Organic Food Production and Certification

8/14/2019 Organic Food Production and Certification

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/organic-food-production-and-certification 1/8

EB1888

Carol A. Miles, Tamera K. Flores, and Miles McEvoy

ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION AND

CERTIFICATION IN WASHINGTON STATE

According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA),national sales of organic foods are increasing 20 to 30% annually, makingorganic food the fastest growing segment of the food industry. In 1998,Washington’s organic food industry sold over $70 million in organic food. In1988, in response to a request from organic producers, the WSDA establishedthe Organic Food Program (OFP).

The WSDA OFP develops organic production standards and certifies organic producers, ensuring the integrity of organic food produced and sold in WashingtonState. The OFP also assists in developing markets for organic food, and it provides technical information pertaining to organic food production. The OFPmeets regularly with an advisory board of organic producers, processors, andhandlers.

This publication is an overview of the Washington State organic productionstandards and certification process for producers of crops, mushrooms, live-stock, and value-added products.

Organic Crop Production

The WSDA Organic Crop Production Standards and the Brand Name Materials List , both available from the OFP,are discussed below. The standardsspell out allowed and prohibited production practices related to buffer zones, soil and plant nutrition, seeds,transplants, pest manage-ment, post-harvesthandling, and recordkeeping. The Brand

Name Materials List is an extensive list of pesticides, fertilizers,

soil amendments, andother materials approvedfor use in organic production.

This publication is part of the Farming West of the Cascades series



2 — Organic Food Production

Buffer ZonesOrganic and conventional crops may be grown on thesame farm. In addition to following the Organic Crop

Production Standards , certification requires a buffer zone of 25 feet between organic sites and areas where prohibited materials are applied. An inspector from theOFP may sample crops along the buffer for pesticideresidue. If pesticide drift occurs, the affected crops can-not be sold as organic. The OFP provides a letter withthe certification application form that explains theorganic standards and clarifies the issue of pesticidedrift. The OFP recommends sharing this letter withneighboring farms or residences to make them awareof your farm’s organic status.

Soil and Plant NutritionThe OFP encourages producers to use animal manure,compost, and green manure to build soil organic matter,maintain soil fertility, and encourage soil biologicalactivity. Growers should not apply manure and compostat rates that exceed crop nutrient needs or during therainy winter months because of water quality issues.Fresh manure must not be applied within 60 days of crop harvest, and manure should be composted before itis applied to any field growing food crops that may beconsumed raw.

The OFP allows the use of natural fertilizers and soilamendments for meeting specific nutrient needs, and it prohibits the use of synthetic fertilizers. In addition,unapproved fertilizers cannot have been used on theland for at least three years prior to organic certification.

SeedsSeeds should be untreated. Insecticide-treated seed is prohibited, and fungicide-treated seed may be used onlyif untreated seed is not available. If fungicide-treatedseed is used, the producer must obtain a letter from theseed supplier stating that untreated seed is not available.This letter must be kept on record at the farm.

TransplantsAnnuals and biennials must be grown organically fromseed to harvest. Perennials are considered organic whenthey have been grown for one year following organicgrowing practices.

Pest Management

Producers should use crop rotations, biological controls,and natural materials to manage pests. Syntheticinsecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are prohibited,and they cannot have been used on the land for at leastthree years prior to organic certification. Growers mustapply all approved materials according to their labelsand in compliance with state and federal laws. Again, to prevent pesticide drift and contamination, buffer zonesof at least 25 feet must separate land growing organiccrops from land to which prohibited materials have beenapplied.

PostharvestThe OFP allows use of some natural materials for postharvest processing and handling. Some of thematerials and practices approved for postharvest use are beneficial insects, carbon dioxide gas, chlorine dioxide,controlled atmosphere storage, natural waxes (that do notcontain synthetic additives), biodegradable soap, and sodaash used to float tree fruits. All materials must be usedaccording to their labels and in compliance with stateand federal laws. Antibiotics, artificial preservatives,irradiation, fumigants, fungicides, and other synthetic pesticides are some of the materials and practices theOFP prohibits.

