Register & Transfer

If you are making your first application for certification you should review the Crop Plan Guide and then complete the Crop Plan itself. The Crop Renewal Plan should be completed in years following submission of an INITIAL Organic Plan.

These forms are for operators involved in growing containerized greenhouse crops, sprouts, shoots and microgreens. 

If you are making your first application for certification you should complete the Greenhouses, Sprouts & Microgreens Plan itself. The Greenhouses, Sprouts & Microgreens Renewal is to be used in years following submission of your INITIAL Organic Plan. 

The Split Operation Form is to be used to provide information about the non-organic aspects of your operation. This may include non organic crops, livestock or poultry for your own consumption or enjoyment, or bees for pollinating organic crops and NOT for organic apiculture products. This will give us and the Verification Officer a better overall understanding of your operation and daily going-ons.

• Greenhouses, Sprouts & Microgreens Plan
• Split Operation Form

These forms are for operators involved in food and/or beverage processing, preparation, packaging and/or labelling. The Brokers, traders or marketers who do not wash, process, package or label products should not use the forms in this section as they are not organic operations. 

If you are making your first application for certification you should review the Preparation Plan Guide and then complete the Preparation Plan itself. The Preparation Renewal Plan should be used in years following submission of your INITIAL Organic Plan.

The smooth and efficient certification of multi-ingredient products depends on well organized and complete documentation of:

1. Organic Product Profile (OPP) - product recipe
2. Ingredients
3. Operating procedures
4. Production and sales records. 

1. ORGANIC PRODUCT PROFILE (OPP) - product recipe (link below)

• PACS must verify the composition of your organic products to evaluate the percentage of organic ingredients.  See Annex A of CAN/CGSB 32.310 → CAN/CGSB-32.310-2020
• An OPP form within the excel document that automatically calculates organic product composition. Please see the instructional tabs for details on how to complete this form. 

2. INGREDIENTS:  When the PACS Certification Committee (CC) is evaluating ingredients for compliance for use in organic products, we are looking for the following information:

• How to evaluate Organic Ingredients
  • Is the certificate current?
  • Does the certificate list the products/ingredients in question? If not, is there an organic product listing? (Sometimes this is a separate file)
  • Is the product certified to COR (Canada Organic Regime)? If not, does it hold COR equivalency? (Sometimes this is listed on the organic product listing or is a completely separate document/declaration) 
    • If the supplier holds a USDA/National Organic Program (NOP) certificate we will require  a declaration stating USCOEA (US-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement) compliance.
    • If the certificate is from the EU and the supplier is located in one of the EU member states, the Certificate might automatically hold equivalency. If the supplier is not located in the EU, the PACS CC will have to evaluate the supplier’s EU certificate for compliance. We recommend that you request a NOP certificate in this case. (i.e. if a supplier based in India holds an EU certificate, their Certifying Body will typically also issue a NOP certificate. Please request a NOP certificate with USCOEA compliance).
  • Depending on the country of origin, a Certificate of Import/Transaction Certificate may accompany the shipment.  If this is the case, the suppliers original Organic Certificate will need to be verified first, including a review of their product listings.  The Certificate of Import/Transaction Certificate will need to indicate COR or USCOEA compliance as well.
• How to evaluate Non-Organic Ingredients (NOI)
  • Is the product listed in CAN/CGSB 32.311 - Permitted Substances List (PSL)?  (Ctrl ‘F’ to search for a particular substance or phrase within the entire document)
  • Are you intending to use the product as indicated in the PSL? (Some products have specific restriction on origin/usage.)
  • Are there information sheets/MSDS/product specification forms that include an ingredients list or mention non-synthetic, non-GMO sourcing? If not, have the manufacturer complete a Non-Organic Ingredient (NOI) Declaration, ensuring the ingredients are listed.
  • Non-Organic yeasts and enzymes will definitely require a NOI Declaration from the manufacturer.
  • Non-Organic citric acid will require a NOI Declaration from the manufacturer.
  • Ingredients that include casein, or are milk-derived, will require a declaration stating the milk was sourced from animals not treated with rBGH.

3. OPERATING PROCEDURES

• Your Preparation application form will prompt you to describe procedures and submit documentation to provide information around the following:
  • Facility diagram
  • Process flow diagrams
  • Inventory and storage documentation
  • Organic product/ingredient segregation measures
  • Pest control protocol 
  • Sanitation 
  • Transport and receiving procedures

4. PRODUCTION & SALES RECORDS

• A main component in being successful in organics revolves around maintaining accurate documentation and records. For Production and Sales, this may include purchase orders of your ingredients and supplies, receiving logs of inputs, production records, sales invoices of the final products, shipping records and any other document that will ensure a successful volume audit and trace-back exercise can be completed.

Additional Forms:

• Preparation Plan Guide
• Preparation Plan
• USCOEA Attestation (only required if requested by PACS) 
• Third Party Service Provider form (only required if requested by PACS)
• Packer Sheet (only required if requested by PACS)
• Organic Product Profile (OPP)
• Non-Organic Ingredient Declaration (NOI) 
• Independent Storage Statement (for storage of goods in a facility not owned by you)
• Simple Preparation Plan

These forms are for operators who are applying for organic certification of livestock production. If you are making your first application for certification you should review the Livestock Plan Guide and then complete the Livestock Plan itself.  If you are certifying Poultry, Swine and/or Apiculture, please fill out the plan that’s specific to those species as opposed to the general Livestock Plan. 

If this is your initial Livestock application, whether you are growing crops for human consumption or for your own livestock feed, you must also complete a full Crop Plan (formerly “Farm Plan”).  

Forms required for an initial application for Livestock Production:

• Livestock Plan (Beef, Dairy, Goats, Rabbits, Sheep) 
• Livestock Plan Guide
• Poultry Plan
• Swine Plan
• Apiculture Plan
• Livestock Feed Ration Worksheet

This section is for operators who either possess, or have applied for, Health Canada licences for the cultivation and/or processing of cannabis.  The Indoor plan is to be used if your operation uses greenhouse/containerized production.  For Outdoor (in-ground) production, please use the Outdoor plan.  NOTE: in-ground production is subject to a minimum 12 month transition period up to 36 months depending on the date of the last application of a prohibited substance.  Both the Indoor and Outdoor Plans cover the processing aspect of oil extraction.  Watch for updated forms on the PACS website when Health Canada expands the legalization of additional cannabis products in 2019.

• Cannabis Cultivation Plan (Indoor)
• Cannabis Cultivation Plan (Outdoor)

This plan is to be completed by anyone wanting to certify plants that are collected or harvested from their natural habitat. 

• Wild Crop Plan

This plan is to be completed by anyone who wishes to certify the production of mushrooms.  For mushroom product preparation a Preparation Plan will be required. 

• Mushroom Plan
• Preparation Plan

This plan is to be completed by anyone who wishes to certify tree syrup products.  Certification is not limited to maple and birch tree syrup.

•  Maple/Birch Products Plan

This form is to be used for Traders (Domestic Distributor or Exporter) who purchase and sell organic products that are not altered or repackaged.  Traders may apply for product certification to sell organic products, however it is not a requirement.  If full documentation is present and shows that organic integrity has not been compromised, a product certification is not required.  Brokers who do not purchase organic products, but act as agents for others in negotiating sales contracts among organic operators, may also use this form to apply for certification of the service of brokerage in compliance with the Canada Organic Regime.