As trends in healthy living, wholesomeness in foods, and crop production systems continue to gain popularity, terms such as “Organic,” “Regenerative,” and “Sustainable” are some of the ways being used to describe products. Given our company’s commitment to providing all-natural and value-added ingredient offerings to both the food and brewing industries, for nearly 150 years, becoming the first Organic Certified Malting facility in 1990 was a natural fit for our growing business.
With Briess’ unique perspective and tenure of Organic Malting Certification, it does provide us with a deeper level of knowledge and experience with the evolution of Organic regulations. The continued attention paid to terms like “regenerative” and “sustainable” can create some confusion for a consumer on what each of the terms really mean when used on a label. For that reason, an overview of what it really means to be an Organic Certified Malting facility seems timely.
What is Organic?
The USDA established the National Organic Program in 1990 to standardize and regulate the agricultural and manufacturing practices and define organic requirements, specifically Section 2105 [7 U.S.C. 6504]: National Standards for Organic Production.
This section states, “To be sold or labeled as an organically produced agricultural product under this title, an agricultural product shall:
- Have been produced and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals, except as otherwise provided in this title.
- Except as otherwise provided in this title and excluding livestock, not be produced on land to which any prohibited substances, including synthetic chemicals, have been applied during the 3 years immediately preceding the harvest of agricultural products; and
- Be produced and handled in compliance with an organic plan agreed by the producer and handler of such a product and the certifying agent.
Further definitions within the National Organic Program provide specific details into the handling requirements and listing of prohibited substances.
What is the intention of Organic practices?
Organic production and handling requirements respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices to foster the cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. These goals are achieved by implementing practices to improve soil health and biodiversity, such as the reduction or elimination of the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or other synthetic inputs that are prohibited by the NOP Listing. Organic crop production also requires a crop plan that fosters soil fertility through proper tillage, crop rotation, and natural fertilizer.
Additionally, Organic production prohibits the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Each of these improvements to the system in which Organic crops are produced promote some of the same benefits that are provided when “regenerative” practices are adopted. The difference lies in the specific actions taken and adhered to in an Organic system as being very well defined and mandated by a federally regulated program and requiring stringent management of documentation and processes to certify Organic integrity.
How is Organic Malt produced?
Since organic designation and certification begins at the farm level, our job during transportation and malting of those Organic Grains is to ensure we have proper processes and controls in place to maintain the organically grown status of that raw material. It starts with approving our supplier sources, ensuring that their growing and transportation practices have been certified to comply with NOP Standards and backed by an Organic Auditing Authority. Once we have verified their compliance, we follow stringent product receipt and movement procedures that involve purging all equipment of non-organic products, segregated bin storage, and stringent pest management policies to ensure the integrity of our process meets all of the standards stated in the NOP. From there, since Briess is already committed to minimal malting inputs, the malting process itself does not differ much. The movement to and from the malthouse, sanitation, and changeover protocols are all written and performed in compliance with organic standards and then verified by our auditing body. The careful execution of each of these processing steps allows us to maintain the Organic integrity of the material from raw receipt to finished product package.
Briess has a commitment to being a high-quality supplier of all-natural ingredients, and participating in and committing to the Organic Certification Process has always been a natural fit for our product offerings. The commitment to the benefits that Organic Farming systems provide also aligns with the value Briess places in providing all-natural ingredients. The commitment to sustaining our Organic offerings lies in our continued dedication to be an all-natural supplier, as well as creating an offering to our customers that meets their market needs.
