, so its uniqueness is that it is fixed at the state level.

Only specialists from the US Department of Agriculture have the right to certify it. The standard was originally created for food products, but now it is also used for certification of cosmetics and confirmation of environmental compliance of exported or imported products, therefore It operates not only in the United States.

Organic certification in Russia

In Russia, the law on certification of organic agricultural products is currently any manufacturer can call their agricultural products the words “organic”, “ecological”, “bio”, regardless of whether he uses pesticides, GMOs in crop production or growth hormones to feed livestock.

To confirm the environmentally friendly origin of products, some Russian farms practicing organic farming, undergo voluntary certification through representative offices of European certifiers - and in this case their products are recognized by EU countries as organic.

Products from the Konovalovo eco-farm, the first in the Moscow region European auditors from the Ecoglob company.

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