UNDERSTANDING THE LATEST ORGANIC REGULATIONS
By Stephane O’Neil
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 
On June 30, the new
Organic Products Regulations will come into effect, making the
Canadian Organic Standards mandatory.
Forming the basis of a federally regulated system for organic agriculture in Canada, these regulations aim to protect consumers against false and misleading organic claims.
The amendments, open to public comment until April 29, include:
- Products using the word “organic” or displaying the “Canada Organic” logo must be certified by a federally-accredited body.
- The “Canada Organic” logo is only permitted on products containing at least 95 per cent organic ingredients.
The proposed regulations will apply only to food products, animal feed and products used for the cultivation of plants. Each sector not included in the application of the proposed regulations may continue to make organic claims. However, these products must also meet all other relevant federal legislation.
Once the regulations come into effect, all products represented as organic in inter-provincial and international trade or that bear the organic agricultural product legend must be certified by a
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) accredited certification body to Canadian Organic Standards.
Currently, as the regulations are not yet in effect, no certification bodies are recognized by the CFIA. The CFIA is currently working to accredit certification bodies, both domestic and foreign. Once certification bodies have been recognized, the CFIA will publish a list.
Until June 30, 2009, organic certification is voluntary. However, organic operators must be able to demonstrate the veracity of organic claims, for example, that the product was produced according to organic principles.
Stephane O’Neil is the program administrator of the Canada Organic Office. Contact him at Stephane.Oneil@inspection.gc.ca. 
