(Stillwater, Okla. – Dec. 19, 2013) With the help of Whole Foods Market, Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center is now Certified Organic through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry.

Whole Foods Market provided 1 percent of sales, which totaled $1,283, on Nov. 19 at its new 91^st and Yale store in Tulsa to help fund FAPC’s organic certification program. FAPC served as a Community Giving Day Partner during the store’s grand opening and provided the center with display space.

“We appreciate Whole Foods’ generosity in funding FAPC’s efforts to gain organic certification,” said Chuck Willoughby, FAPC business and marketing relations manager. “It was really great to have this opportunity to visit with Whole Foods’ customers and tell them about the center’s efforts to assist organic producers and food businesses in Oklahoma.”

Organic certification of its pilot processing facility allows FAPC to serve organic producers developing organically certified foods, and the center has a great track record helping existing and new start-up companies develop new food products.

“Because the center maintains a food manufacturing license from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, any new food products developed in the pilot plant are permitted to be sold in commerce,” Willoughby said. “This opportunity to test market newly developed products gives company decision makers valuable information to determine refinement for products before undertaking a larger scale market launch.”

However, without organic certification, test market product developed at FAPC using certified organic ingredients could not be labeled as organic.

“We have worked with several organically certified producers and food companies since we opened our doors in 1997,” Willoughby said. “It became apparent while helping a client develop a pet treat made from organically certified ingredients that FAPC should gain certification as well.”

John’s Farm of Fairview, Okla., became the first client to process product that could be labeled and sold as organic since FAPC’s organic certification program launched in November.

“The expertise of the FAPC staff and the state-of-the art facility is an asset for all of Oklahoma,” said Kris Gosney, owner of John’s Farm. “The recently received organic certification further illustrates the staff’s dedication to their clients as it opens doors of opportunity for organic product development. We are pleased to be the first client to produce a certified organic product in the FAPC kitchen. Our hope is that other producers will move into the organic market with ease due to FAPC’s certification.”     

Producing food products under organic certification requires good record keeping and the ability to prevent co-mingling of organically certified and non-certified ingredients. Special care in the handling of packaging and final products, cleaning of equipment and pest management practices is also required, which leads to additional costs.

Certification of the facility and review of each product profile also requires additional costs. The facility certification fee is $500 annually, plus each product profile submitted requires a $5 fee.

Because this was not planned in the current FAPC budget, the Whole Foods Market sponsorship allowed the organic certification program to be launched this budget year.

“Several of the Made in Oklahoma companies that supply Whole Foods are clients of the center,” Willoughby said. “Many times FAPC has helped these clients meet Whole Foods’ food safety and traceability program requirements or in some cases helped with reformulation to comply with Whole Foods’ ingredients restrictions.”

For more information about FAPC or its organic certification program, visit www.fapc.biz, call 405-744-6071 or email fapc@okstate.edu.

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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 245,000 students to serve Oklahoma, the nation and the world.