Spring 2026 Material Updates & Inspection Tips

Preparing your records in advance helps your inspector work more efficiently, which can reduce both inspection time and costs.

Here is a handy checklist of records that all certified operations should maintain and have available during inspection:

• NEW! 2025 Gross Organic Sales records
• Up-to-date Organic System Plan (OSP)
• All documents requested by PCO in your Initial Review Report (if applicable)
• Organic certificates for all products or livestock purchased, sold, or used
• Purchase and receiving records
• Production, field, and handling records
• Sales and distribution records
• Input use and application records
• Pest management records
• Copies of organic product labels
• Documentation of practices used to prevent commingling and contamination of organic and non-organic products
• Bills of lading, transport, and phytosanitary documentation (if applicable)
• Organic import/export certificates

Livestock operations should also maintain records related to feed rations, outdoor access, temporary confinement, livestock origin, and healthcare.

If you are unsure what types of records your operation should maintain, your PCO Certification Team is available to help guide you. Staying organized and keeping records up to date can make inspections smoother and help ensure continued compliance with organic standards. 🌱

To help maintain the integrity of organic certification, PCO regularly reviews approved input materials to ensure they continue to meet regulatory requirements. As part of this process, PCO re-reviews approved input materials every five years to verify that product formulations and supporting documentation remain compliant with the National Organic Program (NOP) standards.

Occasionally, we find that a product formulation has changed or no longer meets the criteria under which it was originally approved. When this happens, PCO updates the materials review and notifies certified operations that may be using the affected material. These Status Change Notifications are issued quarterly and sent by email or by U.S. mail for postal clients.

If you receive a Status Change Notification, please review it carefully and in full. The notice will outline any required actions that your operation must take. Following the instructions in the notification is important, as failing to take the required steps could affect your certification status. If you have questions about a notification or how it applies to your operation, please contact your Certification Specialist as soon as possible.

PCO is also finalizing the 2026 PCO Annual Approved Materials List, which will be distributed to certified clients by mid-April.