Quality Assurance International facts for kids

Quality Assurance International (QAI) is a company based in the United States. It helps make sure that products are truly "organic." The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows QAI to check if farms and businesses follow strict rules for organic products.

QAI started in 1989 and is located in San Diego, California. It is one of the biggest companies that certifies organic products around the world. As of 2011, QAI worked in many places, including the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. They help consumers know that the products they buy meet certain quality standards.

What QAI Does: Checking Products

QAI offers different programs to check and certify products. This helps people trust what they buy.

Organic Certification: What Does "Organic" Mean?

QAI checks if farms and food factories follow the rules for "organic" products. Organic farming means growing food without certain man-made pesticides or fertilizers. It also means not using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). QAI makes sure that farmers, food makers, and stores meet these standards. This helps consumers find truly organic food.

Gluten-Free Certification: Safe for Everyone

QAI also has a program to certify products as "gluten-free." Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Some people have a condition called celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten. Eating gluten can make them very sick.

QAI works with experts to test products. They make sure that certified gluten-free products have less than 10 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This is a very small amount. This certification helps prevent gluten from accidentally mixing into products. It makes sure that foods are safe for people who cannot eat gluten.

Personal Care Certification: Organic for Your Skin

This program is for products like shampoos, lotions, and soaps. If a product has at least 70 percent organic ingredients, QAI can certify it. These products can then use a special "Contains Organic Ingredients" label. This helps you choose personal care items that are made with natural and organic materials.

International Organic Checks: Global Standards

QAI's organic certifications are recognized in many countries. For example, the USDA trusts QAI for its organic program. QAI is also approved by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture for their organic standards. This means that a product certified organic by QAI in the U.S. might also be considered organic in Japan or Canada.

Food Safety Certification: Keeping Food Safe to Eat

Besides organic and gluten-free, QAI also helps make sure food is safe to eat. They offer certifications for global food safety standards. These standards are important for many grocery stores and food companies. They help prevent problems like contamination and ensure food is handled safely from the farm to your plate.

Who Trusts QAI: Accreditations

QAI is trusted by many important organizations. This means QAI itself has been checked and approved to do its job.

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): They approve QAI to certify organic products.
• International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS): This group checks QAI's work for organic programs in Europe and Canada.
• Other groups like CARTV in Canada and EcoCert in Japan also trust QAI.

Caring for the Planet: Environmental Accreditation

In 2010, QAI received an important environmental certification called ISO 14001. This means QAI has good plans to protect the environment in its own operations. To get this, QAI worked to:

• Use less energy and raw materials.
• Use less paper by going digital.
• Recycle paper, plastics, electronics, and batteries.
• Start a composting program for food scraps.

This shows QAI is committed to being environmentally friendly.

Working Together: Partnerships

QAI works with other groups to offer even more services. These partnerships help them provide a wider range of checks and certifications. Some of these include:

• Certifying personal care products with organic ingredients.
• Checking for food safety standards like BRC and SQF.
• Helping companies get HACCP certification, which is about controlling food safety risks.
• Certifying products as Kosher or Non-GMO Project Verified.

Helping the Organic World: Community Work

QAI is also involved in the Organic Trade Association (OTA). This group works to protect and promote organic farming and products. Leaders from QAI have served on the OTA's board. This shows QAI's dedication to the organic industry beyond just certifications.

See also

• List of organic food topics
• Organic farming
• Organic food
• Soil Association