Why does a fulfillment partner need SKAL certification?

"Organic" is not a marketing term but a protected designation. Everyone in the supply chain who stores, processes, or sells organic products must be certified to do so, and that includes the warehouse where your inventory is stored. Cenfil is SKAL-certified.

The chain must be correct, not just the source

It doesn’t help that your supplier is certified organic if the next link in the chain isn’t. The certification follows the product throughout the entire supply chain and is invalidated the moment an uncertified batch is introduced. At that point, you are no longer allowed to sell your product as organic.

What Certification Means in Practice

A certified warehouse must be able to demonstrate that organic products are kept separate from conventional ones, that the records are accurate, and that batches can be traced. This involves inspections. For you, this mainly means you don’t have to figure out on your own whether your supply chain is in order.

Why You Should Check This in Advance

Certification is something that’s easy to check but difficult to fix. A partner who doesn’t have it won’t be able to obtain it within a few weeks. So be sure to ask about it before you move your inventory, not after.

You remain the certificate holder

Just because your warehouse is certified doesn't automatically mean you are certified. If you sell organic products yourself, you need your own registration. The two are separate, and you need both.

What is expected of you

You specify which items are organic and which are not, along with the relevant information. This classification must be accurate in your product database, because that’s where the separation begins in the warehouse. An item that is not designated as organic will not be treated as such.

Mixed assortments are fine

Many online stores sell both organic and conventional products. That’s not a problem, as long as the two are kept separate in the warehouse and in the records. It does mean, however, that your product information must be more accurate than if you were selling only one of the two.

Bring it up during your first conversation

Discuss which part of your product line is organic, what certifications you hold, and what your suppliers provide. That way, it will be clear right away what’s needed, and you won’t run into any issues later on.

What Certification Does Not Cover

SKAL certification of your warehouse pertains to storage and handling, not to what you put on your packaging or how you market your products. That responsibility remains with you as a brand or importer. Therefore, check your own labels and text just as carefully as you monitor your supply chain.