Why Certified Organic?
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"Only by searching for products with the logo of a certifying body on the label can you be sure of the organic authenticity and integrity of every ingredient." |
What is the difference between Organic and Certified Organic?
Certified Organic refers to plants grown without the use of synthetic or toxic substances for a three-year minimum period. Artificial colours or fragrances can not have been added. If we look at the term "certifed organic" on a label, we know it to mean grown and cultivated without the use of chemicals. The term “Certified Organic” is overseen by a number of internationally recognized bodies.
Organic however, means a compound that contains a carbon atom. Carbon is found in anything that has ever lived. This means that anyone can call his or her product “organic” without legal consequence because as yet there are no governing authorities monitoring companies who abuse this terminology of organic.
Certification Guarantee
In order to guarantee that products are organic, they need to be certified. Organic certification involves auditing an operation’s methods to ensure that they comply with the guidelines of organic production.
Standards setting follows a highly transparent process with the industry’s key stakeholders providing input via approximately a dozen Australian Organic Advisory Groups. These standards are upheld by rigorous auditing of operations and a third party report reviewing process. This process itself is audited by government departments and authorities worldwide for ACO to maintain its accreditation as an international certifier.
Wholesalers, retailers and consumers alike all know that the ACO BUD logo is their guarantee of organic integrity. Every step of the process (from paddock to plate) must be audited according to the Organic Standard to be able to market a product using the sought-after organic BUD logo.
Austral Herbs undergoes this auditing process annually to ensure we comply with the rigorous standards involved in being Certified Organic.
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Austral Herbs ACO Certificate (154.88 KB)
This link includes the annex which is regularly updated for new products.
