further information

Products bearing the Demeter trademark logo must consist of at least 95% organic ingredients and must comply with the appropriate national organic standards. The products must also come from biodynamic farms that meet Demeter's own standards, which often exceed national standards. These standards include the following:-farms must be 100% organic/biodynamic-animals must be raised in natural living conditions-animals should be slaughtered locally to reduce transport. The animals should suffer as little fear and stress as possible, without the use of sedatives.-soil fertility must be promoted with biodynamic compounds-biodiversity must be maintained-no use of genetically modified organisms or ingredients-only 13 additives are allowed, compared to 45 additives allowed by EU organic regulationsTo be certified by Demeter, a farm must meet the above requirements and convert to biodynamic farming. Converting from conventional or organic farming to biodynamic farming usually takes about three years. The farm will be certified once it has successfully converted and passes inspection. Certification must be renewed yearly.