The consumer expects the highest level of food safety when buying organic products. For this reason, the entire chain related to organic products has been included in the legislation governing the control process. Everyone who brings an organic product to the market is subject to control. There are only certain exceptions in the case of retailers selling to consumers.
Organic products can be identified by the correct organic label. Organic product labelling is divided into two categories: products made from 100% organic ingredients and products made from ingredients of which only some are organic, these organic ingredients being identified as such in the list of ingredients. The new EU organic logo and a declaration of origin on 100% organic products are intended to provide the consumer with more information about their organic products.
Accordingly, LACON certifies companies involved in production, storage, transport, marketing and import. The process begins with a description of the company that also covers the possibility of proper separation in space or time of organic production from conventional production. The description must include the processes involved in production, the ingredients used and the labeling of all organic products. The LACON auditor verifies the description and compliance with the requirements of the Regulation.
Such descriptions are also required for all processes carried out by marketing and importing companies. Importing organic products from outside the EU requires a number of additional obligations to exercise due diligence.
We carry out a scheduled inspection once a year. In addition, unannounced inspections may also be carried out. During the inspections, we check purchases, storage, production processes, recipes, balance of quantities, labeling, preventive measures to avoid contamination or mixing (“organic HACCP”).