Control Procedure of Certificate and Logo

1  General

The purpose of this procedure is to strengthen the management of certificates and logos, to ensure the proper use of certificates and logos.

2  Scope

This procedure is applicable to the certificates/logos management activities of CHTC certified organic products that meet the certification requirement.

3  Management responsibilities

3.1 The General Office is responsible for the printing, distribution and management of certificates and logos.

3.2 The Marketing Training Department and the Audit Department are responsible for the supervision of the certificates and logos, and the supervision results shall be summarized to the manager of International Department.

3.3 The International Department is responsible for putting forward the handling suggestion on misusing the certification and logos to the general manager.

3.4 The other departments shall cooperate with the above mentioned work.

3.5 The general manager approves the handling suggestion on misusing the certificate and logos.

4  Control procedures

4.1Certificate issue

4.1.1 Certification contents

According to the CHTC/IOP04 Inspection Implementation Control Procedures, the operator shall pass the on-site inspection, identified non-conformities have been closed during the on-site audit, plus assessed by the technical committee and approved by the general manager, the certificate can be issued after registration by the general office. The contents of the certificate are as follows:

(1) Certificate Number

(2) Name and address of certificate holder

(3) Name and address of operator

(4) Organic product scope

(5) Certification standards

(6) Product information (e.g. base name, address, area, product name, product description, size, quantity, etc.)

(7) Name, address and telephone number of Certification Body

(8) CHTC stamp and the signature of general manager

(9) The initial issue date, date of issue, the expire date of the certificate

(10) Product Certification Status: in-conversion/organic

(11) Approved logos permitted to use

(12) Certificate revision status

(13) the code number of CHTC given by the European Union should be indicated on the label. (only can be applied after CHTC gets approval from EU commission

(14) Certified in accordance with the CHTC Organic Standard which is recognized equivalent with (EC) Regulation 834/2007, 889/2008 and consequent amendments and in accordance with the ISO 17065 accreditation program as accredited by IOAS. (only can be applied after CHTC gets approval from EU commission)

4.1.2 Certificate number

The certificate of the organic product is valid for one year and the certificate serial number shall be prepared according to the CHTC/IOP01 Documents and Records Control Procedure.

4.1.3 Certificate issue time of certification renewal and validity period of certificate

The renewed certificate shall be issued within the validity period of the last certificate. If the renewed certificate is not registered within the validity period, the valid period of the certificate shall start from the expiry date of the previous certificate. The issuance date of the certificate is still the approval date of the general manager.

4.2 The issuance of certificates and logos

4.2.1 The General Office is responsible for issuing certificates and certification logos to the certified operator. As the certified operator’ request, the General Office may also issue a small amount of certificate copies to the certified operator after approval of the general manager, with the same certificate number of the original certificate.

4.2.2 The General Office shall keep a certificate issuing record and archives the certificate copy when it issues certificate and certification logos to certified operators.

4.3 Use of certificate and logo

The certified operator shall use certification logo and code number only after achieved Approval of Labeling by CHTC. As code number is not assigned until CHTC is on the EU list, certificates issued shall not contain any indication of EU organic, the leaf logo, or code number.

4.4 Management

4.4.1 The certificate holder must accept at least one on-site inspection each year according to the CHTC/IOP08 Post-certification Supervision Management Control Procedure by CHTC. CHTC allows operators to continue using the certificate when the validity of the certificate is confirmed. The using and management of certification logos for organic products are based on the CHTC/IOM05 Management Methods for using organic certificate and Logos. During the validity period of the certificate, the certificate holder shall apply for the renewal of certificate when one of the following conditions occurs:

a) The name of operators or the nature of the legal person is changed;

b) The variety and quantity of products is decreased;

c) The conversion period finish;

d) Other situations that require change.

4.4.2 Within the validity period of the certificate, operators are allowed to use certificates and logos.” Approval, maintenance, renewal, expansion, reduction, suspension, withdraw and cancellation of certification according to Approval, Maintenance, Renewal, Expansion, Reduction, Suspension, Withdraw, Cancellation and Recovery of the Registration Control Procedures.

4.5 Certificate change

4.5.1 The certified enterprise that intends to change the certificate shall submit the Certificate Change Application form and relevant document to Market Training Department or Audit Department. The certificate change information shall be clearly defined in the document.

4.5.2 After receiving the application for certificate change, the audit department shall review the application to determine whether the following conditions are met:

a) the content of Certificate Change Application form and relevant document are complete

b) the copy of the original certificate is true

c) the certificate is not in suspension

d) the certificate is not revoked, and the certificate is valid

4.5.3 Whether the application for certificate change is accepted or not is approved by the audit department.

4.5.4 On the basis of the above conditions, the inspection method shall be determined according to the change items and specific contents.

4.5.4.1 If the product meets relevant certification standards and laws and regulations according to the document review, no on-site inspection shall be required, in the case such as:

a) the application for change of certificate only refers to the change of name

b) request address change, but the organization does not implement the relocation, because only the address name (such as place name, road name, etc.) changed.

4.5.4.2 If on-site inspection for change verification is required, CHTC shall negotiate with the applicant to determine the way of inspection: combining the inspection with annual audit or arrange an individual inspection for certificate change. At the same time according to inspection methods, product category and changes and the interval period since the previous inspection etc. to determine the inspection time.

4.5.5 Implementation of certificate changes

4.5.5.1 For items that can be changed by written inspection, the contract reviewers of the auditing department shall arrange personnel to review the validity, authenticity and completeness of the changed details. If necessary, the operators shall supplement the relevant documents and submit them directly to the Technical Committee for assessment.

4.5.5.2 The project that requires on-site inspection to change the content of the certificate shall be implemented according to the Control Procedures of Audit Implementation. For certified organizations applying to expand the scope of certification, the inspection plan should include all the management activities and areas involved in the expanded scope of certification.

4.5.5.3 When the scope of certification is reduction, the client organization is required to modify all the advertising details.

4.6 List of certified enterprises

CHTC publishes the certified operator list on its website, make sure to provide the list when there is a requirement. The list shall content the following information: operator name, relevant standard, certification scope, operation location or head quarter and premises location.