NOP officials did not ensure consistent oversight of organic operations by certifying agents. For example, the four certifying agents we visited had different criteria for determining whether noncompliances were major or minor and not all had them clearly defined. One of the certifying agents we visited developed outdoor access dimension requirements for poultry based on organic industry standards while the other three did not. We also found that three certifying agents did not ensure that six split operations9 adequately described procedures to prevent the commingling of organic products with nonorganic substances. These inconsistencies occurred because the review guide that AMS.
