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{"id":3702,"date":"2020-12-10T06:58:23","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T06:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theorganicmagazine.com\/?p=3702"},"modified":"2022-07-07T06:56:58","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T06:56:58","slug":"what-is-mass-balance-sourcing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theorganicmagazine.com\/editors-pick\/what-is-mass-balance-sourcing\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Mass Balance Sourcing?"},"content":{"rendered":"
There are multiple ways to source certified ingredients for consumer products. When companies keep the ingredients purchased from a certified farm physically separated from non-certified ingredients throughout the whole supply chain, we call it a “segregated model” of sourcing. When companies opt for “mass balance” sourcing, the certified and non-certified ingredients are mixed together somewhere in transit or production of the end product.<\/p>\nRainforest Alliance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While both segregated and mass balance models have their pros and cons, it’s important to note that their impact is the same for farmers. Both methods require companies to purchase the amount of ingredients that are needed for their product from a certified farm. Keep reading for responses to the most commonly asked questions about mass balance sourcing.<\/p>\n
How does it work?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mass balance is a sourcing method that allows for certified and non-certified ingredients to become mixed during the shipping and manufacturing processes. Due to its efficiency, it is by far the most used model in the cocoa industry. Companies working with the Rainforest Alliance can also use mass balance sourcing for orange juice, palm oil, and coconut oil. All major international sustainability initiatives use mass balance in one form or another.<\/p>\n
Using the seal<\/strong><\/p>\n
In this system, a product – let’s take a chocolate bar, as an example – can carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified (or UTZ) seal only if the total quantity of cocoa purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified (or UTZ certified) farms is equivalent to the total amount used in manufacturing the product. In simpler terms, for every gram of cocoa in that chocolate bar, you can be certain that a gram of cocoa has been purchased from a certified farm.<\/p>\n