Proudly Certified
At Taylor Brothers Farms, we are proud of the certifications we have earned, whether it’s in California, in the US or abroad. We work hard to maintain these certifications because we know that they are increasingly important to consumers.
Our certifications for Taylor Brothers Farm organic products include:
CCOF
In the early 1970s, individual states began to develop their own organic legislation and certification rules, and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) became the first Certified Body in the US.
Today, CCOF is a full service organic certification and trade association that provides organic certification programs to farms, processors, private labelers, retailers, restaurants, brokers, and supporting members.
CCOF relies on an Organic System Plan (OSP), “a detailed description of the practices and procedures” that acts as a contract with certified organizations who produce organic goods.
An OSP pays great attention to compliance issues such as:
- buffer crops
- boiler chemicals
- cleaning documentation for processing equipment
- identity preservation
- audit trail for mixed operations
It describes how an organization complies with organic standards and what safety measures it applies to avoid contamination and commingling.
USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products is developed, implemented, and administered by the National Organic Program (NOP).
In order to sell, label, or represent agricultural products as “100 percent organic,” or “organic,” U.S. producers must, among other things, “maintain or improve the natural resources of the operation, including soil and water quality.”
Also, “synthetic and nonsynthetic substances, as well as production and handling methods are to be controlled according to what is called an Organic production and handling system plan (§ 205.201)”
This plan includes:
“(1) A description of practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed;
(2) A list of each substance to be used as a production or handling input, indicating its composition, source, location(s) where it will be used, and documentation of commercial availability, as applicable;
(3) A description of the monitoring practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed, to verify that the plan is effectively implemented;
(4) A description of the recordkeeping system implemented to comply with the requirements established in §205.103;
(5) A description of the management practices and physical barriers established to prevent commingling of organic and nonorganic products on a split operation and to prevent contact of organic production and handling operations and products with prohibited substances; and
(6) Additional information deemed necessary by the certifying agent to evaluate compliance with the regulations.”
JAS
Around the last decade of the 20th Century, Japanese consumers became increasingly demanding about the safety of their food. Therefore in April 2001, the Japanese Government implemented within the framework of the Japan Agriculture Standards (JAS) system, a set of rules governing raw and processed organic plant products.
The JAS system emphasizes the neutrality, fairness and reliability of grading and certification services, as the fundamental goal of these regulations is to provide Japanese consumers with reliable information by labelling imported and domestic foods.
As with all organic standards, the JAS controls the way the products are produced and processed, rather than the properties of the final product itself.
Japan’s production standards for organic foods are fairly close to international standards, since they are largely based on on international guidelines and standards, i. e. the Codex Alimentarius’s guidelines and the IFOAM Basic Standard.
However, JAS requirements regarding operators (i.e., farmers, processors, repackers and importers) focus considerably on the audit trail and on the processes and criteria observed by the person in charge of “grading”, who is required to follow a special course and acts as an internal auditor, in compliance with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards.
Kosher – Kashruth (including Passover)
The word “kosher” means proper or correct. Kosher foods are processed in accordance with the Jewish law. The laws of kosher food originate in the Bible, and have been observed by Jews for over 3,300 years. For fruits and vegetables to be kosher, they must be free of insects.
Kosher certification includes examining the ingredients, the method of preparation and inspecting the facility on a regular, periodic basis.
Taylor Brothers Farms’ Kasruth certificate is granted through the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of San Francisco.
CERES
NOP certificate of Organic Operation under the US National Organic Standard.
BRC
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety.