Canada Organic Regime (COR)
Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), any food, seed, or animal feed that is labelled organic is regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Under Part 13 of the SFCR, products must be certified as organic according to the Canadian Organic Standards. The SFCR also outlines the organic certification system known as the Canada Organic Regime. The purpose of the Canada Organic Regime is to regulate all parties involved in the certification of organic products (including operators, Certification Bodies and Conformity Verification Bodies) and to verify all applicable regulatory requirements, standards and guidance documents are being met. GCL International’s accredited scope for COR includes:
- Organic Production Systems: General Principles and Management Standards(CAN/CGSB-32.310 - 2020)
- Organic Production Systems: Permitted substances lists(CAN/CGSB-32.311 - 2020)
- Organic Production Systems: Aquaculture – General principles, management standards and permitted substances lists(CAN/CGSB-32.312 - 2018)
The COR Certification Process:
Application And Contract
Preparation For the Initial COR Certification Audit
- Briefing information about the COR Standard;
- Standard and Operator handbook;
- Organic System Plan
Initial Certification Audit
- Opening meeting
- On-site Audit
- Preparation of Audit Report (including Findings)
- Closing meeting
Labelling Release
Transaction Certificate (if required based on the Equivalency Agreement)
- The certified client may request a Transaction Certificate by emailing us.
- Send a Transaction Certificate Request form and associated documents to us.
- If approved by us, the Transaction Certificate is issued to the client.
Re-Assessment or Annual Audit
- For COR GCL shall require the holder of the certificate to submit the information specified in part 13 of the SFCR once every 12-month period, which begins on the day on which the certificate is issued. The CB shall require the holder of the certificate to submit their intention to maintain certification no later than the date that is 6 months prior to the end of that period.
- GCL International will communicate with the client to plan for the re-assessment and to determine if there have been any changes, such as: production units, subcontractors, recipes, or new suppliers.
- GCL shall inspect the operation annually to determine whether its certification should continue.
- Following the completion of the assessment, a report detailing the findings is provided. Subject to the closure of any non-conformances
Companies in ginning, spinning, weaving and knitting, dyeing and printing, and cut and sew are eligible for certification.
Certification Features
- Recycled Polymer Materials - Contains a minimum of 20% recycled content
- Ethical - Avoids questionable or unethical sources
- Labor Protections - Ensures that workers are treated fairly according to internationally recognized (ILO) labor standards
- Supply Chain Management - Introduces supply chain risk management tools to improve sourcing strategies and prevent destructive environmental practices
- Environmental Impact Assessment - examines the environmental impacts associated with product manufacturing
- Chain of Custody – Transaction certificates follow the material through the supply chain
Certification with GCL benefits you, your customers, and other stakeholders, by demonstrating:
- Alignment of definitions across multiple applications.
- Tracking and tracing Recycled input materials.
- Providing customers (both brands and consumers) with a tool to make informed decisions.
- Reducing harmful impact of production to people and the environment.
- Providing assurance that materials in the final product are actually Recycled and processed more sustainably.
- Driving innovation in addressing quality issues in the use of Recycled materials.
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