Organic Framing

Introduction

• In order to assure the consumer that a product is produced organically, a kind of quality control is needed. The organic quality is based on standards, inspection, certification and accreditation. All organic food is produced and handled according to strict rules called ‘organic standards’.
• These standards cover all aspects of food production from animal welfare and wildlife conservation, to not allowing artificial food additives. All organic forms are visited at least once a year by a certifying inspector to check that standards are met.
• Organic standards do not define a quality status which can be measured in the final product (E.g. quality of pesticide residues, heavy metals, etc.). They define the way of production (E.g. that no chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used).
• There are organic standards at the national as well as international level.