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Food2005-02-28 Since 1980, organic food in the UK has been regulated and standardised, from the production stages to labelling and eventually consumer sales. The regulations for organic food have increased as the industry has grown, and continue to do so. The market share of organic and ethically produced food has grown hugely in the last few years, mainly due to the emergence of products in mainstream supermarkets. The total UK market value had risen to £1bn by the end of 2001 and is expected to stand at around £1.4bn by the end of 2002. The government authority currently responsible for the approval and supervision of all UK organic food certification bodies, is the UK Register of Food Standards (UKROFS), which oversees and standardises basic organic standards. The leading UK certification body is The Soil Association (SA), which operates specific standards that are generally stricter than those of UKROFS. The SA certifies around 70% of organic food produced in the UK. Internationally, organic food standards are governed by two bodies; the IFOAM Basic Standards and the Codex Alimentarius Commission Guidelines. These ensure that exported foods meet standard requirements in the country of destination. Various food sub-category standards are also in operation, particularly for products such as eggs, meat and poultry. |