Agricultural Marketing Service

National List: Materials Update

Lisa M. Brines, Ph.D.

NOP Standards Division

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

April 25, 2016

Washington, DC
Agricultural Marketing Service

This meeting:

• 7 petitioned materials on the agenda

• 15 material listings for Sunset 2018 

(meeting #1 for Sunset)
Agricultural Marketing Service

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)
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions - Crops

This meeting:

• Ash from manure burning

• Squid and squid byproducts *

• Hypochlorous acid *

• Soy wax

* Technical Report available
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions - Crops

Under Review:

• Aluminum sulfate *

• Fatty alcohols *

• 1-Methylcyclopropene 

(1-MCP)

• Ammonium citrate

• Ammonium glycinate

Petitions available on the NOP website

* Technical report in development
Agricultural Marketing Service

Ineligible Petitions - Crops

• Calcium chloride (re-petition)

Petition available on the NOP website
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

This meeting:

• Hypochlorous acid *

* Technical Report available
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

Under Review:

Acid-activated bentonite*

Aluminum sulfate *

Sodium bisulfate *

Sulfur ‡

Aquaculture petitions x10

Petitions available on the NOP website

* Technical Report available

‡ Technical Report in development
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions – Handling

This meeting:

• Sodium lactate and potassium lactate *

• Oat beta-glucan

• Hypochlorous acid * 

• Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS)

Petitions available on the NOP website

* Technical Report available
Agricultural Marketing Service

Outstanding Petitions – Handling

Under Subcommittee Review

• Chlorine dioxide gas

• Oat protein concentrate

Petitions available on the NOP website
Agricultural Marketing Service

Other Technical Reports – Status Update

In development:

– Marine Plants and Algae

– Bisphenol A (Handling)

– Xanthan gum (Handling)

– Peracetic acid (Livestock)

Now available:

– Phosphates (Handling)

– Peracetic acid (Handling)
Agricultural Marketing Service

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
Agricultural Marketing Service

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
Agricultural Marketing Service

Sunset 2018

• Sunset dates: May 29, 2018 and November 3, 2018

• Will be considered at Spring 2016 and Fall 2016 

NOSB meetings

• Voting will occur at Fall 2016 meeting

• National List materials and sunset dates are 

available on agenda and in the NOP Handbook

• See NOP 5611: National List Sunset Dates
Agricultural Marketing Service

Sunset 2018

Updated Technical Reports Available:

• Peracetic acid (Crops)

• Carrageenan (Handling)

• Cellulose (Handling)

• Glucono delta-lactone (Handling)

• Potassium Hydroxide (Handling)
Agricultural Marketing Service

Updated National List Petition Process

• Implemented two NOSB recommendations 

from April 2014 to update the National List 

Petition Process

• New Program Handbook document for 

National List Petition Procedures, NOP 3011

• Effective March 11, 2016
Agricultural Marketing Service

Updated National List Petition Process

• Eliminates provision for submission of Confidential 

Business Information (CBI)

• Requires that petitioners indicate the category for a 

substance intended for use in organic production

• Clarified procedures for certain types of petitions (e.g., 

annotation changes)

• Answers common questions about the petition process 

to clarify the role of the NOP, the role of the NOSB, and 

the criteria used to evaluate petitions
Agricultural Marketing Service

Thank you!