1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

January 22, 2014

MEMORANDUM TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD 

FROM: Miles McEvoy

Deputy Administrator

National Organic Program (NOP)

SUBJECT: Sunset Review Timeline

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) must review every substance on the National List of 

Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) every five years to confirm that it continues to 

meet criteria specified in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA, 7 U.S.C. 6517). This “sunset”

review is a required part of the overall sunset process for substances on the National List, which is 

described at http://bit.ly/organic-sunset (78 FR 56811). 

The sunset review and renewal process is a lengthy process involving steps by the NOSB and the 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). First, the NOSB must begin its review well in advance of 

each substance’s “sunset date.” This allows AMS to ensure the review is complete and take any 

action to renew or remove substances from the National List. To assist the NOSB with long-term 

planning for sunset reviews, the following tables:

• Identify which two meetings the NOSB should use to address each substance, depending on 

its sunset date.

• Establish deadlines for the NOSB to request third party technical reports on an individual 

substance to assess its impact on the environment, human health, and other OFPA criteria. 

• Provide a list of substances scheduled for NOSB review in 2014 through 2017 (addresses 

sunset dates through 2019).

We calculated the technical report request deadlines to ensure these resources would be available by 

the first of the two meetings. Given the large volume of substances with 2017 sunset dates, we will 

work closely with each of the NOSB subcommittees (crops, livestock, and handling) in early 2014 to 

plan for this review and any technical report requests for these substances. 

We thank the NOSB for its review of allowed and prohibited substances and ongoing work to protect 

the integrity of organic products.
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

2

NOSB Meeting Date

Substances with 2015

Sunset Dates

(Sunset 2015)

Substances with 2016

Sunset Dates

(Sunset 2016)

Substances with 2017

Sunset Dates

(Sunset 2017)

Substances with 2018

Sunset Dates

(Sunset 2018)

Substances with 2019

Sunset Dates

(Sunset 2019)

Spring 2014 Sunset 2015 – 1st

meeting

TR requests due by 

February 2014

Fall 2014 Sunset 2015 – 2nd 

meeting Sunset 2016 – 1st meeting TR Requests due by July 

2014

Spring 2015 Sunset 2016 – 2nd 

meeting Sunset 2017 – 1st meeting

Fall 2015 Sunset 2017 – 2nd 

meeting

TR requests due by July 

2015

Spring 2016 Sunset 2018 – 1st meeting

Fall 2016 Sunset 2018– 2nd meeting TR requests due by July 

2016

Spring 2017 Sunset 2019 – 1st meeting

Fall 2017 Sunset 2019– 2nd meeting

National List Sunset by Date (without restrictive annotations)

7 CFR Part 205 

Crop Processing Livestock

Regulatory Section Sunset 2015 Substance

205.601(a) Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate

205.601(e) Aqueous potassium silicate

205.601(i) Aqueous potassium silicate

205.601(j) Sulfurous acid

205.605(a) Gellan gum

Regulatory Section Sunset 2015 Substance

205.606 Marsala

205.606 Sherry

205.606 Tragacanth gum
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

3

Regulatory Section Sunset 2016 Substance

205.601(h) Ferric phosphate

205.601(n) Hydrogen chloride

205.605(a) Egg white lysozyme

205.605(a) L-Malic acid

205.605(a) Microorganisms

205.605(b) Activated charcoal

205.605(b) Cyclohexylamine

205.605(b) Diethylaminoethanol

205.605(b) Octadecylamine

205.605(b) Peracetic acid 

205.605(b) Sodium acid pyrophosphate

205.605(b) Tetrasodium pyrophosphate

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.601(a) Calcium hypochlorite

205.601(a) Chlorine dioxide

205.601(a) Ethanol

205.601(a) Hydrogen peroxide

205.601(a) Isopropanol

205.601(a) Soap-based algicide/demossers

205.601(a) Sodium hypochlorite

205.601(b) Herbicides, soap-based

205.601(b) Newspaper or other recycled paper

205.601(b) Plastic mulch and covers (petroleumbased other than polyvinylchloride 

(PVC))

205.601(c) Newspaper or other recycled paper

205.601(d) Soaps, ammonium

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.601(e) Ammonium carbonate

205.601(e) Boric acid

205.601(e) Elemental sulfur

205.601(e) Lime sulfur

205.601(e) Oils, horticultural

205.601(e) Soaps, insecticidal

205.601(e) Sticky traps/barriers

205.601(e) Sucrose octanoate esters

205.601(f) Pheromones

205.601(g) Vitamin D3

205.601(i) Copper sulfate

205.601(i) Coppers, fixed

205.601(i) Elemental sulfur

205.601(i) Hydrated lime

205.601(i) Hydrogen peroxide

205.601(i) Lime sulfur

205.601(i) Oils, horticultural

205.601(i) Potassium bicarbonate

205.601(j) Aquatic plant extracts

205.601(j) Elemental sulfur

205.601(j) Humic acids

205.601(j) Lignin sulfonate

205.601(j) Liquid fish products

205.601(j) Magnesium sulfate

205.601(j) Soluble boron products

205.601(j) Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates 

of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, 

molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt

205.601(j) Vitamin B1
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

4

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.601(j) Vitamin C

205.601(j) Vitamin E

205.601(k) Ethylene

205.601(l) Lignin sulfonate

205.601(l) Sodium silicate

205.601(m) EPA List 4 - Inerts of Minimal Concern

205.601(o) Microcrystalline cheesewax

205.602(a) Ash from manure burning

205.602(b) Arsenic

205.602(d) Lead salts

205.602(e) Potassium chloride

205.602(f) Sodium fluoaluminate

205.602(h) Strychnine

205.602(i) Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate)