Record KeepingProducers must keep records for at least two years after the sale of an organic crop. Records should facilitate thetracing of all production steps from land preparation and planting through harvest. They should include thelocation of the acreage used for crop production as wellas any additions made to the soil, applied to plants, or

The WSDA OFP manages organic certificationin Washington State and has final approval of materials and practices used in organic production.For application packets or information, or for thelist of organic certification agencies reviewed andrecognized by the WSDA OFP, producers cancontact:

WSDA Organic Food ProgramPO Box 42560Olympia, WA 98504-2560 phone: (360) 902-1877fax: (360) 902-2087email: [email protected]: www.wa.gov/agr/fsah/organic/ofp.htm

WSDA Organic Food Program



added to irrigation water. Producers must retain purchasereceipts and record soil fertility, pest management, andharvest activities to verify yields and sales.

Approved MaterialsProducers may use only natural materials in organic production. The Organic Crop Production Standards

include lists of approved generic materials includingfertilizers, growth promoters, soil amendments, pesti-cides, and postharvest treatments. The Brand Name

Materials List presents commercially available materialsthat are approved for use in organic production. Theselists assist producers in identifying organic materials,and local Cooperative Extension offices can further help producers decide which materials are best suited for their particular needs. Producers should always readlabels before applying any pesticides. Only pesticidesthat are registered in Washington State may be applied.For registration information, growers can contactWSDA’s Pesticide Management Division (see Resources ).

Organic Mushroom Production

The WSDA Organic Mushroom Production Standardsare designed to ensure high quality, residue-free mush-rooms produced without the use of synthetic fertilizersand pesticides. The standards address agar, hay, straw,and wood production systems, but they do not addresscompost and manure production systems. At this time,compost- and manure-grown mushrooms may be certifiedorganic on a case-by-case basis. Standards for growing

medium and pest management are summarized below.

Growing MediumMushrooms do not have the ability to manufacture foodthrough photosynthesis and thus rely exclusively on thematerial in which they are grown for all their nutrition.Therefore, the growing medium is critical to the healthand quality of mushrooms. Agar used as a growingmedium may be non-organic; however, all plant-derivedamendments (e.g., rice bran, cottonseed meal, wheatgerm) used in the medium must be certified organic.Grain, straw, or hay used in the medium must be certi-fied organic, and wood used for mushroom productionmust not have been treated with any prohibited materialsfor at least three years prior to harvest.

Pest ManagementBecause producing insect- and disease-free mushroomsrequires special attention to cleanliness, producers mayuse chlorine bleach to sterilize equipment and facilities.They may not apply bleach to crops or the growing

medium. Antibiotics are allowed only in the agar growing medium, but levels cannot exceed 1/25th of one gram per liter of agar mix. All pest control materialsmust be approved for use in organic food production(producers can refer to the Organic Crop ProductionStandards and the Brand Name Materials List ). Produc-ers should always read labels before applying any pesticides.

Organic Livestock Production

The WSDA Animal Production Standards for Organic Meat and Dairy Products , available from the WSDAOFP, are discussed below. These production standardsapply to any animal that is raised for meat, dairy, or eggs, and they outline requirements for animal healthcare, feed, living conditions, record keeping, andlabeling. Animals raised for organic meat or dairy must be raised according to these standards for at least 12months prior to slaughter or production. If slaughter or production occurs in less than 12 months from birth,animals must be raised organically from birth. Inaddition, when animals are slaughtered less than 12months from birth, their mothers must meet the criteriaduring the last 1/3 of gestation and while the slaughter animal is nursing.

Health CareThe OFP promotes an integrated approach to disease prevention, parasite control, and disease treatment.It prohibits the use of antibiotics and hormones for a

herd’s daily health program, but producers of organicanimals may market only healthy animals and animal products; they may not withhold disease treatment inorder to represent animals or animal products asorganic. Producers must treat sick animals, but treatedanimals and animal products cannot be sold as organic.Producers should contact their veterinary practitioner to determine appropriate treatments; however, thefollowing paragraphs briefly describe the OFP standardsfor enzootic disease management and daily health programs. Necessary use of prohibited substances isalso described.

