USDA organic regulations require certified handlers to prevent commingling of organic and non-organic products. Handlers must also prevent organic products from being contaminated by any prohibited material. Learn the basic requirements of preventing commingling and contamination in organic handling with this fact sheet.
Preventing Commingling/
Contamination in Organic Handling
O rg a n i c C e rt i f i c a t i o n F a c t S h e e t
USDA organic regulations require certified handlers to prevent commingling of organic and
non-organic products. Handlers must also prevent organic products from being contaminated
by any prohibited material. Organic certification requires maintaining organic integrity from the
sourcing of ingredients through the final packaging and distribution of the product.
§205.271 and .272 – USDA organic regulations require that organic handling operations
implement measures necessary to prevent the commingling of organic and non-organic
products and to protect organic products from contact with prohibited substances.
Organic Ingredients
When sourcing ingredients or products, an operation must ensure they are certified according to
USDA organic regulations. Ingredients may be verified through the supplier’s organic certificate
or through certifier and USDA websites. Facilities should have clear steps to designate how an
organic product is identified upon arrival, and where the organic product is stored.
Storage
Organic ingredients must be stored in a manner that prevents commingling with nonorganic
ingredients. Clear labeling of organic ingredients and careful handling procedures can decrease
the risk of accidental commingling.
Process
Handlers should utilize processes that minimize risk of commingling with nonorganic products.
This may be accomplished through the use of dedicated equipment, the handling of organic
products before non-organic, or other methods suited to the operation.
Cleaning
Proper cleaning of shared equipment is important to ensure organic integrity is maintained.
Documentation of cleaning or purge steps allows the organic inspector to confirm you have
implemented steps to prevent commingling of organic and nonorganic versions of a product.
Pest Management
Proper pest management is essential to prevent products from becoming exposed to prohibited
pesticides. Handlers follow a multi-level approach when dealing with pests in facilities. The first
level is prevention of the problem, followed by the use of mechanical and physical controls.
If preventative methods are insufficient, handlers may use materials on the National List of
Allowed and Prohibited Substances, located within the USDA organic regulations. All pest-control
materials must be added to your Organic System Plan and be approved by your certifier prior to
use. If other methods are insufficient, use of synthetic inputs is acceptable provided there is no
risk of contaminating organic products, packaging, or equipment.
AGR 3023 – Updated July 2019
Preventing Commingling/Contamination in Organic Handling
Page 2
Recordkeeping
At each step of the process, recordkeeping helps an operation
demonstrate compliance, track flow of organic product, and
provide evidence that a product’s organic integrity has been
maintained. Organic handlers must keep adequate records of all
activities involving organic handling. This audit trail of records
provides traceability of your organic product back to the source
of ingredients and forward to the distribution of the organic
product into the marketplace.
Additional Resources
National Organic Program Guide for Organic Processors
https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/guide-organicprocessors
Organic Integrity in the Supply Chain: Resource List
https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/organicintegrity-supply-chain-resource-list-organic-certifiers-andcertified
*This final level, use of a synthetic material not on the National
List, is available only if the certified operation adopts the first
three levels but finds them inadequate to control the target
pest. The levels must build upon, not replace, each other.
WSDA Organic Program
PO Box 42560 | Olympia WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1805 | organic@agr.wa.gov
http://agr.wa.gov/organic
AGR 3023 – Updated July 2019
All Regions
External Link
4593, 4593, 3023_HandlerCCPrevention.pdf, 3023_HandlerCCPrevention.pdf, 641947, https://cms.organictransition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3023_HandlerCCPrevention.pdf, https://cms.organictransition.org/resource/preventing-commingling-contamination-in-organic-handling/3023_handlerccprevention-pdf/, , 1, , , 3023_handlerccprevention-pdf, inherit, 4079, 2024-01-08 17:12:28, 2024-01-08 17:12:28, 0, application/pdf, application, pdf, https://cms.organictransition.org/wp-includes/images/media/document.png
https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/FSCS/Organic/Pubs_organic/3023_HandlerCCPrevention.pdf?/3023_HandlerCCPrevention