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) shall be responsible for the unified management, supervision and comprehensive coordination of organic product certification nationwide. The State shall implement 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: prohibited substances under national standards for organic products are used in the production or processing of certified products or the products are contaminated by prohibited substances; the certification client of certified products makes false or concealed reports of information required for certification; the certification client of certified products uses the certification mark beyond the permitted scope; and so on.
The Measures also specify that for products that have not obtained organic product certification, or where certified products have undergone further processing, sub-packaging or splitting outside the production or processing premises indicated on the certification certificate, no unit or individual may label on the product, the smallest sales package of the product, 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 certification clients of certified products, as well as units and individuals selling organic products, shall establish a sound product quality and safety traceability system and a record-keeping system for production, processing and sales during the processes of production, processing, packaging, storage, transportation and sales. If the certification client of certified products provides false information, illegally uses prohibited substances, uses the organic certification mark 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, the local certification supervision department shall order correction and impose a fine of 30,000 yuan.Өгүүлэл нь ...-аас авсанFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/mn/11442/