United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW. NOP 5014

Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building Effective Date: July 22, 2011

National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 2

Original Issue Date: 03/02/10 Authorized Distribution: Public

File Name: NOP 5014 Certification of Organic Yeast Rev01 07 22 11

Guidance 

Certification of Organic Yeast

1. Purpose 

This guidance provides clarification on the eligibility of yeast to be certified as organic under the 

National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. 

2. Scope

This guidance applies to National Organic Program (NOP) certifying agents and all certified and exempt 

organic producers.

3. Background

There has been considerable discussion regarding the eligibility of yeast to be certified as organic under 

the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. § 205.605(a) of NOP regulations includes yeast as a 

natural, nonagricultural substance allowed as an ingredient in or on processed products labeled as 

“organic” or “made with organic.”

Clarifying the definition of “nonagricultural” or other actions, such as removing a substance from the 

National List, would require action by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Until such 

actions occur, NOP finds it necessary to clarify that yeast may be labeled as organic and used in 

processed organic food products.

4. Policy

4.1 General.

Organic handling requirements (7 CFR § 205.270) allow the use of nonagricultural substances listed in 

§ 205.605, such as yeast, to be used in or on a processed agricultural product that is represented as 

“organic” if the agricultural product contains at least 95 percent organically produced raw or processed 

agricultural products. The remaining 5 percent can be a nonagricultural substance such as those 

enumerated in § 205.605; this includes yeast. Therefore, for example, if yeast is added to a certified 

organic agricultural product such as wheat flour and processed according to § 205.270, the resulting 

product can be certified and labeled “organic.”

Certification of processed agricultural products which are listed as nonagricultural on § 205.605(a) is not 

without precedence. For example, NOP previously determined that natural flavors, though they are listed 

as allowable nonagricultural products in organic production, can be certified organic if processed in 

compliance with NOP regulations. The status of yeast has been of particular interest to livestock 

producers who feed yeast to livestock as a non-agricultural, non-synthetic feed supplement. Yeast is 

available for use in livestock feed in either certified organic form or as an allowed non-organic input 

specified on the National List. 
United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW. NOP 5014

Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building Effective Date: July 22, 2011

National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 2

Original Issue Date: 03/02/10 Authorized Distribution: Public

File Name: NOP 5014 Certification of Organic Yeast Rev01 07 22 11

4.2 Yeast. 

A certified organic operation may sell, label, or represent yeast as “organic” when produced in 

compliance with an approved organic systems plan. Yeast products produced from certified organic 

inputs such as certified organic flour and certified organic corn steep liquor may be certified as organic. 

For yeast to be certified as organic, yeast used as a starter culture does not have to be certified as 

organic. However, if certified organic yeast is used as the starter culture, subsequently produced yeast is 

eligible for certification as “100 percent organic” as long as all other production and handling 

requirements are met.

4.3 Yeast used in Livestock Feed.

Certified organic livestock operations may feed non-organic yeast to their livestock as a nonsynthetic 

feed supplement per § 205.237(a).

5. References

NOP Regulations (as amended to date)

7 CFR § 205.237 Livestock feed.

(a) The producer of an organic livestock operation must provide livestock with...

7 CFR § 205.270 Organic handling requirements. 

7 CFR § 205.301 Product composition.

(a) Products sold, labeled, or represented as “100 percent organic.”

7 CFR § 205.605 Nonagricultural (nonorganic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed 

products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)).”

(a) Nonsynthetics allowed...

Approved on July 22, 2011