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National List: Materials Update

Lisa M. Brines, Ph.D.

National Organic Program, Standards Division

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

April 19, 2017

Denver, CO
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This meeting:

• 2 petitioned materials on the agenda

• 35 materials for sunset (meeting 1 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:

• No petitions on agenda

• Marine algae listings on the National List
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Outstanding Petitions - Crops

Under Subcommittee review:

• Allyl Isothiocyanate (AITC)*

• Ammonium nonanoate

• Anaerobic digestate*

• Fatty alcohols*

• Natamycin*

• Polyoxin D Zinc Salt*

• Sodium citrate*

*Technical reports requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

Under Review:

• Glycolic acid*

• Hypochlorous acid*

• Sulfur*

• Thymol

• Aquaculture (x10)

*Technical reports requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions – Handling

This meeting:

• Short DNA Tracers

• L-Methionine

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Other Materials Proposals - Handling

This meeting:

• Tocopherols – annotation change

• Marine algae listings

• Ancillary substances for cellulose

• Bisphenol A (BPA) in packaging

– Discussion document only (no vote at this 

meeting)
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Outstanding Petitions – Handling

Under Subcommittee Review

• Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS)

• Silver dihydrogen citrate*

• Sodium chlorite, for generation of chlorine 

dioxide gas

*Technical reports requested 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 reports requested or in development

Petitions available on the NOP website
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Other Technical Reports – Status Update

In development:

– Bisphenol A (Handling)

– Anaerobic digestate

(Crops)

Now available:

– Newspaper & other 

recycled paper (Crops)
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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: 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 materials under review early under the efficient 

workload reorganization
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Sunset 2019 (cont.)

• Considered at Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 NOSB 

meetings

• Voting will occur at 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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Thank you!
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Technical Report Contractors

– AMS Agricultural Analytics Division

– ICF International

–Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)

– Pesticide Research Institute

Comments on technical reports can be submitted to the NOSB through 

www.regulations.gov