United States Department of Agriculture
Information

Testing Phase of the Certification Process

Once you have received notification from USDA that your product has met the initial screening criteria, you can proceed with the steps below. For an overview of the entire certification process, please refer to this complete list of steps.

Next Steps

  • Access and Complete the Needed Documents - Via your BioPreferred Program Company Tools eAuthentication login:
    1. If you have not already, access and sign the Participant Agreement. This only has to be done once per company.
    2. Access the Sample Selection Form, which can be found by going to the Products tab on the lefthand side of the Company Tools place, clicking on the corresponding product, and selecting the Documents tab in the window that appears. Complete the form with all of the required information, then submit. Once the form has been submitted, the lab indicated in the form will be notified that your application is approved for testing. Only one Sample Selection Form is required per application ID.
  • Send Product Sample to Laboratory - Once you have completed the Sample Selection Form, Send a sample of your product to the accepted laboratory and include a copy of the sample selection form in the shipment.
  • Receive Test Results - After your product has been tested using ASTM D6866-22 by one of the accepted laboratories, the test results will be sent to you and USDA, who will email you an official notification of certification within a few days. This email also describes how to download your certification label and points you to the guidelines describing how you can use your new label.

Accepted Testing Laboratories to Conduct Testing of Biobased Products

Please contact the lab you choose via email or phone if you have any questions on pricing and time needed to conduct tests. Both labs perform the same testing, but vary in pricing, timing, and other options. The following laboratories have been accepted to conduct testing in accordance with ASTM D6866: