How to Check a Feed Supplier’s USDA Organic Claim

1. Identify the operation behind the offer

Start with the operation named on the certificate. Establish how that operation relates to the seller and the actual processor.

Request the exact operation name, address, NOP Operation ID, certifier and description of the ingredient offered.
Ask the supplier to explain different trading names or entities and identify which operation performs each relevant activity.

2. Search beyond the default Certified filter

Open Advanced Operation Search in the official database. Search by NOP Operation ID when available, or use the operation name and location to narrow the results.

Check Program against the supplier’s claim. Under Operation Certification Status, select All to include Certified, Surrendered, Suspended and Revoked; the initial selection may show only Certified.
Open the matching profile. Record its NOP ID, operation status, status effective date and certifier. Read Additional Info, including any stated trade-arrangement basis, before interpreting the match.

3. Match the ingredient to its own scope

Read Scope and Product Summary and Product Details. Check the relevant scope’s status as well as the overall operation status.

Compare the offered ingredient with the specific product entry. If the record says soybeans and the offer is soybean expeller cake, ask for confirmation covering the processed ingredient.
For broad or unclear wording, request the current certifier-issued product list or addendum and clarification of the applicable activity and site.

4. Turn each difference into a clear question

List the exact mismatch and the evidence needed to resolve it. USDA directs buyers with missing or uncertain information to the issuing certifier, which holds the most current certificate details.

For name or address differences, obtain the supplier’s entity or site mapping; for missing products, request the relevant product documentation.
For unresolved certification status or scope questions, verify with the listed certifier using independently checked contact details. Keep its reply with the review.

5. Record the purchasing decision separately

Keep the check date, search terms, profile link, exact operation and scope statuses, product wording and unresolved questions. Assign an owner to each remaining question.

Keep approval of the USDA/NOP claim pending while identity, status or product coverage remains unresolved. This is our purchasing-review status, separate from the database’s official statuses.
Record what has been matched to the offered ingredient, then complete the batch-document and destination-market reviews.

Buyer questions

What if the supplier’s operation does not appear?

Recheck the NOP ID, spelling, special characters and status filters. Try location or product filters, then ask the issuing certifier to verify the record. Keep the question open until clarified.

Is the anniversary date a certificate expiry date?

No. NOP 2603 defines it as the date for the operation’s annual update. Check the current operation and scope statuses rather than treating that date as an expiry date.

Does an OID match complete the batch and import review?

Complete those reviews separately. Public OID records describe operations, and AMS states that electronic NOP Import Certificates are not publicly available there. Link the offered batch to its documents and confirm the destination’s requirements with the importer.