Reminder: An Important Update About Your Information in the Organic Integrity Database

On August 1st, 2026, PCO sent an email to our certified operations explaining the information below. If you haven’t already, review the update and take steps to update your information with PCO. 

PCO is aware of several recent phishing and fraudulent emails sent to PCO-certified operations. We want to share what we know, the steps we’ve taken to help protect your information, and what you can expect moving forward. 

What Happened?

As part of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), PCO is required to report information about certified operations to the publicly available Organic Integrity Database (OID).

Unfortunately, email addresses included in client records have been used to send unwanted marketing messages and phishing attempts. In some cases, these messages have appeared to come from the USDA or other trusted sources.

To help reduce unwanted emails and better protect our certified operations, PCO has stopped reporting primary contact email addresses to the Organic Integrity Database.

What Does This Mean for You?

If you do not want an email address publicly listed on your OID profile, no action is needed. Your PCO certification and relationship with PCO will not be affected.

If you would like to have a public-facing email address listed on your OID profile, you can provide one to PCO using the form below.

Want to List an Email Address in OID?

Please use our email address submission form to provide the email address you would like displayed publicly.

PCO will update your client record based on your submission, and the change should appear on your operation’s OID profile within five business days.

Please note: The email address you provide will only be used for public display in the OID and on your NOP organic certificate. It will not be used for correspondence from PCO.

A Reminder About Phishing Emails

While PCO has taken steps to remove primary contact email addresses from the OID, we encourage you to remain cautious when receiving unexpected emails.

Authentic communications from the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and National Organic Program (NOP) are sent from @usda.gov email addresses.

PCO does not sell or intentionally share client email addresses for marketing purposes. If you receive an email that appears to come from PCO or a government agency and you’re unsure whether it’s legitimate, please contact our office before responding or clicking any links. We’ll be happy to help you verify whether the message is authentic.

Questions?

If you have questions about this update or need assistance determining whether an email is legitimate, we’re here to help!  Please contact the PCO office, and our team can assist you.

Thank you for being part of the PCO community and for helping us keep your information safe.