Organic Certifications

Why does the organic certification matter?

Words like natural, organic and whole food is often misused and abused in today’s market. Something containing only some organic or natural ingredients may use the words in their title or in the commercials without actually being accredited as certified organic.

When produce is exported for Australia, like ours is, then the label “organic” is very heavily regulated by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). However we still only take our products from certified organic farmers to ensure you top quality and certified organic produce.

When the label “certified organic” is used on a product it’s different than just a mention of natural or organic on the packaging. The certified organic label guarantees that the produce or product has been scrutinised by a third party.

Produce and products with the organic certification are grown on farms that employ organic methods – holistic cultivation and no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. The organic certification bodies will perform yearly checks and spot tests to ensure that a farm is keeping to a rule and upholding the great standards of Australian organic produce.

We get all our produce and products from certified organic growers & producers on a weekly basis. However as this is a dynamic situation we may be getting our carrots from an ACO accredited grower one week and a different organic certified accredited grower the next. This is to ensure that we always offer you the best possible quality produce whilst still providing you with certified organic products.

Who accredits the different organic certifiers?

In Australia, organic certification is performed by several organizations that are accredited by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Currently there are 7 registered DAFF accredited certifying bodies.

What is the difference between these logos?

All certifying organisations belonging to these logos must ensure that their members comply with the national standard. Each certifying organisation has variations of this standard, but these are mainly extra requirements set ontop of the minimum National standard. DAFF will not accredit an organisation that allows a system that does not live up to the National Standard. The difference is therefore not all that big, it is mainly just the extra security measures they take and the focus points that differ.

We get all of our products from farms accredited by several of the above organic certifications and the quality and organic assurance is great with each one.

*Organic Growers of Australia is a smaller certification agency that is run domestically and not controlled by DAFF. It is accredited by the International Organic Accreditation Service and run by Australian Certified Organic (ACO).