| India Organic | |
|---|---|
 The 'India Organic' certification mark. | |
| Certifying agency | APEDA |
| Effective since | 2002 |
| Product category | Organic food |
| Legal status | Advisory |
India Organic is acertification mark for organically farmed food products manufactured in India.[1] Thecertification mark certifies that anorganic food product confirms to the National Standards for Organic Products[2] established in 2000.
Those standards ensures that the product or the raw materials used in the product were grown throughorganic farming, without the use of chemicalfertilizers,pesticides, or induced hormones. The certification is issued by testing centres accredited by theAgricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)[3] under theNational Program for Organic Production of theGovernment of India.[4][5]
Even though the standards are in effect since 2000, the certification scheme and hence the certification mark came into existence in 2002.[4]
Just like green & red dots on products to signify if they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in December 2017, introduced the Jaivik Bharat logo to help customers identify authentic organic food.[6]
Food safety regulatorFSSAI has permitted small organic producers, having an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh, to sell their produce directly to end consumers without certification till April 2020, but can not use 'Jaivik Bharat logo' on their products.[7]Organizations are encouraging government to promote theJaivik Bharat logo and certification process to makeorganic food more trustworthy and easy to recognize inIndia.[8]