USDA Updates Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (USDA’s NOP) has updated the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule, which relates to the oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic products. Updates to the SOE final rule are intended to mitigate the fraudulent sale of food using the USDA organic seal.
The SOE final rule implements 2018 Farm Bill mandates, responds to industry requests for updates to the USDA organic regulations, and addresses National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendations. The goal of the SOE final rule is to support strong organic control systems, improve farm-to-market traceability, increase import oversight authority, and provide robust enforcement of organic regulations. Key updates to SOE include: