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National List: Materials Update

Lisa M. Brines, Ph.D.

NOP Standards Division

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

April 27, 2015

La Jolla, California
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Evaluation Criteria for Materials

• Criteria are provided for in the Organic Foods 

Production Act of 1990 (OFPA)

• Technical report questions and NOSB checklists 

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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This meeting:

• 10 petitioned materials on the agenda

• 12 materials for Sunset 2016 (meeting #2 for 

Sunset)

– NOSB will complete Sunset 2016 review at this meeting

• 198 material listings for Sunset 2017 (meeting #1 

for Sunset)

– NOSB will complete Sunset 2017 review at Fall 2015 

meeting
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Withdrawn Petitions

– Allyl isothiocyanate (crops)

– Ammonium hydroxide (handling)

Petitions and Subcommittee proposals are

posted on the NOP website
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Outstanding Petitions - Crops

• This meeting:

– Exhaust Gas (Carbon Monoxide)

– Calcium sulfate

– 3-decene-2-one
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Outstanding Petitions - Crops

– Aluminum sulfate*

– Ash from manure burning

– Laminarin*

– Lignin sulfonate (to remove)

– Anaerobic digestate (pH 

adjusted with sulfuric acid)

– Seaweed extract (pH 

adjusted with sulfuric acid)

– Sulfuric acid (solubilizing 

agent for micronutrients)

Petitions are posted on the NOP website

* Technical report in development

Under Subcommittee Review:
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Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

• This meeting:

– Methionine

– Acidified Sodium Chlorite (ACS)

– Zinc sulfate
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Outstanding Petitions - Livestock

• Under Subcommittee 

review:

– Acid-activated bentonite

– Aluminum sulfate*

– Aquaculture petitions (x10)

– Sodium bisulfate*

Petitions are posted on the NOP website

* Technical report in development
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Outstanding Petitions - Handling

• This meeting:

– Glycerin (petitioned for removal)

– Polyalkylene glycol monobutyl ether (PGME)

– Triethyl citrate

– Whole algal flour
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Outstanding Petitions - Handling

• Under Subcommittee review:

– Flavors (annotation change)

– Sodium lactate / Potassium lactate*

Petitions are posted on the NOP website

* Technical report now available
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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 (10 votes / 15 

members)
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Sunset 2016 Materials - Crops

• Two sunset substances:

– Ferric phosphate

– Hydrogen chloride*

*Updated technical report available
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Sunset 2016 Materials - Handling

• 10 sunset substances:

– Egg white lysozyme

– L-Malic acid

– Microorganisms*

– Activated charcoal

– Peracetic acid

– Cyclohexylamine

– Diethylaminoethanol

– Octadecylamine

– Sodium acid 

pyrophosphate

– Tetrasodium

pyrophosphate*

* Updated technical report 

available
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Sunset 2017 Materials

• The majority of materials on the National List 

are scheduled to Sunset in 2017

• The complete list of Sunset 2017 materials is 

available in the agenda and on the NOP website 

in a recent memo on Sunset Review Timeline 

published January 22, 2014
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Sunset 2017 Materials 

• NOP has been working with the NOSB 

Subcommittees to update technical reports for 

many substances
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Sunset 2017 Materials – Technical reports 

now available (Crops)

• Ethanol

• Isopropanol

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Lime sulfur

• Potassium bicarbonate

• Soaps 

(algicide/demossers)

• Soaps (herbicidal)

• Vitamin B1, C, E

• EPA List 4 – limited to 

nonylphenol ethoxylates
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Sunset 2017 Materials – Technical reports 

now available (Livestock)

• Ethanol

• Isopropanol

• Chlorhexidine

• Iodine

• Copper sulfate

• Hydrated lime

• Mineral oil

• Excipients

• Electrolytes

• Vitamins

• In development:

– Parasiticides

(Fenbendazole, 

Ivermectin, 

Moxidectin)
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Sunset 2017 Materials – Technical reports 

now available (Handling)

• Alginic acid

• Alginates

• Citric acid

• Calcium citrate

• Potassium citrate

• Sodium citrate

• Lactic acid

• Pectin

• Fish oil

• Tocopherols

• Nutrient vitamins and minerals 

(including potassium iodide, 

ferrous sulfate)

• Glycerides (mono and di)

• Colors

• Fructooligosacchardies

• Inulin – oligofructose enriched

• In development

– Whey protein concentrate

– Enzymes
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Update – Petition Process

• NOP is continuing to work on two NOSB 

recommendations from April 2014 to update the 

National List Petition Process, including changes to 

Confidential Business Information

• The new procedures will become effective after 

publication in the Federal Register
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Thank you!