Revised: 10/12/2018 – subject to change

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Tentative Agenda

Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101 Great River Ballrooms 1 & 4

October 24-26, 2018

Schedule at a Glance:

Tue/Thu

Oct 16 & 18

Wednesday

Oct 24

Thursday 

Oct 25

Friday

Oct 26

MORNING

- Call to Order/Welcome/ 

 Intros/Secretary’s report

- NOSB report

- USDA/AMS/NOP update

- Public comments

- Public comments 

 continued 

- Livestock Subcommittee

- Handling Subcommittee

AFTERNOON

- Public 

comment 

webinar(s)

1 - 4pm ET

- Public comments 

 continued 

 

 

- Materials 

 Subcommittee

- CACS

 

- Crops Subcommittee

 

- Deferred proposals/Final votes

- Work agendas/Materials update

- Officer Elections

- Other business/Closing remarks

Face-to-Face Meeting Format

• The Designated Federal Officer calls the meeting to order and adjourns the meeting. The NOSB Chair presides 

over the meeting. 

• The USDA and National Organic Program (NOP) provide the NOSB with updates and an overview of petitioned 

substances, sunset materials, and technical reports. 

• The Board hears public comments. 

• NOSB members present Subcommittee proposals, reports and discussion documents, and discuss public 

comment, prior to voting on proposals. Final votes may be deferred to the last day of the meeting if more 

deliberation is needed. NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes postponed at the discretion of the 

Board.

• There will be two 15-minute breaks (mid-morning & mid-afternoon) and a 90-minute lunch break mid-day.

Recess and adjournment times may vary based on completion of business. 

Public Comments (Written and Oral) 

• All persons are encouraged to provide written comments via Regulations.gov.

• All persons wishing to provide oral comments are asked to sign up in advance. Instructions are available at 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/national-organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-st-paul-mn. There are two

(2) opportunities to provide oral comments to the Board: During webinar(s) on October 16 and 18, 2018, and 

during the in-person meeting. Walk-in comment slots may become available on a first come, first served basis 

at the meeting, if the schedule allows.

• Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot. Commenters will be allowed a 3-minute time slot during 

either the webinar or at the face-to-face meeting. Each commenter must state his/her name and affiliation for 

the record at the beginning of their comment.
 

 Revised: 10/12/2018 – subject to change TUE/THU OCT

1

6 & 

1

8

1:00 - 4:00 

PM ET

Public comment webinar(s)

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login information and instructions 

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 201

8

8:30 AM Call to Order, Agenda Overview

Jennifer Tucker, NOP Deputy Administrator

Introductions

Dave Frederickson, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Dr. Julie Grossman, Professor and Organic Program Coordinator University of Minnesota

Secretary’s report (acceptance of Spring 2018 Meeting Summary as official record)

Scott Rice, Secretary

9:15 AM NOSB report

Tom Chapman, NOSB Chairperson

9:30 AM USDA and Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program Update

Jennifer Tucker, NOP Deputy Administrator

10:15 AM BREAK

10:30 AM –

5:30 PM

Public comments

12:30 PM LUNCH 

~3:45 PM BREAK

5:30 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 10/12/2018 – subject to change THURSDAY OCTOBER 25, 201

8

8:30 AM –

12:00 PM 

Public comments continued

~10:15 BREAK

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:45 PM Materials Subcommittee 

Harriet Behar, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: 2018 Research priorities

 Proposal: Genetic integrity transparency of seed grown on organic land

 Proposal: Excluded methods determinations October 2018

 Discussion document: Marine materials in organic crop production 

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

3:15 PM BREAK 

3:30 PM Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee (CACS) 

Scott Rice, Chairperson

Topics:

Proposal: Developing criteria for risk-based accreditation oversight 

Proposal: Training and oversight of inspector and certification reviewer personnel

Verbal update: Analysis of feedback from the Spring 2018 import panel

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

5:30 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 10/12/2018 – subject to change FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2018

8:30 AM Livestock Subcommittee (LS)

Ashley Swaffar, Chairperson

Topics:

 2020 Sunset substances review:

 Alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol

 Aspirin

 Biologics—vaccines

 Electrolytes

 Glycerin

 Phosphoric acid

 Lime, hydrated

 Mineral oil

 Sucrose octanoate esters

 Discussion document: Oxalic acid - petitioned

Subcommittee discusses documents as needed

Board votes if ready

9:30 AM

+ 15 min 

break

Handling Subcommittee (HS) 

Lisa de Lima, Chairperson

Topics:

2020 Sunset substances review:

Calcium carbonate

Flavors

Gellan gum

Oxygen

Potassium chloride

Alginates

Calcium hydroxide

Ethylene

Glycerides (mono and di)

Magnesium stearate

Phosphoric acid

Potassium carbonate

Sulfur dioxide

Xanthan gum

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

Gums: Arabic, Carob bean, Guar, Locust bean

Lecithin - de-oiled

Tragacanth gum

 Proposal: Sodium chlorite for the generation of chlorine dioxide gas - petitioned 

 Proposal: Silver dihydrogen citrate - petitioned 

 Proposal: Japones pepper - petitioned 

 Proposal: Ethiopian pepper - petitioned 

 Proposal: Tamarind seed gum - petitioned 

 Discussion document: Pullulan - petitioned

 Discussion document: Collagen gel (casing) - petitioned

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready 
 

 Revised: 10/12/2018 – subject to change FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 201

8

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:45 PM

+ 15 min 

break 

midway

Crops Subcommittee (CS)

Steve Ela, Chairperson

Topics: 

2020 Sunset substances review:

Alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol 

Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate 

Newspaper or other recycled paper

Plastic mulch and covers 

Aqueous potassium silicate 

Elemental sulfur

Lime sulfur 

Sucrose octanoate esters 

Hydrated lime 

Liquid fish products 

Sulfurous acid 

Ethylene 

Microcrystalline cheesewax 

Potassium chloride 

Proposal: Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) - petitioned

Proposal: Sodium citrate - petitioned

Proposal: Natamycin - petitioned

Proposal: Strengthening the organic seed guidance October 2018

Discussion document: Ammonium citrate and Ammonium glycinate - petitioned 

Discussion document: Calcium acetate - petitioned

Discussion document: Paper pots - petitioned

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

4:00 PM Deferred proposals/Final votes 

4:15 PM NOSB work agendas/Materials update

4:30 PM Officer Elections 

4:45 PM Other business and closing remarks

5:00 PM ADJOURN