EU Organic

In short

Only products certified under the EU organic rules can be sold in the EU as organic. The rules are Regulation (EU) 2018/848, in force since 2022, and the Euro-leaf logo is mandatory on pre-packaged EU organic products.

For products from outside the EU, the operators in the chain are certified by a control body recognised by the European Commission, and each import consignment travels with an electronic certificate of inspection issued in the EU system TRACES. Brazil also has its own organic system, SisOrg, with the national seal Orgânico Brasil and a national register of organic producers; it is a separate system, not the EU certificate.

Wild collection, which is how many Brazil nuts are harvested, can be certified organic when the collection area and practices meet the rules. The control body assesses each case.

What it covers

• How the product was grown or collected, without prohibited inputs
• Every operator in the chain, from producer to exporter and importer
• Separation from non-organic product and traceability by lot
• An annual inspection by a control body

What it does not cover

• It does not certify food safety: an organic product still needs a food-safety scheme if the buyer requires one
• The Brazilian Orgânico Brasil seal alone is not the EU certificate for imports

Who asks for it

Organic brands, health-food chains and manufacturers. The importer in the EU usually checks the certificate before every lot.

How to check a certificate

Ask for the operator’s organic certificate and the certificate of inspection of each consignment, and check the control body against the Commission’s list.

How a company gets it

1. Choose a control body recognised for exports to the EU
2. Describe your production, collection area and inputs, and pass the first inspection
3. Receive the organic certificate and keep separation and records by lot
4. For each export, have the importer open the certificate of inspection in TRACES

Questions