205.603(a) Aspirin

205.603(a) Atropine

205.603(a) Butorphanol

205.603(a) Calcium hypochlorite

205.603(a) Chlorhexidine

205.603(a) Chlorine dioxide

205.603(a) Electrolytes

205.603(a) Ethanol

205.603(a) Fenbendazole

205.603(a) Flunixin

205.603(a) Furosemide

205.603(a) Glucose

205.603(a) Glycerine

205.603(a) Hydrogen peroxide

205.603(a) Iodine

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.603(a) Isopropanol

205.603(a) Ivermectin

205.603(a) Magnesium hydroxide

205.603(a) Magnesium sulfate

205.603(a) Moxidectin

205.603(a) Oxytocin

205.603(a) Peracetic acid 

205.603(a) Phosphoric acid

205.603(a) Poloxalene

205.603(a) Sodium hypochlorite

205.603(a) Tolazoline

205.603(a) Vaccines

205.603(a) Xylazine

205.603(b) Copper sulfate

205.603(b) Formic Acid

205.603(b) Hydrated lime

205.603(b) Iodine

205.603(b) Lidocaine

205.603(b) Mineral oil

205.603(b) Procaine

205.603(b) Sucrose octanoate esters

205.603(d) Methionine

205.603(d) Trace minerals

205.603(d) Vitamins

205.603(e) EPA List 4 - Inerts of Minimal Concern

205.603(f) Excipients

205.604(a) Strychnine

205.605(a) Alginic acid
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

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Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.605(a) Attapulgite

205.605(a) Bentonite

205.605(a) Calcium carbonate

205.605(a) Calcium chloride

205.605(a) Carnauba wax

205.605(a) Citric acid

205.605(a) Dairy cultures

205.605(a) Diatomaceous earth

205.605(a) Enzymes

205.605(a) Flavors

205.605(a) Kaolin

205.605(a) Lactic acid

205.605(a) Magnesium sulfate

205.605(a) Nitrogen

205.605(a) Oxygen

205.605(a) Perlite

205.605(a) Potassium chloride

205.605(a) Potassium iodide

205.605(a) Sodium bicarbonate

205.605(a) Sodium carbonate

205.605(a) Wood resin

205.605(a) Yeast

205.605(b) Acidified sodium chlorite

205.605(b) Alginates

205.605(b) Ammonium bicarbonate

205.605(b) Ammonium carbonate

205.605(b) Ascorbic acid

205.605(b) Calcium citrate

205.605(b) Calcium hydroxide

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.605(b) Calcium hypochlorite

205.605(b) Calcium phosphate dibasic

205.605(b) Calcium phosphate monobasic

205.605(b) Calcium phosphate tribasic

205.605(b) Carbon dioxide

205.605(b) Chlorine dioxide

205.605(b) Diglycerides

205.605(b) Ethylene

205.605(b) Ferrous sulfate

205.605(b) Glycerin

205.605(b) Hydrogen peroxide

205.605(b) Magnesium carbonate

205.605(b) Magnesium chloride

205.605(b) Magnesium stearate

205.605(b) Monoglycerides

205.605(b) Nutrient vitamins and minerals

205.605(b) Ozone

205.605(b) Phosphoric acid

205.605(b) Potassium acid tartrate

205.605(b) Potassium carbonate

205.605(b) Potassium citrate

205.605(b) Potassium phosphate

205.605(b) Silicon dioxide

205.605(b) Sodium citrate

205.605(b) Sodium hydroxide

205.605(b) Sodium hypochlorite

205.605(b) Sodium phosphates

205.605(b) Sulfur dioxide

205.605(b) Tocopherols
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 2646-S, STOP 0268

Washington, DC 20250-0201

6

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.605(b) Xanthan gum

205.606 Arabic gum

205.606 Beet juice extract color

205.606 Black currant juice color

205.606 Black/Purple carrot juice color

205.606 Blueberry juice color

205.606 Carob bean gum

205.606 Carrot juice color

205.606 Casings

205.606 Celery powder

205.606 Cherry juice color

205.606 Chia (Salvia hispanica L.)

205.606 Chokeberry—Aronia juice color

205.606 Cornstarch (native)

205.606 Dillweed oil

205.606 Elderberry juice color

205.606 Fish oil

205.606 Fructooligosaccharides

205.606 Galangal, frozen

205.606 Gelatin

205.606 Grape juice color

205.606 Grape skin extract color

205.606 Guar gum

205.606 Inulin-oligofructose enriched

205.606 Kelp

205.606 Konjac flour

205.606 Lecithin—de-oiled

205.606 Lemongrass-frozen

205.606 Locust bean gum

Regulatory Section Sunset 2017 Substance

205.606 Orange pulp, dried

205.606 Orange shellac-unbleached

205.606 Paprika color

205.606 Pectin (non-amidated forms only)

205.606 Peppers (Chipotle chile)

205.606 Pumpkin juice color

205.606 Purple potato juice

205.606 Red cabbage extract color

205.606 Red radish extract color

205.606 Saffron extract color

205.606 Seaweed, Pacific kombu

205.606 Sweet potato starch

205.606 Turkish bay leaves

205.606 Turmeric extract color

205.606 Wakame seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida)

205.606 Whey protein concentrate