Kuala lumpur: The Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM), an agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, today awarded MS ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation, its Organic Food Certification Scheme, to the Food Safety and Quality Programme of the Ministry of Health (MOH). JSM director-general See Chee Kong said the accreditation marked a significant milestone in strengthening the country's quality infrastructure and affirmed the competence, operational integrity and impartiality of the MOH's Food Safety and Quality Programme in administering an organic product certification scheme in line with international standards. He said the accreditation underscored the government's ongoing efforts to maintain a compliance assessment system that is trusted, transparent and recognised worldwide.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, JSM has verified that the Food Safety and Quality Programme possesses the technical capability to assess organic food products with integrity. This not only strengthens the country's health regulatory ecosystem but also adds value to the trade and food industry sectors. MS ISO/IEC 17065 is a national standard that adopts the international ISO/IEC 17065 framework, which sets out stringent requirements for bodies responsible for certifying products, processes and services.

Recognition under the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) enables Malaysian organic food products to gain smoother access to international markets, reduce technical trade barriers and improve acceptance in export markets. The recognition also boosts public confidence in products carrying the Food Safety and Quality Programme's organic label, as the certification system is underpinned by an independent, transparent and unbiased accreditation framework, supporting Malaysia's efforts to strengthen food security and promote sustainable practices.

The Organic Food Certification Scheme is based on MS 1529, Malaysia's national standard for plant-based organic food, which outlines requirements for production, processing, labelling, and product handling. The standard is also aligned with regional and international benchmarks, including the ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture (ASOA), Codex Alimentarius and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), to ensure consistency and global recognition.