Guérande salt and organic agriculture

Despite harvesting methods in harmony with environmental protection, Guérande salt cannot obtain "organic" certification.

According to European regulation CE N°834/2007, in order to be organic, "products must come from a living product. There must be transformation of the product in the agricultural sense of the term".
The regulation scope of application is clear: only agricultural products can be certified, as shown in the following extract from regulation CE N°834/2007:

The framework established by this Regulation governs :

• agricultural products (including aquaculture products), either processed or unprocessed and intended for human consumption;
• animal feed;
• vegetative propagating materials and seeds used for crops;
• yeasts used as food or feed.

This Regulation contains the basic objectives and general principles for organic farming. The objectives focus on sustainable agriculture and production quality, which must meet consumers' needs. The general principles concern, inter alia, specific production methods, the use of natural resources and stringent restrictions on synthetic chemical inputs. Furthermore, the Regulation lays down specific principles concerning farming, the processing of organic food and organic animal feed.

The regulation dealing with organic products is available on the official European Union website at the following link:

With Guérande salt, the legislator considers that man does not intervene in the crystallisation cycle. So even though the salt workers are considered as 'farmers', the fruit of their know-how cannot be organic salt.

To be more attentive to consumers who wish to preserve the environment, TRAD Y SEL has developed a biodegradable bag based on plant elements, for the sale of Guérande coarse grey salt in 1 kg. This product is available in MONOPRIX stores and natural product retailers.