Salt Certification
Protecting natural habitats and wildlife where sea salt is produced. Managing water quality, energy use, emissions and waste. Respecting workers’ rights and local communities.
About the certification
Friend of the Sea sea salt certification assesses salt products and the production activities behind them. It covers the management of salt pans and associated sites, including wildlife and habitats, water quality, hazardous substances, air emissions, waste, energy use and working conditions.
Producers, cooperatives, processors, suppliers and end brands can apply for the sea salt products they produce or sell. An independent certification body assesses the relevant sites, activities and evidence. The label identifies the products covered by certification, while the sections below explain the requirements, audit process, fees and application steps.
What can be certified
Sea salt producers, producer cooperatives, processors, suppliers and end brands can apply for the sea salt products they produce or sell. The approved scope identifies the products and relevant production sites. Certification does not automatically cover every product sold by a business or the organisation as a whole.
What the standard covers
Policies, assigned staff, training, emergency procedures and equipment maintenance support compliance. Relevant records are retained for at least three years. A life-cycle assessment or equivalent production assessment is a recommendation.
Production must comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations. The operator must hold authorisation from the local authorities to operate.
The assessment covers ecosystem conversion since 1 January 1950. Where conversion occurred, it provides an alternative route requiring impact assessment and an implemented mitigation plan. It also covers site conservation, permits in protected areas, habitat connections and protection from chemical contamination.
Maintain an updated inventory of wild plants and animals and implement a conservation plan for species listed as Vulnerable or worse on the IUCN Red List. Applicable habitat measures cover nesting birds, water levels, basin management, fish movements and habitat monitoring.
Check for asbestos and follow disposal recommendations where relevant. Chemical pesticides for flies and mosquitoes and poison baits for rats and other unwanted mammals are prohibited; biological pesticides are permitted. Hazardous substances must be handled lawfully to prevent contamination and risks to people. Avoiding PVC is a recommendation.
Maintain hydraulic systems and records, protect water connections and manage released-water quality and timing. Monitor water quality, including at least annual checks for water other than that remaining inside the pans. Daily evaporation and sedimentation monitoring applies during summer and production. Plant-based water treatment and coastal adaptation plans are recommendations.
Identify greenhouse-gas and dust or particulate emission sources and set reduction targets and strategies. Ozone-depleting substances must not be used.
Store and separate waste to prevent dispersion and enable appropriate recovery. Contaminated production residues must not be reused, composted or mulched. Reuse or recycle eligible inorganic waste; use specialist operators for non-recyclable materials. Recyclable packaging is an Important requirement; biodegradable packaging is a recommendation.
Calculate annual net energy use, including transport, equipment and embodied energy. Set reduction objectives and assessment methods. The standard requires a commitment to renewable energy and the purchase of credits where the energy supply is not fully renewable.
Meet national and ILO requirements on child labour, pay at least legal minimum wages, provide access to health care and apply legally required safety measures. SA8000 certification is a recommendation.
Respect local communities’ rights and avoid negative impacts on them. Site awareness initiatives, birdwatching access and nature-based tourism activities are recommendations.
Assessment and certification
An independent certification body assesses the applicable requirements and makes the certification decision.
End-brand audits are based on documentary evidence for the products to be certified, including supplier certificates, product information and traceability records. Producers and processors are assessed against the requirements relevant to their production activities. A brand that also manufactures or processes products must include those activities in its assessment.
Certification fees
Suppliers and end brands use the same published price list. Annual logo royalties and audit costs are separate, and VAT applies where due. Request a quotation to confirm the applicable category, sea salt product-counting basis and audit scope. The quotation accounts for the relevant production activities and sites; it is not limited to retail packs.
Check certification status
Search for the specific sea salt product and check its approved scope and current certification status. A company listing does not mean every product it sells is certified.
Frequently asked questions
No. This page concerns sea salt assessed under the sea salt production criteria. For salt obtained through mining, consult the separate Friend of the Earth mining programme.
No. Certification applies to the products in the approved scope. The audit assesses relevant production sites, activities and records to establish product compliance; this is not approval of every activity or product of the business.
End-brand audits are based on documentary evidence for the products submitted, including records from the producer and suppliers. Producers and processors are assessed against the requirements relevant to their activities. A brand that also produces or processes salt must include those activities in its assessment.
Yes. The brand must obtain its own logo-use authorisation and pay the applicable royalties, even if its supplier is already Friend of the Sea certified. The branded products must be included in the approved scope. Supplier certification does not transfer logo rights to the brand.
Yes. Both use the same published price list. The amount depends on the applicable category and scope, so the same list does not mean the same fee. Audit costs are quoted separately. Request confirmation of how your sea salt products and activities will be counted.
Yes. Applications are open regardless of business size or scale. Producer cooperatives can undergo annual audits using a verified homogeneous sample of a producer cooperative, with a sample size of at least the square root of its member companies.
No. Essential and Important requirements are conditions of certification, while Recommendations are assessed without being compulsory. Examples of recommendations include a life-cycle assessment, biodegradable packaging, SA8000 certification and site awareness activities.
No. Certification assesses the defined sea salt production requirements. It does not establish superior nutritional value, purity or health benefits.
Complete the salt preliminary information form with your products, production sites and business activities. The team reviews the proposed scope before the relevant audit costs and logo royalties are confirmed. Submitting the form is confidential and does not commit you to proceeding.
Apply for certification
Tell us which sea salt products and brands you want assessed, where the salt is produced and whether you produce, process or source it from another supplier. Complete the preliminary information form to start the scope review and request a quotation.
Information submitted through the preliminary form is confidential and does not commit you to proceeding.