The organic supplement market is experiencing significant growth, highlighting the need for enhanced traceability and compliance measures. Historically, there has been a lack of traceability in organic sourcing, especially from countries like India and China, raising concerns about authenticity and quality control. To address these issues, the USDA National Organic Program implemented the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule on March 19, mandating extensive documentation and data tracking from seed to processing to transportation.

The most significant update to organic regulations since the program’s inception, the new SOE rule addresses existing regulatory gaps, standardizes certification practices to detect and prevent fraud, enhances transparency and traceability throughout the organic supply chain, and safeguards the integrity of organic products.

Who Is Impacted by the New SEO Rule?

1. Uncertified Operations Once Exempt
   Under the new enforcement rule, the requirement for organic certification has been expanded to include operations involved in trading, facilitating sales or trades on behalf of a seller or oneself, importing, and exporting organic products. Importers, exporters, traders, and certain brokers, who were previously exempt from certification, will now need to get certified under the new rule unless they qualify for an exemption. 
2. Certified Operations
   • Operations must incorporate a fraud prevention plan in their Organic System Plan, detailing monitoring practices and procedures to prevent organic fraud and verify suppliers and product status. They must maintain records from purchase or acquisition through production to sale or transport, ensuring traceability back to the last certified operation in their supply chain, and identify agricultural products as organic.
   • ALL imported organic products must be declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system using data from an NOP Import Certificate generated by the exporter’s accredited certifier in the Organic Integrity Database.
   • All nonretail container labels must include organic identification and information linking the container to audit trail documentation, such as lot numbers or shipping information. This documentation must identify the last certified operation that handled the product and be sufficient to trace the source, transfer of ownership, and transportation of the product.
3. Producers Group Operations. 
   Producer groups, formerly “grower groups,” can still obtain organic certification under one Organic System Plan. The SOE final rule now requires specific criteria for group certification, including organization into production units, common practices and inputs, and centralized systems for collection, processing, and distribution. Groups must have an Internal Control System (ICS) to ensure compliance with organic regulations, conduct internal inspections, maintain traceability, and manage monitoring, training, auditing, and sanctions.

NutriOriginal Certified Organic: Meeting the New SOE Requirements

1. 1. 1. Compliance Preparation: NutriOriginal has spent the last 18 months preparing for this regulation, ensuring compliance at manufacturing sites and stocking over 30 developed items ready for supply. We can also provide our Organic Certificate, which can be traced on the USDA Integrity Database.
      2. Transaction Certificate Management: NutriOriginal manages transaction certificates for customers, enabling them to comply with USDA guidelines and utilize the organic logo on final products, ensuring transparency and authenticity.
      3. Traceability Process: All NutriOriginal ingredients are certified organic from planting to harvesting, with biomass checked and analyzed at every stage to maintain organic integrity and compliance.
      4. Lab Testing and Analysis: Lab testing is conducted before extraction using only organic-certified methods. Samples are then sent to third-party labs for further analysis to maintain certification standards.
      5. Industry Participation: NutriOriginal is an active participant in industry associations such as the Organic Trade Association and the Supplement Council, demonstrating their dedication to organic integrity and compliance.

Visit our product page to discover NutriOriginal´s extensive line of organic certified plant-based health ingredients.