Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC – Label Guidelines
Is it a farm label or a product label?
A farm label MAY have…
Your farm name
Your farm address and phone number
A website or e-mail address
An illustration
A farm label MUST NOT…
Make an organic claim
Specify a product
A product label MAY HAVE…
Anything that a farm label contains, in addition to:
An organic claim
A specified product
Example: farm label
Example: product label
Which one is best for you?
Farm Labels:
A farm label can be affixed to any product that you produce and want to advertise as your own. If the product is certified organic by VOF your farm label may be used alongside the VOF farmer logo, but must not make an organic claim about the product that it is affixed to. Your farm label simply serves as an identifying logo as a means of marketing and advertising your farm.
Product Labels:
If you want to make an organic claim about a product, you must use a product label.
A product label may be affixed to any raw agricultural product in a package that you produce and has been certified organic by VOF. Your product label MUST contain the phrase “certified organic by VOF,” or contain a similar phrase that identifies the certifying agent (VOF). You may choose to use the VOF farmer logo with your product label but the VOF logo DOES NOT take the place of the required phrase.
If you are labeling a multi-ingredient, certified organic product (e.g. pickles, dilly beans, jam, pesto, etc.) your product label MUST identify each organic ingredient with the word “organic,” or with an asterisk that is defined below the ingredient statement to indicate that the ingredient is produced organically. It MUST contain the phrase “certified organic by VOF,” or contain a similar phrase that identifies the certifying agent (VOF). You may choose to use the VOF farmer logo with your product label but the VOF logo DOES NOT take the place of the required phrase.
In addition:
If you are producing a multi-ingredient product (e.g. pickles, dilly beans, jam, pesto, etc.) that is NOT certified organic by VOF but is produced using a certified organic product (e.g. cucumbers, green beans, strawberries, basil, etc.) you may indicate the organic status of the ingredient by using the word “organic” preceding the organic ingredient in your ingredient statement. Your label MUST NOT, however, make an organic claim of the product in its finished state.
Example: certified organic by VOF, multi-ingredient product
Example: non-certified, multi-ingredient product, made with organic ingredients
Don’t get stuck with unusable labels!
Please send a proof of your farm label or product label to the VOF office before sending it to the printer. We will gladly review the label to ensure that it is in accordance with the NOP Standards.
Checklist for processed product labels:
Does your product meet the “100 percent organic” product composition standards?
A “100 percent organic” product label MAY have…
The term “100 percent organic” on it
The term “organic” to identify each organic ingredient in the ingredient statement
The USDA seal
The VOF logo *(If you use the USDA seal AND the VOF logo, the VOF logo must not be displayed more prominently than the USDA seal)
A “100 percent organic” product label MUST…
Contain the phrase “certified organic by VOF,” or contain a similar phrase that identifies the certifying agent (VOF). You may choose to use the VOF processor logo with your product label but the VOF logo DOES NOT take the place of the required phrase.
Does your product meet the “organic” product composition standards?
An “organic” product label MAY have…
The term “organic” on it
**The percentage of organic ingredients in the product
The USDA seal
The VOF logo *(If you use the USDA seal AND the VOF logo, the VOF logo must not be displayed more prominently than the USDA seal)
An “organic” product label MUST…
Identify each organic ingredient with the word “organic,” or with an asterisk that is defined below the ingredient statement to indicate that the ingredient is produced organically. Please note: water and salt included as ingredients cannot be identified as organic.
Contain the phrase “certified organic by VOF,” or contain a similar phrase that identifies the certifying agent (VOF). You may choose to use the VOF processor logo with your product label but the VOF logo DOES NOT take the place of the required phrase.
Does your product meet the “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))” product composition standards?
A “made with organic…” product label MAY have…
**The statement “made with organic (specified ingredient)”
**The statement “made with organic (specified food groups)”
The percentage of organic ingredients in the product
A “made with organic…” product label MUST…
Identify each organic ingredient with the word “organic,” or with an asterisk that is defined below the ingredient statement to indicate that the ingredient is produced organically. Please note: water and salt included as ingredients cannot be identified as organic.
Contain the phrase “certified organic by VOF,” or contain a similar phrase that identifies the certifying agent (VOF). You may choose to use the VOF processor logo with your product label but the VOF logo DOES NOT take the place of the required phrase.
A “made with organic…” product label MUST NOT…
Display the USDA seal
Display the VOF logo
**PLEASE NOTE: For additional information about rules regarding this statement, please refer to page 95 and 96 of your Vermont Organic Farmers 2010 Certification Guidelines and Applicant Information book.