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Cooperation with Soil Association
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IMO certified operators have two options to access the UK market with the popular Soil Association Seal.
- IMO and the Soil Association have signed a Product Acceptance Agreement, which allows IMO to check specific additional Soil Association requirements and then issue a certificate that the products are "SA compliant". The SA-compliant certificate does not permit the operator to label his products with the Soil Association seal, but any Soil Association licensee (e.g. an importer in the UK) may attach the seal to the "SA-compliant" products. With special arrangements the exporter can already label the products in the country of origin with the Soil Asociation seal ON BEHALF of the Soil Association licensee.
- Private label certification by Soil Association: IMO operators can apply with the Soil Association for direct additional certification. In this case IMO is inspecting both the EU standards as well as the Soil Association additional criteria and then IMO issues a certificate according to Regulation (EU) N° 834/2007 and (EU) N° 889/2008 and Soil Association issues their certification.
Certification requirements
The Soil Association minimum requirements are very similar to those of Regulation (EU) N° 834/2007 and (EU) N° 889/2008. Nevertheless depending on the situation they exceed the EU requirements in several aspects:
- crop production: no major differences, but very strict GMO-free policy
- processing: very strict GMO-free policy, all ingredients must be at least "SA-compliant", a few special requirements for livestock products
- honey/apiaries: additional requirements about the surrounding of the hives, no artificial insemination, no pasteurization of the honey, must fulfil the strict GMO-free policy.
Certification procedures
For SA product acceptance an IMO certified operator only has to inform his local IMO office that he requires a SA-compliant certificate. After verification, the certificate can normally be issued without an addtional inspection.
For full additional certification by the Soil Association, please contact your local IMO office and also get in touch with the Soil Association to ask about details for certification through IMO.
>> how to become certified by IMO (new operators)
For full additional certification by the Soil Association, please contact your local IMO office and also get in touch with the Soil Association to ask about details for certification through IMO.
>> how to become certified by IMO (new operators)
Standard
For further information please contact Mr. Frank Thymian (soilassociation@imo.ch).
