State Environmental Protection Administration, Administration of the Certification of Organic Food Measures

Promulgated: June 19 2001
Effective: as of date of promulgation
Applicability: The Measures are applicable to the certification and production of and dealing in organic food in the PRC (Article 3). For the purposes of the Measures, "organic food" means food that complies with State food hygiene standards and organic food specifications and is produced without using agricultural chemicals, chemical fertilizer, growth hormones, chemical additives, artificial colourings, chemical preservatives or genetic engineering technology (Article 2).

Main contents: The Measures provide that organic food certification institutions must apply to the organic food certification committee of the State Environmental Protection Administration for approval (Article 4). An organic food certification institution must not engage in the production of or dealing in organic food (Article 14). Work units and individuals that produce or deal in organic food must apply to an organic food certification institution for certification of organic food production, processing or trade (Article 16). If an application is approved, a certificate will be issued that will be valid for two years (Articles 19 and 21). A work unit or individual who has obtained such a certificate may label the certified products as organic food in the way specified by the organic food certification committee (Articles 26 and 27).
Repealed legislation: State Environmental Protection Administration, Administration of Labels or Organic (Natural) Food Rules (Trial Implementation), 1995