Certificate required to prove food is organic

We thank Mr Liew Ching Seng for his letter (Who checks on claims of food being organic?; April 29).

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) adopts the Codex guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced foods, established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The commission is an international food standard-setting body established by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

Businesses that sell food products in Singapore that claim to be "organic" or "organically produced", or which make other similar claims, must be able to show proof that the food product has indeed been organically produced.

This proof would be a valid organic certificate for the food product issued by a recognised body for organic food certification.

The certifying body must adopt the Codex guidelines or similar standards for organically produced food.

Local importers and retailers of organic food products, and local farms producing organic food products are required to produce the original organic certificate when required by AVA, for verification.

Enforcement action will be taken if any food products are found to be falsely labelled as "organic".

Wong Kwok Onn (Dr)

Director, Regulatory Administration Group

Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 08, 2017, with the headline Certificate required to prove food is organic. Subscribe