Certificates may only be issued by certifiers that have been accredited by the USDA. To verify if your supplier is certified by an USDA accredited certifier, see the list of accredited certifiers on the National Organic Program website. National Organic Program (NOP) certificates must meet the following requirements:
- The certificate must have the phrase “NOP” or “USDA organic standards” on it.
- The certificate should have an inspection date on it from within the last year (this may also be a “last printed” date).
- The certificate should be accompanied by a “profile” or “summary” listing the crops, products, ingredients, services, or brands covered by the certification. This may include international compliances.
- Transaction certificates are not an acceptable substitute for a supplier’s organic certificate.