Certifications

Organic

Q: What does "certified organic” really mean?

A: A certified organic designation means that a state or private certification organization that is accredited by the USDA has verified that the product meets its strict organic standards. The certifier inspects the location where the organic product is produced and handled to ensure that all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards are being followed. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to the local supermarket or restaurant must also be certified and inspected annually to ensure continued compliance. (And the certifiers themselves, in order to maintain their accredited certifier status with the USDA, are required to conduct annual on-site inspections of all their clients.)


All products sold as “certified organic” in the United States, regardless of what country they were produced in, are required to follow the U.S. organic standards and be certified by a USDA-accredited certifier.


Here are the basic USDA regulations for the four recognized types of organic claims on product labels: 

 

  • For products labeled "100% Organic," all ingredients must be certified organic, excluding water and salt. The products must show an ingredients list, the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor, importer, manufacturer, packer, processor, etc.) of the finished product, and the name/seal of the organic certifier.
  • Products labeled "Organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, excluding water and salt. The label must contain an ingredient list that identifies the organic as well as the non-organic ingredients, and the name of the organic certifier. Any non-organic ingredients used must be approved by the USDA for use in an organic product.
  • Products labeled "Made with Organic (specified ingredients or food groups)" must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt) and up to 30% non-organic agricultural ingredients or other ingredients approved by the USDA for use in organic products. The label must contain an ingredients list that identifies the organic as well as the non-organic ingredients in the product, along with the name of the organic certifier.
  • If a product contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the product can specify organic ingredients only on the ingredient panel. The product cannot use the word "organic" on the principal display panel (front label of the product) or display any organic certifier seals.

Many products also bear the “If it’s organic, it’s non-GMO" certification mark. This logo is designed to help inform consumers that USDA organic certification requires products to be free of genetically modified organisms. Essentially, certified organic products are non-GMO by definition.


For further information on organic standards, visit the Organic Trade Association’s website at: https://ota.com/resources/organic-standards
Q: Are certified organic products completely free of pesticide residues?

A:The 1995 definition of organic production by the National Organics Standard Board notes that "Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and waters." These methods include buffer zones between conventional and organic fields, a three-year waiting period before previously non-organic land can be used for organic crops and placing organic products in storage on the higher shelves to avoid cross contamination from non-organic products.
Q: Aren’t ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ essentially the same thing?

A:The terms "natural" and "organic" are not interchangeable. While the term "natural" suggests that products have been minimally processed or are free from synthetic ingredients, there are no federal regulations that must be complied with in order to label a botanical product "natural." On the other hand, products labeled "organic" must be certified by a USDA-accredited third-party certifier to have met the government's strict organic standards. 

Kosher

Q: What does “kosher certified” mean?

A: Kosher certification is an approval by a Rabbinic agency indicating that a product complies with Jewish religious dietary law. For a product to be kosher certified, a kosher certification agency must inspect the product ingredients, the facility, and its processing to ensure that nothing non-kosher can get into the food. The agency also must review and approve the information on the product label.


Kosher Supervision of America (KSA) is our certifier. Most of our herbs, spices, seasoning blends and teas are kosher certified. Those products bear the KSA logo on the label and display Kosher on the product detail pages of our websites.

Fairtrade

Q: What does “fair trade certified” mean?

A: Fair trade certification provides farmers and farm workers in developing countries with guaranteed minimum prices, decent work conditions and fair wages to prevent their exploitation. Fair trade also encourages sustainable farming practices and supports direct trade to eliminate exploitive middlemen.
When you purchase Fairtrade America certified products, you are:

We recently transitioned our certification to Fairtrade International (with its subsidiary, Fairtrade America). Certification through Fairtrade International allows Frontier Co-op and their partners (us) to engage at a deeper level within our supply chain and to increase benefits to the farmers from which we source. It also allows us greater visibility into our certified supply chain partners, and the opportunity to invest more meaningfully in collaborative projects in the communities of certified farmers and farming groups.

Regenerative Organic

Q: What does “regenerative organic certified” mean?

A:In a nutshell, regenerative farming helps rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare, and improve the lives of farmers. We believe firmly that regenerative agriculture should inherently require organic practices, and Regenerative Organic Certified® represents the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world. Regenerative Organic Certified® is an agricultural certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients. Based on three pillars, it requires farmers to go above and beyond by practicing agricultural techniques that ensure healthy soil, the ethical and humane treatment of animals, and fairness for farmers & workers. It was created to address the climate crisis, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming and fractured rural economies globally.