USDA organic. Freshness dated. Non-irradiated. Frontier black pepper is carefully selected form one of the world's top pepper - producing regions. Black peppercorns are unripe green fruits (berries) that are sun - dried after fermenting. They are then sold either whole or grind to different degrees of coarseness. Use this fine grind for a consistent, strong peppery flavor in soups, sauces, marinades, meats and vegetable dishes. Certified organic by QAI.