Non-GMO Project Verification

Eligibility
Agricultural inputs, vegetables, grains, fruit, greens, herbs, agricultural fibers, livestock feed and components , microbial starters, manufacturing and processing inputs, animal products, veterinary inputs, dietary supplements, health-care products, personal care products and cosmetics, cleaning products, packaging (including tea bags), and textiles are eligible for Non-GMO Project verification.

Non-GMO Criteria
The Non-GMO Project Standard requires you to provide evidence of practices that reduce your risk of GMO contamination from at-risk inputs and ingredients. Evaluation criteria include:

• Traceability
• Segregation
• Risk Assessment
• Testing of high-risk inputs
• Quality Control Management

Testing
The Non-GMO Project Standard requires genetics-based testing at critical control points to be performed by an approved ISO-17025 accredited lab to ensure that Action Thresholds are not exceeded.

1. Request Certification

   First, fill out the SCS application form and SCS will submit your inquiry to the Non-GMO Project. SCS will then generate a complimentary quote for verification services.

2. Complete Application

   Submit documentation for your product(s) enabling SCS to determine the scope of the evaluation and whether an on-site inspection will be required.

3. Audit

   SCS technical staff reviews your documentation and may request clarification or more information, including testing of high-risk ingredients (when applicable). During this phase, we will determine whether your product profiles and production practices meet the criteria of the Non-GMO Project Standard.

4. Report

   SCS produces a report detailing the outcome of the audit. If any nonconformities are identified, SCS can advise on corrective actions

5. Verification

   If your product meets the Standard’s criteria, you are issued a certificate of compliance valid for one year, and are permitted to use the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal on product packaging in accordance with the Non-GMO Project licensing agreement.

   Should additional inspections be required, SCS will prepare a Notification of Additional Inspection that describes the purpose of the additional inspection.

6. Renewal

   Annual evaluation is required to maintain Non-GMO Project Verified status.

As the fastest growing label in the natural products industry, the Non-GMO Project Verified seal is the most trusted label that communicates adherence to industry best practices for GMO avoidance. Verification enables you to:

• Meet consumer and retailer demand for non-GMO products
• Gain consumer confidence and customer retention
• Earn third-party credibility for your claims

By choosing SCS to conduct your verification, you will not only benefit from our food certification expertise built over three decades, but also have the option of bundling your services for greater cost and efficiency savings. In addition, take advantage of our quick turn-around.

The following FAQs are excerpted from the Non-GMO Project website:

1. Does becoming Non-GMO Project Verified require testing of every finished product?
   Testing finished product is not a reliably accurate measure of GMO presence. Therefore, the Non-GMO Project Standard requires testing of individual ingredients, not products. Ongoing testing is required for all major GMO risk ingredients (a list of risk ingredients can be found in Appendix B of the Non-GMO Project Standard). The Non-GMO Project verification program is designed to employ testing as a best practice at the most efficient point in the production chain. Typically, this is where ingredients are least processed and consolidated in the largest amounts, for example, during initial processing. From there, traceability and segregation ensure that the tested ingredient maintains its non-GMO status.

2. Why should I enroll in the Non-GMO Project if my products are already USDA Certified Organic?
   The Non-GMO Project is designed to honor the National Organic Program’s excellent guidelines for traceability and segregation and builds off of the work that certified organic companies are already doing, with the added measure of ongoing testing of risk ingredients at critical control points.

3. What crops are considered at “High-Risk” of being genetically modified?
   Alfalfa, canola, corn (except popcorn), cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beets, zucchini and yellow summer squash — and any derivatives of these crops — carry risk of being genetically engineered because engineered varieties are in large-scale commercial production.

4. What if my product contains animal products such as meat, eggs, dairy, or honey?
   Animal products are considered high-risk ingredients primarily because of GMOs in the animal feed. If the animal feed contains high-risk ingredients such as corn or soy, testing is required to show that those ingredients meet the Non-GMO Project Standard. The feed does not need to be Non-GMO Project Verified, as long as it meets the Non-GMO Project testing requirements (albeit, using already verified feed hastens the verification process).