The world of supplements is vast and can often be filled with a lot of confusing jargon. There are many different certifications that companies can pursue. As a consumer, this can make it difficult to figure out what supplement is the best for you!
So, let’s break down what organic certification really means regarding supplements, what certifications to look for, and what the future holds for organic standards.
What does “organic” mean?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines organic as:
“Organic food is produced using sustainable agricultural production practices. It is produced without using: most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. To qualify as organic, meat, poultry eggs, and dairy products must come from animals that have been given no antibiotics or growth hormones.”
When New Chapter® sources organic ingredients, we adhere to these organic standards.
Why should you buy organic products?
It’s all about putting only good things in your body! The foods and ingredients we eat each day have a significant effect on both short- and long-term health. Choosing organic means you’re choosing food that was produced without harmful chemicals, additives, and preservatives.
The Rodale Institute shares that “more than 82% of American households purchase organic products. As of 2018, the organic market is worth more than $50 billion in the United States alone…”. People of diverse incomes, ages, races, and ethnicities shop for organic produce, according to the USDA. Consumers like you are looking for better quality food and ingredients to feed themselves and their families—and organic certification is a big part of that.
Organic standards and practices also support nutrient density. The quality of soil has been declining rapidly and, with current practices, there is only about 60 years of topsoil left in some places. Fertile, biodiverse soil is the main provider of beneficial nutrients to the crops that we consume and without this, the quality of the produce is suffering. The average vegetables found in today’s supermarkets are 5%-40% lower in mineral content than those from over 50 years ago. Additionally, of the 13 most important nutrients in your fruits and vegetables, 6 of their levels have declined substantially, including iron, calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin B12.
Thankfully, organic and regenerative farming practices better support our topsoil than conventional and extractive practices. So, choosing organic certified products ensures you’re getting quality, nutrient-dense food and ingredients. When it comes to supplements, this also ensures you’re getting the most out of them!
What are the different certifications you can get?
We’ve earned several different third-party certifications for our products.
Non-GMO Project Verified
New Chapter has long been committed to avoiding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and we were one of the first dietary supplement companies to enroll our products in the Non-GMO Project Verification program. The Non-GMO Project Verified logo on a product confirms the ingredients are independently reviewed for GMO avoidance going all the way back to the seeds.
Be aware that products that are non-GMO aren’t necessarily produced under organic standards. Some products may be Non-GMO Project verified but not organic certified.
Where Food Comes from Organic (WFCFO)
WFCFO verifies that each step of manufacturing meets the National Organic Program (NOP) organic standard, including no added chemical pesticides, herbicide residues, or genetic engineering. The WFCFO logo indicates a product contains 70% or more organic material to the NOP standards.
USDA Organic
The USDA organic logo indicates a product is certified to the NOP standard and contains 95% or more organic material in the product. New Chapter’s USDA Organic products are certified by Where Food Comes From Organics.
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Regenerative agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. At a baseline, Regenerative Organic certification indicates a product contains 95% or more organic material. The process must adhere to the standards of soil health, worker fairness, and animal welfare as outlined by the Regenerative Organic Alliance. New Chapter’s Regenerative Organic Certified products are certified by Where Food Comes from Organic.
These are only a few of our certifications. You can learn more about our third-party certifications here!
Why do companies have some certifications and not others?
You might be familiar with other organic certifications. Some of these certifications are for food, not supplements, which is why we aren’t certified by them! Some organic certifiers are location-based, as well. We pursue broader certifications instead of location-specific ones because our production partners are all over the globe.
Some certifications may make sense only for certain products and not others. Many of our products are Non-GMO Project Verified and carry an Organic validation, but there are a few products that have more unique certifications attached to them.
For example, our Wholemega™ Fish Oil has several unique certifications, including the Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management Certification and Upcycled Certified®. Certifications regarding sustainably caught fish are only applicable to our fish oil Omega-3 products, while the Upcycled Certification is a new addition that shows our commitment to reducing food waste. In this case, we press our fish oil from the trimmings of food-grade salmon, ensuring you enjoy a high-quality product while promoting sustainable practices.
These certifications are important, but they only apply to a handful of our products, so you won’t see them on every label. When you’re checking a product for certifications, it’s important to know the specifics of each certification so that you’re looking for the one most relevant to the product.
Why are third-party certifications important?
You deserve better products! We’re constantly raising the bar on product quality from nature to bottle through revolutionary formulations and ingredients backed by meticulous third-party testing. We pack our supplements with high-quality ingredients—real and true and tested.
We work with independent outside organizations who review our product according to their set of standards. This provides assurance to consumers and stakeholders that we’re meeting our claims!
New Chapter pursues the highest level of certifications possible for our products so that you can trust the products you use. Sometimes, we even go above and beyond the organic certification levels! This means that we often push to go “beyond organic,” which means holding ourselves and our suppliers to higher standards. One of the ways we’ve done is by establishing a restricted substances list in 2023. We don’t use ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) in our products.
We’re also proud to be a B Corp! New Chapter has been a B Corp since 2014. Certified B Corporations are redefining business success as not just best in the world, but best for the world. Certified B Corps are required to score high in key areas of business including treatment of workers, environmental impact, business transparency, and community engagement. We’re committed to making a positive impact—so you can feel good about choosing supplements that do good!
What does the Where Food Comes From Organic seal mean?
Using the WFCFO seal symbolizes the product contains 70% or more organic material, also referred to as “made with organic” (MWO).
What does the USDA Organic seal mean?
Use of the USDA Organic seal symbolizes the product contains 95% or more organic material.
What does that look like for New Chapter’s products?
We strive to include organic ingredients whenever possible, even if a product cannot become certified. Over 90% of our products contain at least one organic ingredient!
What is the future of organic certification?
When it comes to growing nourishing food AND addressing issues like climate change and soil degradation, one of the best strategies we have is regenerative agriculture. Pursuing regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic standards, making it the certification of the future if you’re looking to take organic to another level. The baseline to obtaining a Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) is that the product must be USDA Organic and then adds further holistic practices that improve soil and community health.
That’s why we launched our first ROC supplement: Organic Holy Basil Booster Powder. This product represents the next step in our commitment to going “beyond organic”! We aren’t just stopping at one product, either. We are currently working towards getting more ingredients Regenerative Organic Certified in new and existing products.
Why are New Chapter supplements the right choice?
At New Chapter, we believe excellent quality starts at the source. That’s why we go the extra mile to source ingredients from farmers who are committed to organic standards just like we are.
When it comes to multivitamins, ingredients make a huge difference in efficacy. Choosing the right ingredients to help your body absorb them is an important marker of both quality and formulation expertise.
But you don’t have to just take our word for it. We invest in third-party certifications so you can purchase confidently, knowing that our quality standards are truly exceptional!
