The health of all customers is what we value the most. All qualified products available at our branches are proof that we offer only the best. Providing organic food is important to us and therefore we always offer organic options for all our food.
The different certifications of organic food around the globe
To certify that all our products are organic and have passed strict inspections we use the organic logo issued by an authorized control agency. This procedure helps the end consumers to better understand what organic food is about and instills trust in organic food along with supporting official bodies in their inspection procedures.
A product can be sold and labeled as organic when 95 percent of its content is organic. To be confident that products such as bread and soup which are multi ingredient products are organic, the label needs to show the particular organic ingredients that they are made of. Before a food can be labeled as organic, it must pass a strict compliance procedure by the USDA, The United States Department of Agriculture. This United States government department develops and executes laws concerning farming, forestry, rural economic development, and nutrition. The final entity that is in charge of labeling foods organic is the National Organic Program (NOP) which also conducts compliance and enforcement activities to ensure that customers and end users can be confident all foods labeled organic are genuinely so.
To create an international standard for awarding accreditation and certification, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) launched the IFOAM Accreditation Program in 1992 and subsequently accredited Thailand’s official bodies in 2001, issuing the ACT seal and IFOAM accreditation logo. These logos can be used by operators accredited by IFOAM and need to always be displayed together on their certified products. Many of these products are sold to importers in various countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.
The European Union has its own certificate called Euro-leaf which combines the image of a leaf symbolizing nature with the stars of the European flag. The Euro-leaf logo is used to certify fully conformed organic food throughout the European Union. Processed products can also be certified and in order to receive full accreditation its agricultural ingredients should be at least 95% organic. Other information conveyed through the new logo includes where the agricultural raw materials have been farmed and a code number of the controlling body.
Australia uses its own certification system through ACO, Australian Certified Organic, which is Australia's largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce. Certification covers all sectors of the organic industry and guarantees compliance with national production standards. The logo used with the companies individual certification numbers means the product contains 95-100% certified ingredients and complies with the organic farming standard while also providing information on the product's origin. A smaller bud logo is also used and informs that the product contains 70-95% organic ingredients with the specific percentage mentioned on the logo. To ensure compliance with strict organic standards and to protect consumers from false information, these organic certification logos are important to include on genuine organic products.
In Canada a holistic system is used to optimize the productivity and effectiveness of communities within the diverse agro-eco system that includes livestock and people, but also soil organisms, and plants. The certification process is in line with the Canadian Organic Standards (COS) and used to ensure agricultural operations that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment. The certification is legally required by the COS to be affixed to all organic products and when a logo is displayed on a food or beverage product you can be assured that the food was grown and processed in line with the rigorous Canadian Organic Standards which are based on the principles of sustainable organic agriculture.
The label for certified organic products in Thailand is called Organic Thailand. The label ensures that the production and processing of organic products are in line with standards set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Under the watchful eye of the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS), organic products are inspected according to rigorous guidelines to guarantee they conform to organic agricultural standards. Vegetables and fruits are often labeled with this logo which means that organic agricultural regulations were strictly followed.
Suggested Organic Food
At Villa Market, we have a selection of organic staples such as cheese, rice milk and peanut butter. For a quick snack, a variety of options such as plain crackers, energy bar and chocolate coated biscuits are available. For the gourmands amongst us, we offer a range of sauces including burger sauce, mayonnaise, and soy sauce. Our selection of coconut oil, chia seeds, apple cider vinegar, and spirulina power will also delight health enthusiasts.