Date/Time
Date(s) - Jan 16, 2025
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Thursday, January 16, 2025
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET
Advancing Authenticity Testing in Certified Organic Products Webinar
Economically motivated fraud has been a concern as the organic market has been growing both on a global scale and in the US. The USDA AMS published a new rule in 2023 called Strengthening Organic Enforcement which includes several new requirements aimed at bolstering organic integrity, preventing fraud, and safeguarding the confidence of organic products throughout the supply chain, including foreign imports. Existing certification systems and other tools are being utilized effectively to reduce the opportunity for fraud, however, there is a need for developing a set of standardized testing methods to validate the authenticity of certified organic crops and the use of fertilizers allowed in organic production.
Who should attend?
Potential Advisory Panel and technical Working Group members—organic fresh produce companies, organic ingredient and crop companies, farmers, organic certifiers, testing laboratories, regulators, academia, or anyone with an interest in organic authenticity.
What can you expect to get out of this program:
A better understanding of the developing methodology for testing organic crops, produce and fertilizers for the presence of synthetic nitrogen
Host: Pam Coleman, Chief Innovation Officer, AOAC INTERNATIONAL
Pam is the Chief Innovation Officer at AOAC INTERNATIONAL, where she was an active member for 25 years during her distinguished career of executive leadership in laboratory science services. She is an experienced, successful, and dynamic executive with a strong track record in the testing, inspection, and certification industry spanning both routine food safety/quality program management as well as project-oriented businesses in support of food product innovation. Pam was employed for 28 years by Mérieux NutriSciences (formerly Silliker, Inc), filling numerous increasingly responsible roles including leading first a single laboratory, then a multi-laboratory region, and directing sales and marketing teams. She established the Global Key Accounts program, before being named the Vice President of Research Services and the Managing Director of Biofortis, Inc. Pam was also recognized for her nonprofit leadership at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), where she served on the board of directors and in the Office of the President from 2018 to 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Greenville University, with graduate studies in chemistry, and completed an MBA from Georgia State University.
Moderator: Gwendolyn Wyard, Strengthening Organic Systems (SOS)
Gwendolyn Wyard has been actively working in the organic industry for over 30 years. She is a Founding Partner of Strengthening Organic Systems (SOS), an advisory firm dedicated to organic supply chain integrity and fraud prevention. Prior to SOS, Wyard served for more than a dozen years as the Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the Organic Trade Association (OTA) where she worked on the development of policy strategy through regulatory engagement in the interest of OTA’s mission and its members. While at the trade association, Wyard was the lead developer and author of the association’s Organic Fraud Prevention Guide, now the industry standard reference for excellence in achieving integrity across complex organic global supply chains. In her early career, Wyard was an organic inspector and served as Oregon Tilth’s Technical Specialist in organic policy and technical review of materials for use in organic products. Wyard holds an advanced degree in Fermentation Science with a minor in Chemistry. She served on the OMRI Board of Directors for 12 years and was the North American representative on the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Advisory Board. Wyard currently serves on the Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) Board of Directors.
Speakers:
Johanna Mirenda, U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (USDA-NOP): Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) and Organic Enforcement
Johanna (Jo) Mirenda is an organic regulatory expert serving in the Standards Division of the USDA National Organic Program. The NOP Standards Division administers the USDA organic regulations through rulemaking and develops information and guidance to promote consistent application of the organic regulations and support integrity of the organic supply chain. Prior to joining USDA, Jo spent 14 years in the nonprofit sector supporting organic agriculture through certification, advocacy, policy development, research, and education. Her previous roles include Policy Director of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, Farm Policy Director of the Organic Trade Association, and Technical Director of the Organic Materials Review Institute. Jo has a B.S. in Horticultural Science and an M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems.
Amy Bruch: National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) work on residue testing
Amy Bruch is a sixth-generation farmer, agricultural & biosystems engineer, and owner of Cyclone Farms in East Central Nebraska. Since carrying on the legacy of her family farm in Nebraska after the sudden passing of her father, she and her husband, Tyler, evolved the operation into one of the most cutting-edge organic farms in the country. They have converted nearly 2,500 acres of highly productive farm ground to growing organic blue and white corn for tortillas and chips, organic seed corn, soybeans for tofu, small grains, pulses including yellow field peas, and oilseeds. Bruch’s unwavering commitment to organic farming is evident in her prioritization of soil balancing, technology, and innovation to build nutrient-dense crops and achieve long-term resiliency on her farms. Bruch has 20 years of experience in agriculture. Her career highlights include establishing sustainable farming systems in South America and Africa; co-founding Agri-Secure, which helped growers transition over 70,000 acres of farmland into organic production; and being a Senior Systems Engineer with General Mills. She serves as a farmer representative and Chair of the USDA National Organic Standards Board and was awarded Organic Farmer of the Year honors by the Organic Trade Association in 2021.
Ehsan Toosi, TRUE Organic Products (TRUE): Time to talk about authenticity of organic too, perspective from the industry
Ehsan Toosi is the Director of R&D at True Organic Products. He has been working in the agriculture industry in California over the past 10 years, focusing on improving soil health and nutrient management in both organic and conventional cropping systems and nutrient recycling and innovative bioprocesses. Prior to that, he was a Research Scientist at Michigan State University. He has a PhD in soil biogeochemistry. During his research in academe his focus was on lowering the environmental footprint of agriculture via reducing nutrient losses, and GHG emissions in different cropping systems.
Eric Jamin, Eurofins: Overview of nitrogen testing in EU & current applications
Trained as a food analytical chemist, Dr. Eric Jamin has been working for Eurofins Scientific since 1995. After an initial PhD research work on stable isotope analysis of fruit and tobacco, he has been involved in quality assurance, client support and Research & Development in food analytical chemistry. He has taken part in more than 50 scientific papers so far. He is currently General Manager of the Authenticity Competence Centre of Eurofins laboratories, based in Nantes (France). His team involves about 60 staff members, with expert skills in food chemistry, chromatography and isotope analyses of beverages and other food products tested for authenticity.
