OMRI Announces Faster Reviews

(November 2, 2011) OMRI's Review Program is now functioning more smoothly than ever, responding swiftly to growing industry demand for professional, third party review of products for organic use. Armed with improved procedural effectiveness, and with a staff that has grown by over 20% in the last year, OMRI is ready to review more products and meet industry needs in a number of new areas.

"We have added more staff, restructured the review program to improve efficiency, and we cut the average review time in half since last year. The median review time for new product applications is now only 60 business days," says Program Director Lindsay Fernandez-Salvador. "We are proud of our success, and of our service to the organic industry, which we now provide at a pace that is in keeping with the speed of commerce."

Companies that have applied in recent months are astounded by the turnaround. Here are just a few comments from applying companies:

• You have improved the paperwork immensely; it is so much easier to understand and you have it straightforward, requesting from me exactly what you need!
• The turnaround was very, very fast.
• Every experience has been positive.
• In an industry where many vendors are "self-certified" as being organic, we value the third-party independent endorsement.

OMRI has always been the primary, trusted source of reliable information on products for organic crop production.  Many agencies provide a certain level of registration, but OMRI listing remains the largest single verification that is widely accepted by U.S. domestic certifiers. Organic crop production has relied on the OMRI List as a practical solution to improve consistency in materials review. Now with faster turnaround and an increased number of highly trained staff, OMRI is ready to better serve the organic industry in other areas as well.

"We have received requests to list more processing products, and the classification of flavors in particular," explains Peggy Miars, OMRI Executive Director/CEO. "Certifiers and organic producers are also calling for a larger list of livestock products. As OMRI lists more products, that helps certifiers to improve efficiency and keep costs down. Now is the time to send in those applications, and help build the OMRI Products List© as a comprehensive resource for certifiers, producers and the organic community."

While the OMRI Products List recently attained over 2200 products, the organization's scrupulous, ISO-65 accredited policies and procedures continue to ensure that potential fraud is discovered and immediately addressed. An updated and rigorous inspections department, along with new procedures for monitoring ongoing compliance, means that OMRI is well positioned to reliably review a growing number of products.

Free, searchable lists of reviewed products and brand name materials are always available at www.omri.org.

Contact: Peggy Miars, OMRI Executive Director/CEO