List of Skal-certified businesses: how to check it

A Skal-certified business is a business that Skal Biocontrole has checked against the organic rules. Skal publishes the details of its certified businesses on its own website. For certificates that apply across the whole EU, you also check the public organic operator directory of TRACES (the EU’s certification database) .

You use the list to check whether a supplier, processor or trader is really certified. If you want to know how to check a single product, read checking a Skal number. To find out whether you must be certified yourself, read frequently asked questions.

A business on the list is not automatically right for every product. You must also check which processes are certified and whether the status is active.

What do you see in the list?

Skal publishes details for each certified business, such as its name and its certified processes. So it shows which business is certified and for which activities.

Take a fictional example: Boerderij De Beek in Gelderland grows organic potatoes and sells them to wholesalers. If you buy from Boerderij De Beek, you want to know whether the growing and the sales are certified. The list shows which of those processes are recorded in the business’s name.

The number of businesses is large. So search by name or number, not by memory.

What the list does not show

The list does not show whether a specific product is in order. A business may be certified for growing potatoes but not for processing crisps. You also cannot always see which batch comes from which certificate. You see that on the Skal number of the product and on the certificate of the batch.

The difference matters when you buy. A supplier on the list may still deliver a product it is not certified for. In that case, ask for the certificate for that specific product.

A business that is not on the list is not automatically dishonest. It may be checked by another control body, for example one in another EU country. Check it in TRACES in that case.

How to check a business

If you have the business name and number to hand, the check takes a few minutes. Here is the order that works.

Ask for the Skal number or the certificate. A supplier must be able to show it. It starts with NL-BIO-01 if the check is by a Dutch control body.
Search for the business in the TRACES directory. Search by business name or by the code of the control body. You then see whether the business is in the EU database.
Search for the business on the Skal website. Compare the name, the address and the certified processes with what the supplier tells you.
Check the validity. Every certificate has an expiry date. An expired certificate is not valid proof.
Check the status. TRACES also lists businesses that have been suspended or whose certificate has been withdrawn. Do not count those as certified.

If in doubt, call Skal on 038-4268181 or email info@skal.nl. Give the business name and the certificate number, and they can check quickly.

Example: two businesses, two outcomes

Bakery De Zoete Molen (fictional) buys organic flour. The supplier sends a certificate number. In TRACES, the business is listed with a valid date and the status active. The bakery can therefore process the flour as organic.

A second supplier, Kruidenhoeve Oost (also fictional), sends an invoice with the word bio on it, but no certificate number. The business is not on the list. The bakery decides not to order until the supplier has shown a valid certificate.

Frequently asked questions

What do suspended or withdrawn mean in the TRACES directory?

Suspended means a business may temporarily not supply products as organic. Withdrawn means the certificate has lapsed. If you use such a business, you cannot sell the product as organic. Contact Skal to find out what that means for you.

Can I still trust a business I cannot find?

No, not without proof. Ask for the certificate or the Skal number. If the business cannot provide it, the organic claim cannot be checked.

Why is a business on the list but not for my product?

A business is certified per process, such as growing, processing or trading. If the process for your product is not listed, the product is not certified. Ask for the certificate for that specific batch.