Organic regulation change for processors
There have been a number of amendments to the organic regulation published recently. The amendments published in implementing regulation 2018/1584 will come into force on Monday 12th November 2018.
The changes affect foods for babies, infants and young children, wine production, and how irregularities and infringements are reported to the commission and other member states.
Soil Association Standards have been amended to reflect all of these changes. Check our website to ensure that you have the current version of the standards.
The detail of the changes are listed below, but if you have any queries, please contact your Certification Officer.
Amendments to the organic regulation affecting the production of organic baby foods for infants and young children
There has been a recent amendment to the organic regulation concerning the fortification by minerals, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids and micronutrients in organic infant formula, follow-on formula, processed organic cereal based foods and baby food, when their use is legally authorised in horizontal legislation. This change ensures that the organic regulation is in line with the horizontal legislation and enables fortified infant and baby foods to continue to be sold as organic.
Article 27(1), point (f) in 889/2008 is replaced by the following:
'(f) minerals (trace elements included), vitamins, amino acids and micronutrients, provided that:
(i) their use in food for normal consumption is ‘directly legally required’, in the meaning of being directly required by provisions of Union law or provisions of national law compatible with Union law, with the consequence that the food cannot be placed at all on the market as food for normal consumption if those minerals, vitamins, amino acids or micronutrients are not added; or
(ii) as regards food placed on the market as having particular characteristics or effects in relation to health or nutrition or in relation to needs of specific groups of consumers:
- in products referred to in points (a) and (b) of Article 1(1) of Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*), their use is authorised by that Regulation and acts adopted on the basis of Article 11(1) of that Regulation for the products concerned,
- in products regulated by Commission Directive 2006/125/EC (**), their use is authorised by that Directive, or
- in products regulated by Commission Directive 2006/141/EC (***), their use is authorised by that Directive.
(*)Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on food intended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet replacement for weight control and repealing Council Directive 92/52/EEC, Commission Directives 96/8/EC, 1999/21/EC, 2006/125/EC and 2006/141/EC, Directive 2009/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 41/2009 and (EC) No 953/2009 (OJ L 181, 29.6.2013, p. 35).
(**)Commission Directive 2006/125/EC of 5 December 2006 on processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children (OJ L 339, 6.12.2006, p. 16).
(***)Commission Directive 2006/141/EC of 22 December 2006 on infant formulae and follow-on formulae and amending Directive 1999/21/EC (OJ L 401, 30.12.2006, p. 1).’
Amendments to the organic regulation affecting organic wine production
There have been some recent amendments to the organic regulation allowing additional products and substances for use or addition in organic products of the wine sector.
The following amendments have been made to organic regulation 889/2008:
Annex VIII(a), which lists the products and substances for use or addition in organic products of the wine sector has been amended to include:
For clarification of organic wine:
- Potato proteins
- Yeast protein extracts
- Chitosan derived from Aspergillus niger
For addition to organic wine:
- Inactivated yeast
- Autolysates of yeast
- Yeast hulls
For use in organic wine production:
- Yeast mannoproteins
- Chitosan derived from aspergillus niger
Amendments to the organic regulation concerning the electronic notification of irregularities and infringements to other member states and the commission
There have been some recent amendments to the organic regulation requiring that, where a product has been found to be affected by an irregularity or infringement that may have implications for other European countries, details will have to be available to other member states and the commission via the appropriate website allowing electronic exchanges of information.
In Article 92a of 889/2008, the following paragraph 1a is inserted:
‘1a. Where a Member State finds irregularities or infringements relating to the application of this Regulation with regard to a product coming from that Member State and bearing indications as referred to in Title IV of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and in Title III of this Regulation or in Annex XI to this Regulation, and if such irregularities or infringements have implications for one or more other Member States, it shall notify the Member State or States concerned, the other Member States and the Commission without delay via the system referred to in Article 94(1) of this Regulation.'