The National Organic Program (NOP) is pleased to announce a new instruction addressing technical assistance.  

Additionally, we want to remind certifying agents that, as addressed in the residue testing final rule that went into effect January 1, 2013, they do not need to send us residue testing results; we will review them as part of the next audit.

Certifying agents and inspectors must provide enough information to allow operations to meet the organic standards without providing advice or "consulting."  

However, many certifying agents and inspectors worry about being perceived as "consulting" if they provide this technical assistance to help their clients come into compliance.  

This new instruction outlines what certifying and inspectors can and can't do to assist organic operations.  

NOP 2614: Technical Assistance

As noted in the residue testing final rule that was effective on January 1, 2013, certifying agents do not need to submit their residue testing results to the NOP.

We have updated the following instruction describing information submission requirements to reflect this change. 

Certifying agents must maintain records of all residue testing and provide these results to the public upon request. These records will be reviewed as part of each certifying agent's next USDA audit.

NOP 2024: Information Submission Requirements for Certifying Agents   

Residue Testing Resources 

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