Nyons & Goettingen, 2024.08.08: The Vade mecum on Official Investigations in Organic Products has been published on the Anti-Fraud-Initiative webpage.
The issue of traces of non-authorised substances in organic products, mainly pesticides, was one of the hot topics during the development of the new EU Organic Regulation, and the debate continues. If such substances are found, an official investigation must be conducted to determine the source and cause of contamination. A product can only be sold as organic if no major or critical non-compliances are found. The products concerned cannot be sold as organic until the investigation is concluded.
The issue has generated numerous reactions and discussions. Organic consumers need to be protected against fraud. On the other hand, pesticides from conventional agriculture are everywhere, sometimes it is difficult to determine their origin. Systematic investigations might be burdensome, expensive and contribute to food waste.
To support effective and efficient official investigations, a “Vade mecum on official investigation in organic products” has just been published, guiding investigation methods and techniques.
“Our publication was written in a collaborative approach of 25 recognized experts from eight countries”, says Nicolas Verlet, who initiated the publication. “It addresses the different aspects of an official investigation: the laboratory analysis which constitutes the starting point in most cases, the possible sources and causes of the contamination, and the toolbox of investigation techniques available to determine these sources and causes.”, says Tom Nizet from Authent, one of the authors. Jochen Neuendorff from GfRS adds: “The Vade mecum does not intend to present any position, it is purely technical. It shall support those directly involved in the conduct of official investigation”.
The Vade mecum can be downloaded here.
Questions, suggestions, and requests are welcome: contact@organic-integrity.org.