Enzootic Disease Management. The OFP approvesthe use of all vaccines for enzootic diseases (diseasesthat are regularly present in certain groups of animalsin particular geographical locations). These vaccinesinclude USDA licensed biologics, and they must beused in accordance with label directions. Approvedvaccines include those:

• Required by law (e.g., Brucellosis, emergency disease)

Organic Food Production—3



• Recommended by a licensed veterinary practitioner (e.g., IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV, Clostridial diseases,Haemophilus)

• Required for disease-control testing (e.g., tuberculosisantigen)

For more information on testing and vaccination for regulated diseases, producers can contact the stateveterinarian’s office at 360-902-1878.

Daily Health Program. An integrated approach todisease prevention, parasite control, and disease treat-ment includes:

• Approved, labeled botanical insecticides for external parasite control and for fly management

• Natural materials used in homeopathic, naturo- pathic, and herbal remedies

• Tamed iodine, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide asdisinfectants

• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) for use on machineryand facilities

• Steam sterilization of equipment

Approved organic prescription drugs, chemotherapeuticagents, anesthetics, and other controlled materials may be used in accordance with labels if prescribed or administered by a licensed veterinary practitioner.Over-the-counter remedies may not be used on organicfood animals. Many veterinarians will work with producers to devise natural strategies for disease prevention and parasite control.

Use Of Prohibited Substances. Dairy animals may notreceive synthetic parasiticides or hormones for one year prior to organic milk production. They may not receiveantibiotics for ninety days prior to organic milk produc-tion. Nonpoultry slaughter animals may not receivehormones, antibiotics, or synthetic parasiticides for oneyear prior to slaughter. Poultry may not receive hormones,antibiotics, or synthetic parasiticides from one day olduntil slaughter or throughout egg production. If prohib-ited substances such as antibiotics, hormones, andvaccines are necessarily used to maintain animal health,some types of animals may still be marketed as organicif specific time requirements are followed to transition

the animals back to organic. For example, if a dairycow requires treatment with an antibiotic, the cow’s milk may not be sold as organic for 90 days after treatment.The Animal Production Standards for Organic Meat and

Dairy Products outline other specific time limits for transitioning back to organic.

FeedOrganic animals must graze only on organic pasture and

range. They must also eat organic feed that has been produced according to the Organic Crop ProductionStandards . Organic birds must have 100% organicallygrown feed from the time they are one day old. Dairyanimals must have 100% organic feed for ninety days prior to milk production, and they must have access toonly certified organic pasture for at least one year prior to organic milk production. The following paragraphs briefly describe standards for feed additives and emer-gency feed.

Feed Additives. The OFP approves the use of somefeed additives including vitamins, minerals, aminoacids (chelated and nonchelated), salt, molasses, mineraloil, enzymes, fish meal, and fish by-products. Beforeadministering a feed additive, growers should determinethat the specific product is approved. Prohibited feedadditives include synthetic products, animal by-products(bloodmeal and bonemeal), processed or unprocessedanimal waste (manure), and plastic.

Emergency Feed. If there is an unforeseen shortageof organic feed in the area, animals may eat non-organicfeed for a limited period. First, however, the producer must make every effort to locate organic feed, keepinga record of these efforts. The producer may not marketdairy, eggs, and meat as organic during the periodwhen animals receive non-organic feed. Also, there arespecific time requirements for transitioning back toorganic after organic feeding is recommenced. Thetransition period for dairy and eggs equals the amountof time that the animal received non-organic feed. For example, if an animal received non-organic feed for

two days, dairy and eggs could not be marketed asorganic for a total of four days; that is, two days whileit received non-organic feed and two days after organicfeeding recommenced. Meat may not be marketed asorganic during the period when the animal receivesnon-organic feed and for 90 days after organic feedingis recommenced.

Living ConditionsAll organic animals must have access to outside areas;they cannot be raised in a confinement system. Everyanimal must have enough room to get up, lie down, turnaround, groom, and stretch its limbs. The following paragraphs briefly describe living condition standardsfor organic poultry animals and nonpoultry animals.

