The USDA Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. It involves a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:
• Avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc.), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;
• Use of farmland that has been free from synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
• Keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
• Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
• Undergoing periodic on-site inspections
For over 80 years, the Orthodox Union has maintained the highest standard of kosher certification. Today, the OU supervises more than 400,000 products, making it the world’s most recognized and most trusted kosher symbol.
There are basic categories of food items which are not kosher. These include certain animals, fowl and fish (such as pork and rabbit, eagle and owl, catfish and sturgeon), most insects, and any shellfish or reptile. In addition, kosher species of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in a prescribed manner, and meat and dairy products may not be manufactured or consumed together. All units and subunits in a food item must be kosher as well.
Halal, when applied to food, is a dietary set of guidelines for Muslims living an Islamic lifestyle. Since 1982, IFANCA is committed to helping halal consumers through research, education and advocacy. One of the services IFANCA provides to halal consumers is third-party halal certification. Our certification symbol, the Crescent helps halal consumers select goods, assuring them that what they buy is halal without a doubt.