In a recent release, the USDA Agricultural and Marketing Services provided details of proposed amendments to USDA organic regulations.  The intent is to strengthen oversight and enforcement of production handling and sale of organic products.

The proposed rule will include suitability of regulations, import certificates, record keeping and traceability, certifying agents, personnel qualifications and training, labeling, compliance, and appeals.

The basic defect of the USDA Certfied Organic program is that mangement of production and processing is based on auditing of paper and electronic records. Nowhere is there provision for laboratory assay to confirm that organic products are free of pesticides, antibiotics or disallowed and artificial compounds. Until the USDA can demonstrate to consumers that products actually conform to organic specifications  the value of the very expensive seal lacks validation.

Comments on the docket AMS-NOP-17-0065 are invited.  A draft of the proposed rule is available on the AMS website, <www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/strengthening-organic-enforcement>.