Third Party Certifications–What Do Consumers Really Want?

Recently we received a list of suggested Third Party Certifications for food products from a customer.  When I read this list, I thought of how much money all the certifications would cost and how much that would affect the cost of the final product to the consumer.  It has been our experience that each certification costs thousands of dollars annually to obtain.

I wondered about what Third Party Certifications consumers really want — what certifications would make them feel good about buying a product for their personal use.   Below is a list of the suggested certifications we received.  There are many, many more out there –feel free to add to my list.  I’d be interested in hearing your input on this subject.

-  USDA Certified Organic
-  Fair Trade Certified
-  Rainforest Alliance Certified
-  Bird Friendly
-  Certified Naturally Grown
-  Protected Harvest
-  Demeter Certified-Biodynamic
-  Certified Humane Raised and Handled
-  Dolphin Safe
-  Quality Assurance International (QAI) – Certified Organic
-  Marine Stewardship Council
-  Food Alliance Certification
-  Seafood Watch^®
-  Gluten Free Certification Organization