We’ve had the discussion on the Facebook page before, does certified organic matter to you, or is the use of organic ingredients enough? For me, the certification does matter, and this awesome interview with the owner of Poofy Organics helps shed light on the process. Many have commented that the certification is nothing more than a hefty payment to the USDA… It is SO much more than that, and I’ll gladly pay a bit extra for companies that are willing to jump through the hoops. Poofy Organics is not a large company by any means, they have 4 employees, Kristina the owner, and her mother being 2 (both pictured). I’m currently working on a review for several Poofy products, and I can tell you now that I LOVE every, single thing I’ve tried, and the ingredient labels are TRULY fabulous!
What does the certification process entail?
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What is the process for getting certified? Please be detailed as possible (paperwork, inspections, etc.)? First, a company needs to fill out what seems like an eternity of surveys/questionnaires. The questions are extremely detailed down to the most minute piece of information. We were asked about our water supply, how we clean & sanitize work stations, how we clean & sanitize our equipment. Meticulous records need to be maintained from start to finish of ANY product being manufactured. If a facility has pests, only certain pesticides may be used. Luckily, we have not had that issue. Back to keeping records, for instance, a record of each ingredient we use is kept. When we order an ingredient, it goes in our record. We need to list who the supplier is (and of course they must already be certified as acceptable to use by the USDA certifying company. In our case, it is Baystate Certifying Company). We need to track what date the product was ordered and when it was received, who received it, the lot # and where the ingredient was stored. Another record we keep is our manufacturing record. On it, we list what product we are making, the date it is being made, who is making it, ALL the ingredients AND units of measurements for those ingredients, all lot numbers associated with the ingredients and how many products were yielded. Then our products are assigned lot numbers. It is quite a process for every time a product is made, especially because Poofy Organics has over 100 organic products. it can become quite hectic! Another record that is kept is the cleaning/sanitizing record. Every time a product is manufactured, we must document how we cleaned & prepared the equipment and how it was purged. Lastly, we have a cleaning/sanitizing record for our facility. This includes when and how we clean our floors, etc.
Anytime a new product is created, we have to send an OPP- Organic Product Profile to our certifying company. On it, we need to list all the ingredients, the supplier and the concentration of those ingredients. Any non-organic ingredient that is allowed in the organic product (and those are very few and minute percentages), needs to go through another process which maintains that the ingredient has not been manufactured using sewage sludge or ionizing radiation and has not been created using GMOs (genetically modified organisms). An example of such an ingredient would be baking soda. Because baking soda cannot be found organically, a company like Bob’s Red Mill is a staple for organic companies. It upholds the highest standards in the industry.
A new product considered for certification also needs to go through a rigorous “label” certification. Even the labels have standards and rules. Each label is sent to the certificating agency to make sure it is in compliance.
We are inspected annually. Each year a new application for certification needs to be completed- some of the information is stored so it makes things a bit easier. During inspections, records are sifted through to make sure all ingredients, products, manufacturing, labels and cleaning/sanitizing is in compliance. Batches are randomly picked to make sure the ingredients and numbers add up to the number of units sold. It is quite a heavy-duty process. It is often misunderstood that once a company is certified, the job is over. It is a CONSTANT process- always keeping records, always turning in new documents.”
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 