Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:
Food Safety and Standards (Organic Food) Regulation, 2017 Standard not available in English.
National Standards for Organic Products (NSOP) under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)
Indian Standards for Organic Textiles
Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs) of Insecticides in Organic Food
Frequently Asked Questions (in English)
Date of Implementation: 2001
Regulation and/or Standard Scope:
The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) covers crop production, animal husbandry, food processing, labeling and storage and transport of organic agriculture and products (including wild harvest, aquaculture, livestock products, mushroom, seaweed, aquatic plants, greenhouse crops). Includes guidelines for certification of grower groups; IFOAM’s accreditation for food production and processing and wild crops is equivalent to NSOP. Certified organic products of any registered foreign programs will be considered for marketing along with the certified products of the accredited domestic programmes.
India has implemented a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) that is outside the framework of third-party certification that was launched in 2011. PGS-India covers standards for crops, livestock, food processing, handling and storage.
Textile standards cover the cultivation and production of organic fibres, and the manufacturing, processing, packaging, labelling and distribution of organic textiles, particularly of cotton and silk.
Highlights of the November 9, 2017 operationalization of India’s standards include:
No person shall manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market, distribute, or import any organic food products unless they comply with the regulations;
Organic foods should comply with provisions from at least one of the following:
- National Program for Organic Production (NPOP)
- Participatory Guarantee System of India (PGS- India)
- Other system or standards notified by the Food Authority
Organic food which is marketed through direct sales by the small original producer or producer organization shall be exempted from the provisions;
Organic labeling requirements should be accurate, in addition to the standard labeling requirements;
Traceability should be established up to the producer level;
All organic foods should comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation 2011, and the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants,Toxins, and Residues), Regulations, 2011;
Sellers of organic foods will be required to display organic food items in a distinguishable manner from conventional food items
TraceNet is an on-line application tool managed by APEDA under NPOP for management of entire organic certification system in the country. Organic certifiers and operations in India are responsible for ensuring compliance with Government of India export requirements including TraceNet reporting and documentation.
Organic food imports under bilateral or multilateral agreements on the basis of the equivalence of standards between NPOP and the organic standards of the exporting countries shall not be required to re-certify on import;
All organic food consignments should be accompanied by a Transaction Certification (TC) issued by an accredited certification body covered under the terms of equivalence agreement.
Effective July 1, 2018, Food Business Operators in India are required to follow the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017, which mandates the use of a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organic logo on the primary label of all certified organic products entering India. On August 21, 2018, FSSAI issued an order announcing that use of a non-detachable sticker to display FSSAI’s organic logo would be permissible until December 31, 2018.
Certification:
All provisions of organic regulations came into force January 1, 2019. In order to be authorized to use the India Organic Seal, producers or processors must be certified by an independent third-party certification organization. Products for export from India must be accompanied by a Transaction Certificate issued by a Certification Body accredited by National Accreditation Body (NAB) for Organic Products under the National Programme for Organic Production.
Download a list of accredited certification and inspection agencies
Accreditation:
The National Accreditation Body (NAB) accredits certifying agents who inspect organic production and handling operations to insure that they meet the NPOP.
Effective January 11, 2021, the U.S. no longer maintains an Organic Recognition Agreement with India, established in 2006. This decision starts a transition period which will allow organic operations certified by APEDA-accredited certifiers to apply for direct certification by USDA-accredited certifiers to the USDA organic standards. After July 12, 2022, USDA organic certification by a USDA-accredited certifier will be required to import organic products from India into the United States.