Poultry. Poultry must have access to outside areas andmay be raised in houses or in movable pen systems that provide at least 4 ft. of living space per bird, and insidespace must be at least 1.5 ft. per bird. If movable pensystems are used, the pasture or range they are housedon must be certified organic. Producers must provide




shade and dusting wallows, and laying birds must alsohave access to nest boxes and perches.

Nonpoultry. Nonpoultry animals, including cows, pigs,sheep, and goats, must have access to organic pasture or range. However, producers may keep them in a feedlotfor up to 90 days prior to slaughter as long as theanimals have access to fresh air and daylight.

Record KeepingEach nonpoultry animal must bear permanent individualidentification, an ear tag or mark, to ensure accuraterecord keeping. Producers may identify poultry by flock.Producers must maintain records for each organically produced animal starting from birth or purchase, andthey must save those records for two years after the saleor slaughter of the animal. Records must include thefollowing information:

• The purchases and sales of livestock and livestock

products including dates, quantities, and weights• A list of all materials used in the on-site productionof crops for feed

• All purchased feed, including dates, quantities, andsources

• All feed supplements used• All medications administered (type, name, and

source), including dates and dosages• A copy of the organic production certificate• The slaughter weight of animals and the weight of

post-slaughter products• Receipts for all animals and materials sold

LabelingIf poultry and dairy animals have been raised followingorganic livestock production guidelines, there are norestrictions on labeling egg and dairy products asorganic. At this time, meat for retail sale must bear alabel that includes the name of the certifying agency.For example, if the meat is certified organic by WSDA,the label should read “Certified organic by the WSDAOrganic Food Program.” The entire statement mayappear anywhere on the label, but it must be contiguousand of the same font size, style, and color. The OFPdoes not issue labels to individual producers but to the

USDA-approved facilities where the animals areslaughtered and processed. Meat that is intended to belabeled organic must be slaughtered and processed ata USDA-approved facility.

The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)reviews and approves labels. Producers can obtainapplications for label approval from on-site inspectorsat USDA-approved facilities. Producers then submit

applications and supporting documentation to thenational USDA FSIS office in Washington, DC (seeResources ). Documentation must show that animalshave been raised following organic livestock productionguidelines. It should include the following information:

• Name of the meat or poultry product and/or theingredients used in the meat or poultry product

• Certifying agency’s name and address• Name and signature of the responsible official at

the certifying agency• Date of certification• Copy of the organic production certificate

For more information about labeling organic meat, producers can contact the regional USDA FSIS office(see Resources ).

Organic Value-Added Products

Organic value-added products are products made fromfood that has been organically grown and processedwithout artificially derived preservatives, coloring,flavorings, or other artificial additives. Processingvalue-added products may involve the use of somenonagricultural ingredients—such as salt, water, leaveningagents, pectin, and agar—and some processing aids suchas enzymes. In addition to some nonagricultural ingredi-ents, processed foods may contain both organic andnon-organic ingredients. The labels of value-added products reflect the percentages of organic ingredients by weight; location and font size of the term organicdepend on product composition.

Label regulations related to use of the term organic aredescribed below. Another Farming West of the Cascades publication, MAKING VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS:GETTING STARTED , describes regulations for makingvalue-added products.

Foods Composed of 100% OrganicIngredientsThe term organic may appear anywhere on the packagewithout restriction. For example, pesto made with allorganic ingredients could have a label that reads

Organic Pesto

Foods Composed of 95-100% OrganicIngredientsThe OFP approves certain non-organic ingredients for use as minor ingredients in processed organic food




products. These ingredients include, but are not limitedto, aluminum-free baking powder, seaweed, yeast,mineral salts, and water. Food products containingapproved minor ingredients may use the term organicwithout restriction.

Foods Composed of 50-95% Organic

IngredientsIn foods composed of 50-95% organic ingredients byweight, the term organic may only be used to modifythe organic ingredient(s). Organic may appear with the product identity; however, the type size of organic maynot be larger than three-quarters the type size of the product identity. For example, pesto made with organic basil and garlic and non-organic nuts and oil could havea label that reads (text size is appropriately scaled):

Pestomade with organic basil and garlic

Foods Composed of Less Than 50%Organic IngredientsIf organically grown ingredients make up less than 50%of the weight of a food product, the term organic canonly be used on the ingredients list, not with the productidentity.

Who Obtains Organic Certification?

Producers obtain certification to produce specificcommodities (organic crops, mushrooms, meat and dairy products, and value-added products) in a specific placeand in a specific way. For example, a grower obtains acertificate to grow a certain crop (or crops) on a certain piece of land.

All producers who market organic food must obtainorganic certification with one exception: producers whosell less than $5,000 (gross) worth of product and selldirectly to consumers (e.g., community-supportedagriculture and on-farm sales) do not have to obtain

certification unless they plan to sell organic food at afarmers’ market. All Washington State farmers’ marketsrequire that producers selling organic food are certified.However, even producers exempt from certificationmust produce organic food in compliance with theWSDA organic crop and livestock production standards.

Producers wanting to avoid the effort and expense of obtaining organic certification might consider marketingfood as pesticide-free, unsprayed, and grown without

pesticides ; however; these terms have legal definitions.Food labeled as such must have been produced withoutany applications of pesticides. In addition, food labeledas pesticide-free must have been actually tested anddetermined to be free of all pesticide residues.

How You Can Apply for OrganicCertification

To apply for organic certification, contact the WSDAOFP in January and request an application packet (seeResources ). Even if you were certified the previousyear, you must renew your certification; the programcertifies producers annually. Submit your applicationwith the following materials:

• A farm management plan• A farm map• The appropriate fees

New applicants can expect to pay two fees: an initialfee of $75 (to help offset the costs of processing a newapplication) and an annual fee. The annual fee will varyfrom $165 to more than $2,000, based on the value of your product as estimated by you. The appropriate feesmust accompany your application.

After you apply for certification, an inspector from theOFP will visit your farm to investigate crop and live-stock production practices and test for pesticide residues.Additional unannounced inspections may also occur atthe discretion of the OFP inspector.





The following resources can provide you with moreinformation about producing organic food andobtaining organic certification.

Regulatory Agencies

Washington State Department of AgricultureOrganic Food ProgramFood Safety & Animal Health DivisionP.O. Box 42560Olympia, WA 98504-2560Phone: (360) 902-1877Fax: (360) 902-2087Email: [email protected]: http://www.wa.gov/agr/fsah/organic/ofp.htm

WSDA Pesticide Management DivisionP.O. Box 42589Olympia, WA 98504-2589Phone: (360)-902-2030Fax: (360) 902-2093

United States Department of Agricultural (USDA)Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)Regional Inspections Operation530 Center St NE MezzanineSalem, OR 97301Phone: (503) 399-5831 or 1-800-547-8732Fax: (503) 399-5636

Labeling and Additives Policy DivisionRoom 616C, Cotton AnnexWashington, D.C. 20250Phone: (202) 205-0279

Materials Available from the WSDAOrganic Food Program

Animal Production Standards for Organic Meat andDairy Products, Chapter 16-162, WashingtonAdministrative Code. Guidelines for organic animal

production in Washington State.Application for Organic Food Handler Certification,AGR-2149. Application calling for food handlersseeking organic certification to provide a description of

business activities (i.e., packer, distributor, etc.), a listof ingredient suppliers, an illustration of the label, anda diagram of the handling facility.

Application for Organic Food Processor Certification,AGR-2147. Application calling for food processors to

provide a list of ingredient suppliers, product formulation(to be kept confidential), an illustration of the label, anda diagram of processing procedures and facilities.

Application Packet for Organic Food ProducerCertification. This packet includes the followingmaterials: Application for Organic Certification (AGR-2115), Farm Management Plan (AGR-2121), Map Order form, Organic Crop Production Standards, PesticideDrift Letter, Record Keeping Worksheets, Site Informa-tion (AGR-2129).

Application Packet for Organic Livestock ProducerCertification. This packet includes the followingmaterials: Animal Production Standards for OrganicMeat and Dairy Products, Application for Organic

Certification (AGR-2115), Livestock ProductionManagement Plan (AGR-2156), Map Order Form,Organic Crop Production Standards, Pesticide DriftLetter, Record Keeping Worksheets, Site Information(AGR-2129).

Approved Brand Name Materials List for OrganicProduction. List of materials that have been reviewedand approved for organic production in WashingtonState; also available on the web from the WSDAOrganic Food Program website.

Organic Certification Agencies Reviewed andRecognized by the WSDA Organic Food Program. A

review of national and international organic certificationagents and recognition of agents that comply withWashington State standards.

Organic Crop Production Standards, Chapter 16-154, Washington Administrative Code. Guidelines toorganic crop production in Washington State.

Organic Food Handler Standards, Chapter 16-164,Washington Administrative Code. Guidelines for handlers of organic food products, including definitionsand information on allowable materials and practices,record keeping requirements, inspections, sampling,

and fees.Organic Food Processor Standards, Chapter 16-158,Washington Administrative Code. Guidelines for

processors of organic food products, including defini-tions and information on processing standards, labeling,record keeping, additives, sampling, and fees.

continued

Resources



8— Organic Food Production

About the AuthorsCarol A. Miles , Ph.D., is the Agricultural Systems Extension Agent, WSU Cooperative Extension, Lewis County. Shespecializes in on-farm research of vegetable and alternative crop production systems in western Washington. Her other areas of interest include small farms, organic production, and alternative pest control.

Tamera K. Flores is an assistant with the Agricultural Systems Program, WSU Cooperative Extension, Lewis County, anda student at Evergreen State College. She specializes in researching sustainable agriculture topics and educating the publicabout these issues.

Miles McEvoy is the Organic Food Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. For the lasttwelve years, he has inspected and certified organic farms and participated in the development of national organic standards.

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Organic Food Products, Chapter 15.86, Title 15,Revised Code of Washington: Agriculture andMarketing. State code describing basic organic food

production standards and giving WSDA authority tocertify organic food, producers, processors, and handlers.

Organic Food Program Brochure. An overview of the mission of the WSDA OFP and a list of the foodindustry segments, from production through marketing,that Washington State regulates.

Organic Mushroom Production Standards. A two- page description of organic mushroom production,including materials and methods, facilities and equipment,

pest control, and sampling standards.

Organic Producer and Transition to Organic Pro-ducer Certification, Chapter 16-156, WashingtonAdministrative Code. Guidelines for organic certificationapplicants, including information on application

procedures, inspection and sampling parameters,criteria for granting certification, criteria for revokingor denying certification, and fees.

Registration of Materials for Organic Food Produc-tion, Chapter 16-160, Washington AdministrativeCode. Guidelines and requirements of materials to bereviewed for use in organic production and processing.

Washington State Certified Organic Producers,Processors, and Handlers. A list of producers certified

by Washington State’s OFP, divided by county and bycrop. Also includes processors and handlers by type of

product.

Wild Harvested Organic Plant Standards. A one-pagedescription of Washington State certification standardsfor wild harvested plants. Includes definitions andinformation on standards, sampling, and application

procedures.

Resources Continued

King County Agriculture Commission

The series Farming West of the Cascades is a project of the WSU Food and Farm Connections Team. The Food and Farm ConnectionsTeam is a group of Cooperative Extension faculty and staff seeking to promote and enhance sustainable, community-based food andfiber systems through research, education, and partnerships. The Team is supported by the WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture andNatural Resources (CSANR) . For more information about the Team or CSANR, visit our website at <http://foodfarm.wsu.edu>, or call(253) 445-4514.

Funding for this project was provided by WSU Cooperative Extension and the King County Agriculture Commission.

You may order copies of this and other publications from the WSU Bulletin office, 1-800-723-1763, or online ‹http://caheinfo.wsu.edu›

Issued by Washington State University Cooperative Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of May8 and June 30, 1914. Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondis-crimination regarding race, sex, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin; physical, mental or sensory disability; marital status,sexual orientation, and status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your localCooperative Extension office. Trade names have been used to simplify information; no endorsement is intended. Published December1999. B. Subject code 262. EB1888

Documents

Organic Food Production and Certification