AQSIQ Issues Measures to Strengthen Organic Product Certification Management

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) recently issued the Measures for the Administration of Organic Product Certification, aiming to strengthen organic product certification management, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, producers and sellers, and further improve the quality of organic products.
The Measures specify that the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) is responsible for the unified management, supervision and comprehensive coordination of organic product certification nationwide. The State implements a unified organic product certification system, with a unified certification catalogue, unified standards and certification implementation rules, and a unified certification mark.
Regarding certification implementation, the Measures specify that processed products with an organic ingredient content (referring to weight or liquid volume, excluding water and salt) equal to or higher than 95% may only be labeled with the word “organic” on the product or its packaging and labels, and bear the organic product certification mark, after obtaining organic product certification. Certification bodies shall not conduct organic certification for processed products with an organic ingredient content lower than 95%.
Regarding certification certificates and certification marks, the Measures specify multiple circumstances under which certification bodies shall revoke certification certificates within 7 days, including the use of substances prohibited by national standards for organic products or contamination by prohibited substances in the production and processing activities of certified products, the applicant for certification of certified products making false or concealed reports of information required for certification, the applicant for certification of certified products using certification marks beyond the permitted scope, and so on.
The Measures also specify that for products that have not obtained organic product certification, or for certified products that have undergone further processing, sub-packaging or division outside the production and processing premises specified in the certification certificate, no unit or individual may label on the product, the smallest sales package or its labels any textual expressions or patterns containing words such as “organic” or “ORGANIC” that may mislead the public into believing that the product is an organic product.
Regarding supervision and management, the Measures provide that applicants for certification of certified products, as well as units and individuals selling organic products, shall establish a sound product quality and safety traceability system and a system of production, processing and sales records and archives during the processes of production, processing, packaging, storage, transportation and sales. If an applicant for certification of certified products provides false information, illegally uses prohibited substances, uses organic certification marks beyond the permitted scope, or causes a major product quality and safety accident, certification bodies shall not accept organic product certification applications from the enterprise and its production bases and processing premises within 5 years.
In addition, the Measures specify penalties for violations. For forging, altering, fraudulently using, illegally trading in, transferring or tampering with certification certificates, local certification supervision departments shall order correction and impose a fine of 30,000 yuan.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11442/