Vegetables, rice, shrimp and fish sold by the Saigon Union of Trading Co-operatives (Saigon Co-op) under its Co.op Organic brand has been certified by the US Department of Agriculture as meeting USDA standards.

This is one of the most rigorous certification globally because producers have to scrupulously follow quality norms from the beginning to end to ensure product quality and meet stipulated standards.

To be able to carry the logo and label that it meets the organic standards of USDA (the US Department of Agriculture), a product must contain over 95 per cent organic ingredients and cannot use preservatives or a range of chemicals during production or processing.

Co.op Organic products are also certified as meeting EU organic standards that are recognised in 47 countries.

Co.op Organic-labelled products are available at six Co.opmart outlets in HCM City – Ly Thuong Kiet, Cong Quynh, Dinh Tien Hoang, Nguyen Kiem, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Phu My Hung -- and Co.opXtra Tan Phong inside SC VivoCity in District 7.

Co.op Organic includes two kinds of rice: Jasmine and Japonica; cucumber, squash, tomato; choy sum, mustard green, water spinach; basa fish, black tiger shrimp and ecological shrimp.

All of them meet USDA and EU organic standards for having no chemical fertilisers, pesticides, stimulants, hormones, preservatives or genetically modified components.

The average price of the vegetables is VND60,000 (US$2.64) a kilogramme, while basa fish and ecological shrimp are priced at VND144,000 and VND352,000 a kilogramme.

Despite meeting these exacting international standards, the prices of Co.op Organic products are an estimated 15-30 per cent cheaper than those of others in the market. — VNS