Insight: how to read an organic certificate
The word organic on a bag is where checking begins. Three checks show whether the certificate really covers what was delivered.
When a bag says organic, the label tells you what the product claims to be. The certificate tells you whose product it is.
Three checks, in order
- Open the certificate and compare the producer's name on it with the name on the delivery papers. If the names differ, stop there.
- If the names match, look for the type of product on the list of certified items. A certificate covers the products it names and no others.
- Check the expiry date. A certificate that has run out no longer counts.
Why a certificate cannot be borrowed
A certificate belongs to one producer and to the products listed on it. One issued to another company, or for a different product, cannot stand in for the one you need, even when both are genuinely organic.
How this works at Pongpetch
Pongpetch buys organic raw materials from certified growers, so comparing the name on the certificate with the goods that arrive is routine for us. It is part of every purchase.
The label says what the product is. The certificate says whose it is.
First published on the Pongpetch Facebook page.