Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (no longer in force) (this open in a new tab) as amended requires that organic food is produced in accordance with the standards laid down in the Regulation. As well as defining the methods of productions for crops and livestock, Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (no longer in force) (this open in a new tab) also regulates the inspection, processing and labelling of organic products within the European Community and the importation of organic products from third countries (countries outside the EU)
The labelling and advertising of a product produced in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 may refer to organic production methods only where:
- such indications show clearly that they relate to a method of agricultural production;
- the product was produced in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 or imported from a third country under the arrangements laid down in Article 11of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
- the product was produced or imported by an operator who is subject to the inspection measures laid down in Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
In Ireland , the labelling must include the code number of the inspection authority or body to which the operator is subject, the producer's name, address and/or licence number, the appropriate organic logo and/or name of the relevant organic certifying body and the words ‘Certified Organic'
There are currently two certifying bodies in Ireland:
IRL-OIB2
Irish Organic Farmer's and Growers Association Ltd.
Unit 16A Inish Carrig
Golden Island
Athlone
Co. Westmeath
Further details can be found on their website at http://iofga.org/ (this open in a new tab)
IRL-OIB3
Organic Trust CLG
Office A1, Town Centre House,
Naas Town Centre
Dublin Road,
Naas
Co. Kildare
W91 KVX8
Further details can be found on their website at www.organictrust.ie (this open in a new tab)
Labelling general provisions
The provisions of Directive 2000/13/EC on the labelling, advertising and presentation of foods also apply to packaged organic food. Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 specifies the labelling requirements for products where the ingredients from organic production make up
- 95% or more of the foodstuff or
- between 70% and 95% of the ingredients in a food
Non-organic ingredients
Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 permits that foodstuffs with indications referring to organic production methods may contain non-organic ingredients to a maximum level of 5 % of the total agricultural ingredients provided that those ingredients are:
- of agricultural origin and
- are either not produced or not produced in sufficient quantities organically within the EU (Listed in Annex VI (Section C) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91)
Labelling rules for products where at least 95 % of the ingredients of agricultural origin are organic
The labelling and advertising of a product which meets the organic labelling principle criteria may bear indications referring to organic production methods in the sales description of the product only where:
- at least 95 % of the ingredients of agricultural origin of the product are, or are derived from, products obtained in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 6 or imported from third countries under the arrangements laid down in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
- all the other ingredients of agricultural origin of the product are included in Annex VI (Section C) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 or have been provisionally authorised by a Member State;
- the product contains only substances listed in Annex VI (Section A) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 as ingredients of non-agricultural origin;
- the products or its ingredients of agricultural origin, referred to in (a) above, have not been subjected to treatments involving the use of substances not listed in Annex VI, Section B of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
- the product or its ingredients have not been subjected to treatments involving the use of ionizing radiation;
- the product has been prepared or imported by an operator who is subject to the inspection measures laid down in Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
- In Ireland, the labelling must include the code number of the inspection authority or body to which the operator is subject, the producer's name, address and/or licence number, the appropriate organic logo and/or name of the relevant organic certifying body and the words ‘Certified Organic'.
The indications referring to organic production methods must make it clear that they relate to a method of agricultural production and must be accompanied by a reference to the ingredients of agricultural origin concerned, unless such reference is clearly given in the list of ingredients;
• the product has been produced without the use of genetically modified organisms and/or any products derived from such organisms.
Labelling rules for products where at least 70 % of the ingredients of agricultural origin are organic
The labelling and advertising of a processed agricultural crop and livestock products intended for human consumption prepared essentially from one or more ingredients of plant and/or animal origin cannot be labelled as “organic” but may bear indications referring to a specified percentage of ingredients where:
- at least 70 % of the ingredients of agricultural origin are, or are derived from, products obtained in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 6 or imported from third countries under the arrangements laid down in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91all the other ingredients of agricultural origin of the product are included in Annex VI(Section C) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 or have been provisionally authorised by a Member State;
- the indications referring to organic production methods on such products
- must appear in the list of ingredients and only in clear relation to those ingredients obtained according to the rules laid down in Article 6 or imported from third countries under the arrangements laid down in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. The indications must appear in the same colour and with an identical size and style of lettering as the other indications in the list of ingredients.
- Such indications must also appear in a separate statement set in the same visual field as the sales description and indicating the percentage of the ingredients of agricultural origin or derived therefrom which were obtained in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 6 or were imported from third countries under the arrangements laid down in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;
- The statement may not appear in a colour, size and style of lettering which is more prominent than the sales description of the product. The statement must be in the following form: ‘X % of the agricultural ingredients were produced in accordance with the rules of organic production'
- the product contains only substances listed in Annex VI (Section A) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 as ingredients of non-agricultural origin;
- the product or its ingredients of agricultural origin have not been subjected to treatments involving the use of substances not listed in Annex VI ( Section B) to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;
- the product or its ingredients have not been subjected to treatments involving the use of ionizing radiation;
- the product has been prepared or imported by an operator who is subject to the inspection measures laid down in Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;
- In Ireland, the labelling must include the code number of the inspection authority or body to which the operator is subject,
- the product has been produced without the use of genetically modified organisms and/or any products derived from such organisms.