China Organic Certification

Refers to products produced, processed, and sold in accordance with the GB/T 19630 standard, intended for human consumption and animal feeding.

The current organic product standard (GB/T 19630-2019) was published on August 30, 2019, and implemented from January 1, 2020. The standard comprises 7 chapters and 8 appendices, including scope, normative references, terms and definitions, production, processing, labeling and sales, management system, and normative appendices A-E.

In addition, producers, processors, and/or operators of organic products should also comply with the requirements of the "Organic Product Certification Management Measures" and the "Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules".

Organic product producer: An entity or individual engaged in the production of plant, animal, and microbial products, whose products have obtained organic product certification and are authorized to use the organic product certification mark

Organic product processor: An entity or individual engaged in the processing of food, feed, and textiles, whose products have obtained organic product certification and are authorized to use the organic product certification mark

Organic product operators: units or individuals engaged in the transportation, storage, packaging, and trade of organic products, whose products have obtained organic product certification and are approved to use the organic product certification mark

Organic product sellers: units engaged in the wholesale, direct sales, exhibition sales, consignment sales, distribution, retail, or any other means of bringing organic products to the market

The types of products applying for certification should be included in the "Organic Product Certification Catalogue" published by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China. Organic products are mainly divided into the following categories:

Plant and edible fungi categories: such as agricultural crops, edible fungi and flowers, wild plants, textile raw material crops such as cotton and linen, green feed plants, Chinese herbal medicines, etc

Livestock and poultry: live animals such as livestock and poultry, or their by-products

Aquatic products: algae, fish, crustaceans such as shrimp, crab, and shellfish, and other aquatic animals

Food processing: processed products and by-products using plants, livestock, poultry, and aquatic products as raw materials and ingredients

Processing of traditional Chinese medicinal materials: processed products of plant-based traditional Chinese medicinal materials

Feed processing: plant-based or animal-based feed

Textile processing: spinning with natural fibers and textile finished products

Note: Plant products that have obtained organic product certification can include the entire plant or a certain part of the plant. For example, if grapes have obtained organic product certification, their grape seeds and grape leaves do not need to apply for additional certification.

The certification process can be divided into three parts: the time before on-site inspection + the rectification time (when applicable) + the time from inspection report to certification decision

From the acceptance of the application to the inspection, the main factor depends on the time the enterprise spends preparing the materials, and this part of time is controlled by the enterprise itself

The rectification period is generally applicable to situations where non-conformities occur, and it typically lasts 1-3 months. This period is still controlled by the enterprise itself

The period from the completion of inspection to the certification decision is generally 30 working days, which is controlled by the certification body

Therefore, with the active cooperation of the enterprise, the entire certification process can generally be completed within 2 to 3 months

According to the "Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules", the validity period of a Chinese organic product certification certificate shall not exceed 12 months. The certification applicant is required to submit a re-certification application to the certification body at least 3 months before the end of the certificate's validity period. In principle, certified organizations will undergo at least one complete inspection every year and are also required to pay the certification fee annually.

The cost of organic product certification varies depending on many factors, generally including the type of product, the production process, and the complexity of the processing or operating of organic products by the enterprise. We recommend that you fill out our application form to obtain an accurate quotation.

Certificate format: The Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China has stipulated the formats of organic product certification certificates and organic conversion product certification certificates in the "Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules".

Certificate Numbering: The organic product certification adopts a unified numbering rule for certification certificates. The certification body enters relevant information such as the certification certificate, inspection team, inspection report, and on-site inspection photos into the China Food and Agricultural Products Certification Information System. After the format verification is passed, the system automatically assigns a certification certificate number, and the certification body is not allowed to number it on its own.

The China Organic Product Certification Mark should be clear and conspicuous. The China Organic Product Certification Mark printed on the label, instruction manual, advertisements, and other promotional materials of certified products may be enlarged or reduced proportionally, but it should not be distorted or discolored.

To ensure the basic anti-counterfeiting and traceability of organic product certification marks, and prevent the occurrence of counterfeit certification marks and certified products, certified organizations should apply an organic code (i.e., "one product, one code") on the minimum sales packaging of certified organic products.

Currently, SRS has designated Zhejiang Tianyan Weizhen Network Technology Co., Ltd. as the printing unit for organic product labels, and has submitted it to the Certification and Accreditation Administration for record-keeping.

The organic product sales certificate specifically refers to the certification document issued by the certification body of the certified organization, which is used to confirm that a specific sales batch of products meets the requirements of organic product standards.

According to the provisions of the "Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules": Certified organizations shall apply for a sales certificate from Shanghai Shiying (previously) for the sale of certified products. For the sale of products with organic codes, a sales certificate may not be required.