Organic Processed Food Certification Procedure — 95% Organic Ingredients, Certification Body Documents, On-site Audit and 1-Year Renewal

Procedure

1. 1. Check ingredient composition and certification standards

   A product labeled organic must contain organic ingredients of 95% or more of the product weight excluding artificially added water and salt, and a product labeled 'organic 70%' must contain 70% or more (Enforcement Rule Annex Table 4, item 5). Genetically modified organisms and ingredients derived from them cannot be used, and non-organic ingredients may be used only within the permitted scope, such as when organic ingredients cannot be procured commercially. First check whether supporting documents such as delivery notes and transaction certificates can be obtained for each ingredient.

2. 2. Complete basic environmentally friendly agriculture training

   Manufacturing and processing businesses must also complete the basic environmentally friendly agriculture training (2 hours or more) once every 2 years at a training institution designated by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service. Proof of completion is attached to the application (unless it can be confirmed electronically), so complete it before applying.

3. 3. Prepare the plan and management records

   In the certified product manufacturing, processing and handling plan (Annex Form 8), describe the ingredients, manufacturing process and how organic integrity is maintained. As management records (Annex Table 5), organize records of ingredient receipt, use and storage, food additive and processing aid use, and production and sales for the last 1 year; for a newly established site, the record period may be adjusted within a range of 1 month or more. Also prepare a floor plan showing the structure and use of the workplace and a map showing the boundary of the site.

4. 4. Apply to the certification body; document and on-site audit

   Submit the application for manufacturers, processors and handlers (Annex Form 5) with the attachments to the certification body. Within 10 days, the body notifies the audit schedule and the list of auditors, then checks compliance with the standards through a document review and an on-site audit. If the standards are met, a certificate is issued, and an applicant who disagrees with the result can request a re-examination from that certification body.

5. 5. Manage the 1-year validity and renew

   The certification is valid for 1 year from the date of certification. Apply for renewal using the same application form no later than 2 months before the validity period ends; the plan, map and floor plan need not be submitted if unchanged. As a rule, a business cannot be certified by the same certification body more than 2 times in a row (except bodies with high evaluation results), so check the certification body for the third round.

Required documents

• Application for certification (for manufacturers, processors or handlers) (Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Annex Form 5)
• Certified product manufacturing, processing and handling plan (Annex Form 8 of the same Rule)
• Management records (Annex Table 5, item 2 of the same Rule: records of ingredient receipt, use and storage; food additive and processing aid use; production and sales volume; handling process)
• Map showing the boundary of the business site
• Floor plan showing the structure and use of the workplace
• Proof of completion of basic environmentally friendly agriculture training (unless confirmed electronically)
• Ingredient supporting documents such as delivery notes, transaction certificates, guarantees or test reports for organic ingredients

Fees

Typically from several hundred thousand won to around one million won or more in the industry · Quoted after consultation depending on the number of products, ingredient composition, the volume of the processing plan and management records, and whether it is a new certification or renewal. The certification body's audit fee is separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods, Article 19
• Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods, Article 20
• Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods, Article 21
• Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods, Article 23
• Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods, Article 60
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Article 12
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Article 13
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Article 17
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Annex Table 4
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Annex Table 5
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Annex Form 5
• Enforcement Rule of the same Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), Annex Form 8

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-14

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Preparing documents for the certification body that differ from the facts or obtaining certification by falsehood is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won (Article 60(2)4 and 7 of the Act), so keep ingredient receipt and use records consistent with actual transaction documents.
• If certification is revoked, a new application can be made only after 1 year from revocation (2 years for 2 revocations in the last 10 years, 5 years for 3 or more) (Article 20(2) of the Act).

Frequently asked questions