The USDA Organic certification program accredits agencies that provide certification services outside of the US. The Icelandic kelp we source is originally certified by T.U.N. in Iceland and is based on the sustainability, protection of bio-diversity, harvest methods, effects on the environment, processing techniques and so on. Additionally it is certified by QAI, a USDA accredited certifier, to the standards of the National Organic Program (NOP). Life Line Pet Nutrition, Inc. is then certified as a handler of organic products by WSDA. According to the National Organic Standards Section 205.207, wild crops, including wild berries, may be certified as long as the below conditions are met:
§ 205.207 Wild-crop harvesting practice standard.
(a) A wild crop that is intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be harvested from a designated area that has had no prohibited substance, as set forth in § 205.105, applied to it for a period of 3 years immediately preceding the harvest of the wild crop.
(b) A wild crop must be harvested in a manner that ensures that such harvesting or gathering will not be destructive to the environment and will sustain the growth and production of the wild crop.