The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has filed two petitions with the National Organic Program to amend the national list of substances that can be used in organic production and processing.
The first petition seeks to strengthen the requirement for organic ingredients, while the second aims to remove a non-organic substance from the list.
OTA submitted its requests to change the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, the set of stringent guidelines that the organic industry must abide by, as a result of research that has determined that commercially viable alternatives are now available for both the materials being petitioned.
OTA is petitioning to revise the current rules that allow natural flavors in organic processed products to require organic flavors when commercially available. OTA is also petitioning to remove lignin sulfonate from the list as an allowed flotation agent in post-harvest handling of organic produce.
All of the substances on the national list are required to fulfill three criteria as specified by the Organic Foods Production Act: They are not harmful to human health or the environment; they are essential to and compatible with organic practices; there are no commercially available organic or natural alternatives.
Currently, natural flavors are allowed in certified organic processed foods in the 5 percent non-organic portion, provided they are produced without synthetic solvents, synthetic carriers and artificial preservatives. They must also be made without the use of genetic engineering and irradiation.
Natural flavors have been included on the national list since it was first implemented in 2002. Since that time, however, many organic flavors have been developed and are being successfully used by many companies. The number of organic flavors in the marketplace is now substantial, so OTA is petitioning to revise the current listing of natural flavors to require the use of organic flavors when they are commercially available in the necessary quality, quantity or form.
“OTA supports the rigorous process that has been established for adding or removing materials from the national list,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of OTA. “The process encourages organic stakeholders to be innovative and tenacious to find organic inputs that are most compatible with organic principles. The changes to the national list that OTA is requesting are a result of the organic industry embracing new ideas and blazing new trails. That’s the philosophy behind the national list.”
