U.S – FoodChain ID, one of the world’s leading food safety, testing and sustainability organizations, has in response to the Mexican Organic Products Regulation (LPO), which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, broadened the scope of its certification services to encompass organic certification for products sold in Mexico via its subsidiary Agricert MX.

The Mexico Organic Products Law requires that any products produced and/or sold in Mexico as organic must meet the requirements of the Mexico Organic Standards (LPO) or be shipped to Mexico under an equivalency arrangement.

The service meets the needs of food manufacturers who currently sell products with a United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (USDA NOP) certification in Mexico. Mexico has not recognized the USDA organic standards as equivalent, meaning U.S. organic products going to Mexico must be certified to LPO.

In December 2020, Mexico announced that this regulation for organic imports would come into force beginning June 26, 2021. Nevertheless, on May 7, 2021, the country extended the deadline for U.S. products to comply with this requirement until January 1, 2022.

“The Mexican Secretariat recently announced a mandatory compliance requirement equivalency for organic products sold in Mexico. The organic products regulation (LPO) requires that all products imported into and sold in Mexico must be certified by an organic agency accredited under the LPO by the Mexican government.”

Nate Ensrud, general manager FoodChain ID

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Beginning next year, all organic products imported to and destined to be sold in Mexico must be certified by a Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development/National Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality Service (SADER/SENASICA) approved certification body. Foodchain ID’s subsidiary Agricert MX is among a handful of approved certifiers in Mexico.

FoodChain ID’s services offer clients across the entire food supply chain higher levels of transparency, safety and sustainability. A certification pioneer for 33 years, FoodChain ID is a global leader in organic certification, with its Bioagricert division having certified over 1,000 operators under USDA NOP and over 13,000 operators in Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Widely recognized for its Non-GMO Project Verification and USDA organic and vegan/plant-based certification services, many of FoodChain ID’s clients find significant value in consolidating their certifications, saving both time and money.

“Obtaining and maintaining organic program certification can feel like a full-time commitment. Add in the idea of managing multiple certification programs – with their overlapping documentation requirements – and the stress level goes up while speed and efficiency go down.”

Mark Dabroski, senior vice president, commercial services.

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To help smooth the process for U.S. companies seeking Mexican Organic Certification, FoodChain ID is offering an educational webinar on Sept. 9, 2021 at 2 p.m. EST.