FORMAL RECOMMENDATION BY THE

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD (NOSB) 

TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM (NOP) 

Date: April 29, 2010 

Subject: §205.605(b) Sunset Materials Review 

Chair: Daniel G. Giacomini 

Recommendation

The NOSB hereby recommends to the NOP the following: 

Rulemaking Action: X 

Guidance Statement: 

Other: 

Summary Statement of the Recommendation (including Recount of Vote):

The following materials listed on §205.605(b) of the National List and scheduled to sunset off the list in 

2012 were reviewed and discussed, and a motion was made for relisting on the National List, at the April 

2010 National Organic Standards Board meeting: 

 Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic) 

 Carbon dioxide 

 Ethylene – allowed for postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening of citrus. 

 Glycerides (mono and di) – for use only in drum drying of food. 

 Glycerin – produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils 

 Hydrogen peroxide 

 Magnesium carbonate – for use only in agricultural products labeled ‘made with organic (specified 

ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled ‘organic” 

 Magnesium chloride – derived from sea water 

 Magnesium stearate - for use only in agricultural products labeled ‘made with organic (specified 

ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled ‘organic” 

 Ozone 

 Potassium acid tartrate 

 Potassium carbonate 

 Potassium citrate 

 Potassium hydroxide – prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables except when used for 

peeling peaches during the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) production process 

 Potassium phosphate - for use only in agricultural products labeled ‘made with organic (specified 

ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled ‘organic” 

 Xanthan gum 

 Alginates 

 Ammonium bicarbonate – for use only as a leavening agent 

 Ammonium carbonate - for use only as a leavening agent 

 Ascorbic Acid 

 Calcium citrate 

 Calcium hydroxide 
 

The Handling Committee’s recommendations covering these materials are attached. There were no public 

written or verbal comments opposing the committee’s recommendations, and all were recommended for 

relisting by the full NOSB as shown below. 

NOSB Vote: Motion: Steve DeMuri Second: Joe Smillie 

Board vote: Yes - 14 No- 0 Abstain- 0 Absent - 1 

The motion to relist the above materials passes. 

 

Response by the NOP:

National Organic Standards Board 

Handling Committee Sunset Recommendation for §205.605(b) 

March 2, 2010

I. List: 

§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)).” 

(b) Synthetics allowed 

II. Committee Summary: 

Federal Register notice of the sunset of these materials elicited no public comments against re-listing. 

Review of the original recommendations, historical documents, and public comments does not reveal 

unacceptable risks to the environment, human, or animal health as a result of the use or manufacture of 

these materials. There is no new information contradicting the original recommendation which were the 

basis for the previous NOSB decisions to list these materials. 

III. Committee Recommendation(s): 

The handling committee recommends the renewal of the following substances in this use category as 

published in the final rule: 

Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic) 

Carbon dioxide. 

Ethylene—allowed for postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening of citrus. 

Glycerides (mono and di)—for use only in drum drying of food. 

Glycerin—produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils. 

Hydrogen peroxide. 

Magnesium carbonate—for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specified 

ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”. 

Magnesium chloride—derived from sea water. 

Magnesium stearate—for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specified 

ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”. 

Ozone. 

Moved: John Foster Second: Katrina Heinze 

Yes: 6 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Absent: 1 
National Organic Standards Board 

Handling Committee Sunset Recommendation for §205.605(b) 

March 2, 2010

I. List: 

§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)).” 

(b) Synthetics allowed 

II. Committee Summary: 

Federal Register notice of the sunset of these materials elicited no public comments against re-listing. 

Review of the original recommendations, historical documents, and public comments does not reveal 

unacceptable risks to the environment, human, or animal health as a result of the use or manufacture of 

these materials. There is no new information contradicting the original recommendation which were the 

basis for the previous NOSB decisions to list these materials. 

III. Committee Recommendation(s): 

The handling committee recommends the renewal of the following substances in this use category as 

published in the final rule: 

Xanthan gum 

Potassium acid tartrate 

Potassium carbonate 

Potassium citrate 

Potassium hydroxide – prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables except when used 

for peeling peaches during the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) production process. 

Potassium phosphate – for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specific 

ingredients or food group(s))”, prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”. 

Moved: Tracy Miedema Second: Joe Dickson 

Yes: 6 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Absent: 1 
National Organic Standards Board 

Handling Committee Sunset Recommendation for §205.605(b) 

March 2, 2010

I. List: 

§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)).” 

(b) Synthetics allowed 

II. Committee Summary: 

Federal Register notice of the sunset of these materials elicited no public comments against re-listing. 

Review of the original recommendations, historical documents, and public comments does not reveal 

unacceptable risks to the environment, human, or animal health as a result of the use or manufacture of 

these materials. There is no new information contradicting the original recommendation which were the 

basis for the previous NOSB decisions to list these materials. 

III. Committee Recommendation(s): 

The handling committee recommends the renewal of the following substances in this use category as 

published in the final rule: 

Alginates 

Ammonium bicarbonate—for use only as a leavening agent 

Ammonium carbonate—for use only as a leavening agent 

Ascorbic acid 

Calcium citrate 

Calcium hydroxide 

Moved: Joe Dickson Second: Steve DeMuri 

Yes: 6 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Absent: 1