APEDA Suspends Accreditation and Imposes Penalties on 6 Organic Certification Bodies

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has taken a tough stand against irregularities in the inspection and certification of organic products. Under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), specific standards and procedures have been laid down for certifying organic products.

Recently, APEDA decided to impose penalties and restrictions on six certification agencies and one exporter for severe non-compliances in the certification process under NPOP. These include the State Organic Certification Agencies of Uttarakhand and Bihar, along with four private agencies.

According to a circular issued by APEDA, the accreditation of Eccentric Organic Pvt. Ltd. under NPOP has been terminated and the directors of the company have been blacklisted for three years.

The accreditation of Global Certification Society (GCS), Natural Organic Certification Agency (NOCA), and Krishi Certification Pvt. Ltd. has been suspended for one year, along with a penalty of Rs. Five lakhs for serious non-compliances in the certification process.

Action has also been taken against the Bihar and Uttarakhand State Organic Certification Agencies. The Scope of Accreditation of the Bihar State Seed and Organic Certification Agency (BSSOCA) has been restricted to only Bihar State, along with a penalty of Rs. Five lakhs.

Similarly, a penalty of Rs. Ten Lakhs imposed on Uttarakhand State Organic Certification Agency (USOCA) with the Scope of Accreditation has been restricted to Uttarakhand State only.

The Uttarakhand State Organic Certification Agency (USOCA) has been fined ₹10 lakh, with its operations limited to the state of Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, the exporter M/s Adroit Indulgence Pvt. Ltd. has had its NPOP certification suspended pending inquiry and final decision.

The certification of an exporter, M/s Aadroit Indulgence Pvt. Ltd., has been suspended till the hearing of the matter and the final decision by the Sub Committee/NAB for major non-compliances and violations of NPOP.

Senior APEDA officials stated that strict adherence to procedures under the National Programme for Organic Production will be ensured. Action has been taken following complaints and subsequent investigations against certain certification agencies.

The sub-committee of the National Accreditation Body (NAB), constituted under NPOP, had recommended these actions in its meeting held last month. Earlier, in March 2025, penalties and restrictions were imposed on 12 certification agencies, including those from Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand.

With the growing market and export potential of organic products in India, certification has become a major issue. Due to non-compliance with global standards, several Indian organic products have faced rejection abroad.

To maintain buyer confidence and ensure adherence to international benchmarks, APEDA is emphasizing stricter enforcement of certification procedures.
The latest action is seen as a strong message to certification bodies to uphold transparency and credibility in the organic sector.

Notably, even state-run certification agencies have been found violating norms, compelling APEDA to take punitive measures such as fines and operational restrictions against them.