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Follow on Google News | New USDA Rule Requires Periodic Residue Testing by Organic Certifying AgentsOn November 8, 2012, the USDA Agriculture Market Services (AMS) notified the public that the National Organic Program (NOP) published a final rule that requires accredited certifying agents for periodic residue testing.
This testing is to be performed annually. Laboratories performing the testing are to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Other testing can be performed such as arsenic and other metal contaminants, genetic modified organisms, antibiotics and hormones which would count as part of the 5% of operations testing requirement. A specific sampling program procedure has been developed. The specific prohibited pesticides are listed in the program documentation. Draft guidance was developed to explain what must happen based on the results of the testing. The reason the USDA AMS NOP published this final rule is because during a review from 2010 to 2011 of organic products for pesticide residues they found 21 out of 571 items sampled to have pesticides levels in excess of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum residue limits for the residue of the food tested. About SGS Food Safety Services SGS is committed to keeping you informed of regulatory news and developments. Leveraging the global network of laboratories and food experts, SGS provides a comprehensive range of food safety and quality solutions (http://www.sgs.com/ For further information please contact the SGS experts. Contact details: SGS Consumer Testing Services James Cook Food Safety Technologist 291 Fairfield Ave, Fairfield New Jersey 07004, USA t: +1 973 575 5252 Email: cts.media@sgs.com Website: http://www.sgs.com/ SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With 70,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,350 offices and laboratories around the world. End
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