EU & Soil Association Certifications
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Legislation
The EU sets out a number of rules and regulations governing the production, distribution and marketing of organic products in the EU. There are specific regulations related to particular products.
The EU consults with stakeholders and the general public to improve the quality of its legislation and this cooperation also extends to the organics sector. You can find more information at: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/ organic-farming/legislation_en
The Organic Logo
The organic logos can only be used on products that have been certified as organic by an authorised control agency or body. This means that they have fulfilled strict conditions on how they are produced, transported and stored.
Our Licenses (EU Organic & Soil Association)
The licenses are governed by a set of rules that define how an organic product must be grown, farmed or made.
The Soil Association is the world’s first organic standard, which was developed in the 1960s. The certifications must meet strict European laws about the production of organic food. In addition, the license ensures that the production and supply chain process complies the key areas such as animal welfare, protecting human health, and safeguarding the environment. No system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare than farms working to Soil Association organic standards.
The Standards
Soil Association has higher standards that are set and overseen by external committees of experts. Task and Finish groups are made up of our members and certification licensees, researchers, advisors, other experts in their field and consumer representatives. Each group has an independent chair who is responsible for ensuring the group membership is balanced, reflecting the challenges of the sector and the priorities for standards development.
Higher standards worldwide
Soil Association Certification Limited is one of a family of organic certification bodies (CBs) working together to ensure that strict organic standards are being met the world over. You can find our organic standards at https://www.soilassociation.org/our-standards
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Packaging Standards
The Soil Association is the only organic standard setter in the UK that has higher standards on packaging, when buying SA organic products, consumers expect products that are less harmful to human and environmental health, sourced from more sustainable land management systems and are recyclable or reusable where possible.
The packaging standards extend throughout the food supply chain to ensure that sustainability is built into the whole packaging cycle and aim to carry the organic principles into product packaging wherever possible.
Soil Association Certification is the only UK organic certifier with higher standards on packaging. The packaging standards aim to maximise the benefits and avoid the negative impacts of packaging. They extend throughout the food supply chain to ensure that sustainability is built into the whole packaging cycle and aim to embed the organic principles into product packaging wherever possible.
When people purchase organic products certified by Soil Association Certification, they can do so with the confidence that the packaging is consistent with organic principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care.
Soil Association packaging standards are developed and reviewed to remain on top of emerging innovations in the sector. Any changes we make to standards are guided by industry experts and then consulted on publicly.
Packaging Requirement
Numerous packaging solutions incorporate chemical applications to enhance functions such as grease-proofing and oxygen barriers to prolong shelf-life or to meet food safety regulations. Some of these chemicals widely used in packaging have been found to migrate into food products or escape into the environment. The soil association restrict the use of some of the most harmful chemicals used in packaging manufacture, like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) and any emerging risks.