SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 7, 2019 - The leading provider of organic certification services, Quality Assurance International (QAI), is launching a new certification mark to help consumers understand that USDA organic certified products are required to be free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In other words, “If it’s organic, it’s non-GMO.”

In a QAI study, 80 percent of participants said they were unaware that products with the organic seal were also non-GMO. Of survey participants who reported recently shopping at a well-known natural foods store, just one-quarter recognized organic products as non-GMO. The study suggests many consumers don’t understand organic products are non-GMO and may seek both labels to satisfy their needs.

“What many consumers don’t realize is that the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is strictly prohibited in organic products,” said Tracy Favre, Director of QAI. “By introducing QAI’s new organic certification mark, we hope consumers can more easily identify organic products as also being non-GMO and begin to understand the full value of the USDA organic certification.”

Makers of QAI certified products can choose to use the original QAI mark or the new “If it’s organic, it’s non-GMO” mark. “The optional mark is available for immediate use by new and existing customers. We expect to begin seeing it on organic certified products as early as this summer,” said Favre.

In addition to organic certification, QAI also offers gluten-free, kosher, social reasonability and food safety certifications through its parent company NSF International. For more information, please contact Lauren Browning at lbrowning@qai-inc.com. For media inquiries, please contact Lindsay Karpinskas at media@nsf.org or +1-734-773-4194.

Founded in 1989, Quality Assurance International (qai-inc.com) is the leading provider of organic certification services verifying organic integrity throughout the supply chain. Additional certification services cover transitional, gluten-free, kosher, organic personal care, social responsibility and food safety. QAI remains dedicated to the environment, while providing educational outreach to the organic community, customers and consumers. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., the company has grown to include operations in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the European Union.