Why USDA organic is not enough for the EU
The EU and the US operate separate organic frameworks. Regulation (EU) 2018/848, in force since January 2022, tightened the rules for imported organic products: ingredients must be certified by a control body recognized for the EU market, and each physical shipment requires a Certificate of Inspection (COI) processed through the EU's TRACES system before customs clearance. A supplier who can only show a USDA certificate will leave your EU shipment stuck at the border.
What to ask an açaí supplier before you buy
A qualified supplier for the EU market should answer "yes" — with documents — to all five questions:
- Is the product certified for the EU market under Regulation 2018/848 (not only USDA-NOP)?
- Can you issue and manage the COI in TRACES for each shipment?
- Is there batch-level traceability back to the farm — variety, harvest, processing lot?
- Do certificates match the exact product form (freeze-dried, spray-dried, evaporated) and SKU you are buying?
- Is the operation covered by a GFSI-benchmarked food safety certification, with batch COAs including microbiology and heavy metals?
How New Açaí Amazonas supports EU buyers
Our açaí is sourced farm-direct from a dedicated 3,500-acre certified organic farm in Óbidos, Pará, Brazil, and processed on-farm within hours of harvest. The portfolio carries USDA-NOP organic certification — with zero non-conformities across 7 consecutive years of audits — alongside EU 2018/848 equivalence, Kosher and Non-GMO. We ship to the EU with COI support, and to the US market from 365-day inventory in Florida. Documentation (TDS, batch COA, organic certificates, allergen statements) is dispatched with every quote, before you place an order.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Three mistakes we see EU buyers make: assuming a "USDA Organic" logo covers the EU (it does not); accepting a certificate in the trader's name rather than covering the actual production; and discovering at customs that the COI was never issued. All three are avoided by qualifying the supplier's EU paperwork before the first purchase order.
Sourcing organic açaí for the EU market? Request our EU documentation package — certificates, sample COI and batch COA — or browse the certified portfolio.