The Whole Wheat Atta introduced by Amul, a cooperative brand run by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Limited, has received Organic Certification from SGS.
This certificate proves that the organic production requirements were met and backs up the veracity of the organic claim made for the agricultural goods sold by GCMMF under the Amul brand name.
In addition to the certification given to the GCMMF, Kaira District Milk Producers Union Limited, which is the processing facility for Amul, has also received certification from SGS.
A set of production standards for growing, storing, processing, packaging, and shipping organic products make up the organic certification process.
To ensure regulatory compliance with the organic certification standards, the certification entails independent assessment of the procedures, locations, and production techniques.
In response to the significant consumer demand for real, organically produced foods, an organic certification raises the brand value and improves the marketability of organic products.
The certification also makes it easier to export unprocessed goods to the EU and Switzerland in addition to increasing saleability and opening doors to new markets at home.
A fast and efficient programme, this certification is an assurance of the organic integrity of products and use of sustainable practices that safeguard the environment by protecting natural resources and biodiversity.
Organic certification standards include:
- Avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives), irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge.
- Avoidance of genetically modified seed.
- Use of farmland that has been free from prohibited chemical inputs for several years (often three or more).
- Audit Trail – maintaining a detailed written record of production and sales.
- Strict and controlled physical separation of organic products from non-certified products.
- Undergoing periodic on-site inspections.
Jayen Mehta, COO, GCMMF (Amul) expressed his elation about the association with SGS for Organic certification of GCMMF. He appreciated the disciplined approach that SGS followed while executing various stages of certification process at GCMMF.
“Organic certification is key to protect the environment, produce residue-free and safe food products. It unequivocally demonstrates the authenticity of ‘organic’ product claims and builds customer trust towards the brand,” said Nilesh Jadhav, Director – Knowledge Business.
This achievement was marked by a ‘Certification Handover Ceremony’, which was attended by the senior management teams from both organizations.
The team from GCMMF included – Dr. R.S Sodhi – Managing Director, Jayen Mehta – Chief Operating Officer, Manoranjan Pani – Chief General Manager, Nimit Doshi – Head of Emerging Sales Channels and Sameer Saxena – Head of Quality Assurance. SGS was represented by Nilesh Jadhav, Director – Knowledge Business, Arup Jana – Head of Certification Sales.
SGS offers world-leading certification services to enable organizations to demonstrate compliance of their products, processes, systems or services with national and international regulations and standards. Their highly qualified auditors work in a vast range of sectors, from forestry to pharmaceuticals, to ensure that the client services, products and processes are scrutinized and deliver optimum performance, quality and safety.
The largest food products company in India, GCMMF, had annual sales of Rs 46,427 crores in the most recent fiscal year. Under the brand name “Amul,” it sells a variety of milk and milk products, frozen foods, bakery goods, and many other items. The member unions of GCMMF currently buy milk from 36 lakh milk producers in 18,562 villages throughout Gujarat state on average in 240 lakh litres per day.