Quality Assurance International

What Quality Assurance International does

Quality Assurance International (QAI) is a U.S.-based organic certification body headquartered in San Diego, California, that audits and certifies operations across the organic supply chain — from crop and livestock producers to processing and handling facilities. Founded around 1989–1990 and operating with 51–100 employees, QAI is a private subsidiary of NSF International, a global public health organization; the qai-inc.com website has been merged into nsf.org, signaling operational integration with the parent.

QAI's core product is organic certification under multiple regulatory regimes, including USDA National Organic Program (NOP), Canadian Organic Regime (COR), CARTV (Quebec), Mexico LPO (CAEQ-accredited), EU Organic Regulation, and NSF/ANSI 305 for personal care products containing organic ingredients. Through its integration with NSF, QAI bundles adjacent certifications — gluten-free, Non-GMO, plant-based, raised-without-antibiotics, honey transparency, GFSI/HACCP food safety, sustainability, and dietary supplement GMPs — into a one-stop certification offering. A strategic relationship with STAR-K adds kosher certification. QAI also maintains a public, searchable Organic Product Certification Directory indexed across these compliance standards.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees for certification audits, paid on quote-based, multi-year contracts. Distribution is sales-led: direct outreach via phone (858-792-3531), email ([email protected]), and an inquiry-form PDF, supplemented by the public directory as a top-of-funnel tool. The customer base is a horizontal long tail of organic producers and processors across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, EU, Australia, and Korea, with no disclosed customer concentration. QAI is a long-standing member of the Organic Trade Association (since 1990), the Accredited Certifiers Association, and OMRI, and its technical manager serves as President of the IACB Board, embedding it deeply in organic standards-setting and policy networks.

Name

Quality Assurance International

Legal name

Quality Assurance International

Website

https://qai-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Quality Assurance International (QAI) is a San Diego-based, NSF-owned organic certification body that audits and certifies crop, livestock, processing, and handling operations under USDA NOP, COR, EU Organic, Mexico LPO, and adjacent food-quality standards across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• USDA organic certification
• Food safety certification
• Organic compliance auditing
• Personal care certification

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Organic Certification Services: QAI certifies any step of the organic chain from field and livestock to processing and handling facilities. Revenue is generated through certification fees for various compliance standards including NOP, COR, EU Organic Regulation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Quality Assurance International certifies any step of the organic supply chain — from field and livestock operations through processing and handling facilities — under multiple international compliance standards including USDA NOP, Canadian Organic Regime (COR), EU Organic Regulation, Mexico LPO, Quebec/CARTV, and NSF/ANSI 305 for personal care products. Through its parent NSF International, QAI offers bundled add-on certifications (gluten-free, Non-GMO, plant-based, raised without antibiotics, honey transparency, food safety/GFSI/HACCP, sustainability, dietary supplement GMPs, and kosher via STAR-K) covering the full organic and adjacent compliance needs of producers and processors.

Product overview

Quality Assurance International (QAI) operates as a unified organic certification platform offering comprehensive certification services across the entire organic supply chain, from agricultural production (crops and livestock) through processing and handling facilities. The core product is the Organic Certification Services program, which serves as the primary certification offering. Additional certification services including Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Plant-Based Foods, Raised Without Antibiotics, Honey Transparency, Food Safety (GFSI/HACCP), Sustainability Verifications, and Dietary Supplement GMPs are available as bundled add-on modules through QAI's partnership with NSF International. Kosher Certification is offered through a strategic partnership with STAR-K. The company also maintains an Organic Product Certification Directory as a searchable sub-brand for locating certified products and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Certification Services
• Gluten-Free Certification
• Non-GMO Certification
• Plant-Based Foods Certification
• Raised Without Antibiotics Certification
• Honey Transparency Certification
• Food Safety Services
• Sustainability Verifications
• Dietary Supplement GMPs
• Kosher Certification
• Organic Product Certification Directory

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Organic Trade Association (OTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990QAI has been a proud member of the Organic Trade Association since 1990. They have supported its mission to promote and protect organic agriculture and commerce by serving on the board of directors, providing sponsorships and participating in policy meetings.
• Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs an active member of the ACA, QAI works with other accredited certifiers to develop uniform criteria for implementation of the USDA National Organic Program, conduct peer-to-peer certifier training and network within the community to address issues impacting organic certification.
• Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOMRI was created to ensure that inputs for organic use are verified thoroughly and consistently. QAI is a subscribing member, and QAI's technical staff have served on OMRI review panels to provide expertise in the review of commercial products used by organic operators.
• International Accredited Certification Bodies (IACB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IACB supports its members on issues relating to international certification and standards. A key responsibility is the development and maintenance of the IOAS EU Accreditation Programme Standard. QAI's technical manager serves as President of the Board of Directors.
• Australian Certified OrganicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQAI works with Australian Certified Organic to provide organic certification for products being exported to Korea that are not covered under the U.S.-Korea Equivalency Arrangement.
• NSF InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs part of NSF, QAI can seamlessly bundle services including gluten-free certification, Non-GMO certifications, plant-based foods certification, raised without antibiotics certification, honey transparency certification, food safety services (GFSI-benchmarked certifications and HACCP), sustainability verifications, and dietary supplement GMPs with organic certification.
• STAR-KminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQAI has created a strategic relationship with Star-K to provide customers with kosher certification alongside organic certification.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BCS Öko-Garantie: BCS is a Germany-based organic certification body accredited to EU, USDA NOP, and Japanese Organic standards. It is a direct competitor to QAI in cross-border organic certification, particularly for EU and Asian market access.
• Control Union Certifications: Control Union is a global certification and inspection body offering organic certification alongside sustainability and supply-chain programs across more than 70 countries. It directly competes with QAI for multinational organic certification accounts, particularly in agricultural commodities.
• Ecocert: Ecocert is a France-based global certification body specializing in organic, natural, and ecological products, with accreditations across EU, U.S., and multiple emerging markets. It is a direct competitor to QAI for organic certification of cosmetics, food, and textiles across international jurisdictions.
• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a third-party certifier offering organic (USDA NOP), Non-GMO, sustainability, and food safety certifications. It directly competes with QAI across multiple certification categories and is a comparable mid-sized international certifier.
• CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): CCOF is one of the largest USDA-accredited organic certifiers in the United States, certifying crops, livestock, processing, and handling operations. It directly competes with QAI for North American organic certification clients and is a peer on USDA NOP scope.
• Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO): OTCO is a USDA-accredited organic certifier serving farms, processors, and handlers across the U.S. and internationally. It directly competes with QAI in the NOP organic certification market and offers similar transition and handling certification services.
• Soil Association Certification: Soil Association Certification is the UK's leading organic certification body, accredited to EU Organic, USDA NOP, and other international standards. It is a direct peer to QAI for international organic certification, particularly in the UK and EU markets.

Regional players

• Australian Certified Organic (ACO): ACO is Australia's largest organic certifier, accredited to multiple international standards and operating primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. ACO is both a partner of QAI for Korea export coverage and a regional peer in international organic certification.

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: NSF is QAI's parent company and a broad food safety, water quality, and consumer products certification body. NSF is the broader incumbent that bundles QAI's organic certification with food safety (GFSI), supplements, and sustainability services for enterprise clients.

Emerging players

• A Greener World: A Greener World is a nonprofit certifier offering sustainability and regenerative agriculture certifications (Certified Grassfed, Animal Welfare Approved) that increasingly overlap with organic-adjacent market segments. It is an emerging player in the broader label certification space where QAI is expanding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QAI_Cert
• Facebookfacebook.com/qaiorganic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qai-inc

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quality Assurance International