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Country Content Sections/Tabs

Country Content Sections/Tabs

Policy Information

Policy Information

Government Agency(s) / Competent Authority

Authorized Government Agency(s):

Food Safety Authority

Agency(s) Contact Information:

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority
PO Box 383 N-2381 Brumunddal, Norway

Telephone: (+47) 23 21 68 00
Fax (+47) 23 21 68 01
E-mail: postmottak@mattilsynet.no
Website

Organic Regulations and/or Standards

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

Regulations on the Production and Labeling of Organic Agricultural Products (website; in Norwegian)

Organic aquaculture production in Norway is covered in Regulation No 879 of 7 July 2015 on organic aquaculture production and labelling of organic aquaculture products.

The national regulation is in accordance with the EU regulation for organic aquaculture production, and will be repealed as soon as the EU regulations are incorporated into the EEA Agreement (Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 and Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008). Until the new Regulations are incorporated into the EEA Agreement, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 remains in force for general organic production in Norway.

Date of Implementation: 2011

Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

Due to the EEA-agreement, Norwegian food legislation is harmonized with the EU, and Norway is obliged to follow the EU legislation on the food and veterinary area.

Imported Products

Any food imported to Norway must comply with Norwegian food regulations. Due to the EEA-agreement, Norwegian food legislation is harmonized with the EU, and Norway is obliged to follow the EU legislation on the food and veterinary area.

Certification and Accreditation

Certification:

All providers of organic products in Norway are certified by Debio. The Ø-label and import: The Ø-label can be applied to imported products that are certified by an accredited body in the country of origin, in accordance with regulations that correspond to Norwegian rules and regulations.

Accreditation:

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority delegated to Debio the ability to run inspection with organic agriculture production, processing, distribution and import in Norway.

Additional Information

Reference Standards:

The Norwegian standards for organic agriculture and for processing, trading and importing organic products conform with EU Council Regulations, IFOAM Basic Standards and the international Demeter Standards.

Additional Information:

Food Safety Authority (FSA) has supervisory responsibility for organic agricultural production and processing, packing storage, import and translation of ecological agricultural products and food in the country. FSA is also responsible for the development of regulations for organic production, and participates in international efforts in this area. Among other things, representatives from the FSA participate in the EU Commission's Standing Committee for organic farming. FSA supervises Debio and process applications for exemption from the regulations. The Food Safety Authority is the main office that has the most national papers on the ecology of the area. Regional offices process applications for exemptions from regulations, and District offices will take care of the import permit.

Norway is on the EU's third country list.

USDA’S GAIN Report Exporter Guide (2018)
USDA’S GAIN Report Electronic Certificate of Inspection Required for EU Organics Trade (2017)
USDA’S GAIN Report Norway Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2021)

Definitions

Definitions

Term

Definition

Health and Wellness

Health and wellness is the aggregation of organic packaged food and beverages, fortified/functional packaged food and beverages, naturally healthy packaged food and beverages, better for you packaged food and beverages and food intolerance products.

Organic packaged foods and beverages

This category includes packaged food & beverages that are certified organic by an approved certification body. Organic production is based on:

• A system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers.
• Organic food & beverages are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation.
• The use of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism) is prohibited. “Certified Organic” means the item has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations.
• Depending on the country, such products are called ‘organic’, ‘biological’ or ‘ecological’: For organic products to be included under Euromonitor definitions, the organic aspect needs to form part of positioning/marketing of the product. This is an aggregation of organic baby food, bakery, confectionery, dairy, ice cream, oils and fats, ready meals, rice, sauces, dressings and condiments, snack bars, soups, spreads, sweet and savory snacks and other organic food.

Note that fresh food products or individual ingredients are not included in this definition.

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the average annual growth rate over a specified period of time. For instance, the CAGR consumption of from 2018 – 2021 will be the average growth rates across these three years.

USDA GATS data clarification

The data presented in table 2.4 represents the dollar values of the top 5 organic commodities as well as of the total organic exports of the trade partner for the period 2018-2021 as per the United States Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Trade System, a database consisting of international agricultural, fish, forest and textile products trade statistics dating from the inception of the Harmonized coding system in 1989 to present.

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How to use this website

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) brings the US organic industry to developing markets around the world. This database is a comprehensive tool for OTA membership interested in participating in or expanding international trade in organic products by providing information to understand international markets for organic products. Select the country you wish to export to and find out whether it has an agreement with the United States, who its certifiers are, and much more.

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