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National List: Materials Update

Lisa M. Brines, Ph.D.

National Organic Program, Standards Division

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

October 31, 2017

Jacksonville, FL
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This meeting:

• 4 petitioned materials on the agenda

• 35 listings for sunset (meeting 2 of 2)
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Evaluation Criteria for Materials

• Criteria are provided for in the Organic Foods 

Production Act of 1990 (OFPA)

• Petition guidelines, technical report evaluation 

questions and NOSB review documents align with 

OFPA criteria

• Different criteria for production uses vs. handling

• Additional criteria for synthetic processing aids and 

adjuvants at § 205.600(b)
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Materials Proposals - Crops

This meeting:

• Fatty alcohols (octanol/decanol)*

• Anaerobic digestate*

• Newspaper and recycled paper (verbal update)*

*New technical reports available
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Materials Update - Crops

Re-petitions Subcommittee rejected as 

insufficient:

• Ammonium nonanoate

NOP 3011, National List Petition Guidelines, provide guidance 

for substances previously reviewed and rejected by the NOSB 
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Outstanding Petitions - Crops

Under Subcommittee review:

• Allyl Isothiocyanate (AITC)*

• Natamycin*

• Polyoxin D Zinc Salt*

• Sodium citrate*

• Sulfur (molluscicide)

• Ammonium citrate

• Ammonium glycinate

*Technical reports requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions – Livestock

This meeting:

• Hypochlorous acid*

• Sulfur*

Petitions available on the NOP website

*New technical reports available
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Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

Under Review:

• Glycolic acid*

• Oxalic acid

• Thymol

*Technical reports requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions – Handling

Under Subcommittee Review

• Silver dihydrogen citrate*

• Sodium chlorite, for generation of chlorine 

dioxide gas*

• Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS)*

*Technical reports available or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions – Handling (cont.)

Under Subcommittee Review

• Ethiopian pepper, 205.606

• Japones pepper, 205.606

• Tamarind seed gum, 205.606*

*Technical report requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Other Materials Proposals - Handling

This meeting:

• Potassium acid tartrate reclassification

• Marine algae (discussion document)

• Verbal updates:

– Tocopherols

– Ancillary substances used in cellulose
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Other Technical Reports

Now available:

• Bisphenol A (BPA)

Developed in response to 2014 NOP memo to NOSB 

on packaging substances used in organic food 

handling

Technical reports are available on the NOP website
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Voting Procedures

• For petitioned substances, NOSB votes on two 

motions:

– 1st motion: Classification (if not previously classified)

• Synthetic / Nonsynthetic

• Agricultural / Nonagricultural

– 2nd motion: Listing (to list/remove/amend)

• 2/3 majority needed for decisive vote
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Sunset 2019

• Crops: 13 listings

• Livestock: 8 listings

• Handling: 14 listings
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Sunset 2019

• Includes materials advanced for Sunset under the Fall 

2016 NOSB recommendation for Sunset Review -

Efficient Workload Reorganization

– 1 material with a 2019 sunset date (biodegradable 

biobased mulch film)

– 34 listings under review early under the NOSB 

recommendation on Efficient Workload 

Reorganization
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Sunset 2019 (cont.)

• Considered at Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 NOSB 

meetings

• Voting will occur at this Fall 2017 meeting

• National List materials and sunset dates are available 

on agenda and in the NOP Handbook

• See NOP 5611: National List Sunset Dates
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Sunset 2020 – Preview

• 52 listings to reviewed at Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 

NOSB meetings

– 6 listings scheduled to sunset in 2020

– 46 listings under review early under the NOSB 

recommendation on Efficient Workload 

Reorganization
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Sunset 2020 – Technical Reports in Development

• Microcrystalline cheesewax – Crops

• Sulfur – Crops

• Gums – Handling (all gums)

• Magnesium stearate – Handling

• Calcium carbonate – Handling

• Aspirin – Livestock
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New Technical Report Contractors

• Nexight Group

• Savan Group

All reports completed under new contract 

will include authorship disclosure

Comments on technical reports can be submitted to the NOSB through 

www.regulations.gov
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Thank you!