It is the activity of confirming in writing, by a third-party (independent) body or organization, that a product, process, or service complies with a specific standard or technical regulation.
Accreditation is the formal recognition that a conformity assessment body (such as a certification body, laboratory, or inspection body) is competent to perform its duties based on nationally and internationally accepted technical criteria.
Accreditation is not mandated by national or international regulations for certification bodies, laboratories, or inspection bodies. Accreditation is entirely voluntary. It may be conducted by a nationally or internationally recognized accreditation body.
If certification bodies, laboratories, inspection bodies, or a national accreditation body that is a member or observer of SMIIC—or a regional accreditation body with which it has a mutual recognition agreement—are accredited, then the certificates issued by these certification bodies and the reports prepared by laboratories or inspection bodies become valid and widely accepted at the international level.
Accreditation bodies are established in many countries to ensure that organizations involved in conformity assessment activities operate in accordance with common technical principles and procedures, and to guarantee the mutual recognition of certificates and reports issued by organizations whose competence has been verified against established international criteria.
In Türkiye, the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) was established by Law No. 4457, published on November 4, 1999, to accredit conformity assessment activities. TÜRKAK, which was founded to accredit laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies operating both within the country and abroad, is headquartered in Ankara. TÜRKAK is a legal entity with administrative and financial autonomy and operates under private law provisions.
Certification bodies are organizations that audit whether the relevant product certification program is established and operated in accordance with its requirements in production facilities, and document this with a certificate.
Independent organizations accredited by a national or international accreditation body are authorized to issue certificates. In Türkiye, there are many certification bodies operating both nationally and internationally. These organizations are published on the websites of accreditation bodies together with the scopes for which they are authorized to issue certificates, their accreditation periods, and their contact information. Our national accreditation body, the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK), also provides this information on its website.
A certification body authorized to conduct certification and whose certificates are accepted in national and international markets should be selected. For this purpose, the accreditation status of the certification body being considered should be checked on the website of the accreditation body from which it was accredited, to ensure that its accreditation is still valid.
In addition, another important criterion in selecting a certification body is its accreditation scope. The activities of your organization must fall within the accreditation scope of the certification body you intend to work with. If the certification body's accreditation is no longer valid and your organization's activities are not included within its certification scope, the certificate it issues will not be valid.
Another important criterion when selecting a certification body is the characteristics of the customer or target customer group. For example, for an organization engaged in export-oriented production, being certified under a program recognized in the target country or countries may make the organization more preferable in the eyes of its customers.
Other criteria to consider when selecting a certification body are as follows:
First of all, adopting the requirements of the relevant product certification program should be a strategic decision of the organization. These activities are generally carried out in the following order:
We recommend receiving experienced and professional consultancy services to ensure that the preparations for certification, the certification audit, and the post-certification process are carried out properly and provide added value to the organization.
A planned and experienced guide is necessary to ensure that the system is prepared in a short time and with ease. However, there is absolutely no obligation to receive consultancy services. It is possible to establish a system that meets the requirements of the relevant certification program by individuals who are familiar with the organization's processes and have received the necessary training related to the certification program.
Consultancy organizations are private entities or individuals who provide specialized services in areas such as establishing, implementing, and providing training related to the relevant certification program.
It is possible to make use of the websites of individuals or organizations that provide consultancy services in this field, or the references of organizations that have previously carried out such work.
Your application and the scope for which you request certification are requested from you in writing through application forms. If the application is appropriate, the control process begins following the mutual signing of the certification proposal and contract.
To explain it in general terms: during the control, it is assessed whether your implementation of the relevant certification program and your production meet the program requirements, comply with the documentation, and are consistent as a whole. In accordance with the program requirements, samples are taken from the products subject to certification and sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis. If the analysis results are also positive, you become eligible to receive the certificate.
Once the documents related to the control are reviewed and approved, your product certificate is prepared and delivered.
There are many factors that affect the audit day. In short, it varies depending on criteria such as the certification program under which the organization seeks product certification, the size of the production area, product variety, and geographical distribution. Additionally, the number of inspectors who will carry out the control at the organization is another factor that affects the duration of the control.
In its simplest definition, organic food refers to safe food that does not cause negative environmental impacts, is produced without the use of any synthetic chemical inputs in primary production and processing, does not contain genetically modified organisms, is traceable at every stage from production materials to the final consumer, and is controlled and certified.
