Our credentials

Soil Association organic symbol scheme

We are the sole certifier for the Soil Association standards. The Soil Association standards incorporate the EU organic regulation (EC) 834/2007 and 889/2008. This means our certification allows you to market your food and feed products as organic anywhere within Europe.  It also permits you to use the Soil Association organic symbol on pack.

The authority to certify in the EU is with the European Commission. They delegate responsibility in the UK to Defra, who, in turn grant approval to certification bodies to certify in this country. Defra also oversee the operations of all UK certification bodies, as well as issuing certain type of permissions.

The EU regulation requires us to hold ISO 17065 accreditation. This is a standard covering 'general Requirements for bodies operating product certification systems'.  United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredit us to this standard on behalf of Defra. ISO 17065 accreditation means our systems get scrutinised, checking we deliver certification with integrity. It ensures we are operating a certification system in a ‘consistent and reliable manner’.

This means accreditors look at our methods of inspection, conformity assessment, competence, organisational structure, relationships with related bodies, quality management and internal control.

An accreditation year involves a four-day audit and several inspections seen by UKAS.

Copies or our current UKAS accreditation schedule can be found on the UKAS website (https://www.ukas.com) or we can provide copies upon request.

Non-EU Countries

We have recognition from the EU that allows us to certify companies in specified non-EU countries, facilitating the importing of their products into the EU as organic. Find us listed in regulations (EC) 1235/2008 - and its amendments.

International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) accredit us to ISO17065 for this work, on behalf of the European Commission.

IOAS also accredit us for the following schemes:

• Canadian Organic Regime (COR)
  For producers, manufacturers and processors outside of the UK, whose products are destined for sale as organic in Canada or the US. 
• Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS)
  For processors, manufacturers, brand holders, retailers and traders of textiles. Not legally required for sale as organic.
• Cosmetics Organic Standards (COSMOS)
  For manufacturers, processors, packers, brandholders, importers and retailers of health & beauty care and homeware products + ingredients. Not legally required for sale as organic.
• Textile Exchange - Organic Content Standard (TE)
  For processors, manufacturers, brand holders, retailers and traders of textiles. Not legally required for sale as organic.

Details of our accreditation can be found on the IOAS website (http://www.ioas.org/certification_body/soil-association-certification-ltd/) or we can provide copies of our current accreditation certificates upon request. 

Forestry, Wood and Paper Accreditation

 

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)

We have been accredited by Assurance Services International (ASI) to deliver FSC Forest Management, Controlled Wood and Chain of Custody certification worldwide,  since 01 July 1995. Accreditation code: FSC-ACC-002. FSC Trademark License Code FSC A000525

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

We are accredited by UKAS to provide PEFC Chain of Custody and Forest Management certification in the UK and many other countries. PEFC licence code: PEFC/16-44-917.

European Union Timber Regulation Monitoring Organisation

Since 30th January 2015 we have been an approved Monitoring Organisation (MO) for the European Union Timber Regulation.