Israel: The Israeli organic regulation comes into force

On September 1, 2008, the Israeli law for the regulation of organic produce came into force. The law and regulations were elaborated in a cooperation between the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Israeli Bio Organic Agricultural Association (I. B.O.A.A), growers and other interested parties.

New organic logo

The purpose of the law is to ensure that only operators that have received a permit from an inspection and certification body are authorized to label their products with the uniform organic logo.

The permit will be guaranteed to operators that meet the following conditions:

That the inspection and certification body certifies that the produce produced and handled is in compliance with the regulation.
That the operators and their produce are subject to continuous inspection by an inspection and certification body.

Currently there are three inspection and certification bodies accredited by the manager of the Plant Protection and Inspection Services Administration of Accreditation. Their inspection logos are authorized to appear along side the uniform organic logo.

In addition, the regulations also set conditions for the sale of organic produce. The location of the organic produce on the shelf must be separated from other produce and must be labeled clearly as "organic produce". Organic produce needs to be packaged and labeled with the authorized logos as well as the producer's name.

At the time of the law coming into force, inspectors will be appointed from the Plant Protection and Inspection Services in order to enforce the regulation and prosecute those that break these laws.

It is important to note that the organic regulation, during the first stage, sets conditions for the production and selling of food products from plant origin. This is followed by the coming into force of the regulation that sets up conditions for the production and selling of food products from animal origin, in about a year's time (September 2009).

It is expected, that the legal regulation of organic farming in Israel will lead to greater consumer confidence and will result in the development of the entire organic branch, for the benefit of all those involved.

Source: Information of PPIS of September 1, 2009

Contact

Pnina Oren Shnidor
Head Standardization and Accreditation Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Plant Protection and Inspection Services,
PPIS ISRAEL
E-Mail pninao(at)moag.gov.il