For a product to be considered organic, it must have a certificate. While bulk organic products must be accompanied by a certificate, labeled organic products can be distinguished by the organic logos displayed on them.
We cannot determine whether a food product is organic or conventional by using our senses. For packaged foods, we can easily understand whether they are organic by checking the organic production logo, and for bulk products, we can verify their certificate to confirm that they are organic. This guarantee is provided by the control and certification bodies that issue the certificate and grant the right to use the logo.
In short, the organic production logo or the organic production certificate seen on a product is the guarantee that the product is organic.
Each country has its own organic production programs. Control and certification bodies are authorized by the authority responsible for the organic farming program of the respective country. Independent and impartial certification bodies that grant the right to use the organic logo and issue the certificate are periodically audited by the authority that authorized them. These audits are carried out to verify whether the requirements of the certification program are being fulfilled within the framework of each country's specific legislation.
In addition, for a control and certification body to operate in the field of organic production, it must also be accredited in accordance with the ISO 17065 standard, which defines the requirements for organizations performing conformity assessment—product, process, and service certification. Control and certification bodies are also audited annually by the institutions or organizations that grant their accreditation.
All organic farming standards define the inputs that are allowed to be used. Agricultural organic production supports natural cultivation methods and integrated pest management practices carried out without the use of synthetic chemicals.
Organic farming is a production model focused on biodiversity, aiming to increase soil fertility through crop rotation, green manuring, and the use of compost. It lies at the center of sustainable agricultural production techniques with its self-sustaining cycle and does not harm the balance of the ecosystem. This approach is the main reason why soilless agriculture is not accepted within organic certification systems. Organic cultivation cannot be carried out in soilless farming.
Organic farming and good agricultural practices are different from each other; however, they share common features such as including measures that protect the environment, safeguarding human and animal health, being traceable, sustainable, controlled at every stage, and certifiable. Their most notable differences are as follows:
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are an agricultural production system that protects the environment, human, and animal health, aims for the sustainable use of natural resources, and ensures that every stage is recorded, controlled, and certified. Through this practice, food safety and traceability are ensured from the producer to the consumer.
Products certified under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) can be identified by the "Good Agricultural Practices" logo and/or the certificate number on their packaging. For products sold in bulk, it is possible to request the valid GAP certificate from the producer or seller. This document guarantees that the product has undergone a reliable and controlled production process.
GAP incorporates modern agricultural techniques aimed at protecting both human health and the environment. Through controlled input use, the risk of pesticide residues is reduced, and soil and water resources are preserved. At the same time, recorded production increases food safety and strengthens the farmer's marketing advantage.
Yes, but this use is subject to strict rules. In GAP, integrated pest management is essential; chemical pesticides are allowed only as a last resort and must be used in a licensed and controlled manner. The plant protection products used are recorded, and residue checks are carried out.
Agricultural producers, producer associations, cooperatives, and agricultural enterprises can obtain a GAP certificate to increase their competitiveness in the market, build consumer confidence, and benefit from available supports. In addition, a significant portion of major retail chains require this certificate.
GlobalG.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices) is an international certification program that includes elements such as food safety, environmental protection, worker health, and animal welfare in agricultural production. It aims to ensure safe and sustainable production from farm to fork.
GlobalG.A.P. is a certification given to the production process, not to the individual product. Packaged products typically do not display the logo directly. However, it is possible to determine whether the product is certified through information such as the product origin, supplier code (GGN number), or producer details. Certified producers can be verified in the GlobalG.A.P. database.
The GlobalG.A.P. certificate demonstrates that the producer meets internationally recognized food safety and sustainability standards. Many major supermarkets and export companies require this certification. In this way, the producer can access foreign markets and gain credibility in the eyes of buyers.
All production activities of the producer must be recorded, product traceability must be ensured, hygiene rules must be followed, and criteria related to environmental sustainability must be met. In addition, the producer must be open to audits in areas such as worker safety, waste management, and pesticide use.
GlobalG.A.P. covers areas such as plant production (primarily fruits and vegetables) as well as aquaculture. It can also be expanded with additional modules for post-harvest processes, packaging, and marketing stages.
