Organic raw materials are those substances obtained from plants and other living things that are in their natural state, unprocessed by humans. It is important to make sure these materials are used properly and safely as most people do not recognize the difference between “organic” and “all natural”. Below is a list of a few of the most common types of Certified organic raw materials.

Cold Pressed Oils: These organic raw materials are extracted from nuts and seeds and are generally considered to be better for the environment than other types of plant based oils. These oils can not be considered “all natural” because they cannot be processed into a usable vegetable oil. Examples of cold pressed oils are hemp-seed, sunflower, safflower, olives and walnuts. The process of converting these oils into usable vegetable oil takes several hours, which makes them suitable for mass production. However, if a company is willing to spend the time it takes to extract these oils organically they can often sell them at a much cheaper price. There are two types of oil which we are going to discuss below:

  1. Non-Certified Seed and Oil: This type of organic raw material is one that does not have the necessary certification to be sold on a food service or cosmetics manufacturing facility’s shelves. The Non-Certified Seed and Oil labeling are typically sold in small quantities at specialty shops and specialty marketplaces like farmers’ markets and direct from the manufacturer. The reason a company would choose to not use this type of labeling is because they are unable to obtain a sales permit with the USDA to sell these products as organic. These companies must apply for a certificate of inspection or approval before being able to sell seed and oil as organic.
  2. Certified Seed and Oil: These organic raw materials are most commonly sold in large quantities as bulk items, because they are most effective when harvested as fresh. Some companies also choose to label these oils with the letters C.G.T. or G.S.O.R.T., which stands for Certified Organic Specialized Stock. If you are buying large amounts of these materials it is important that you make sure that they are coming from a company that has a G.E.A.T. certificationlike allyorganic.com where you can get certified organic raw material . A G.E.A.T. certification is simply an endorsement by the United States National Organic Standards Board that states that the company meets all of the standards that are required of them to maintain a high level of quality with organic ingredients.

The final consideration related to organic raw materials is the way that the products are stored once they reach their destination. If the materials were gathered and harvested in the most effective and efficient manner possible then there is a good chance that the products themselves will be stored in an extremely sterile manner. This will not only save money but it will also ensure that the finished product does not have any type of contamination related to any type of pathogens. A certification from the G.E.A.T. will likely also require that the processing factory to make sure that they follow all of the storage requirements set forth in the regulations.