> TAP Review
> The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) of the US Department of
Agriculture
> referred the following materials to the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) for
> review the following substances to include on the National List of
materials
> allowed for use in organic production, processing, and handling:
>
> Crops
> Amino Acids
> Ethylene used with activated charcoal for fruit induction in pineapple
> production
> Potassium bicarbonate for disease control
>
> Livestock
> Amino Acids as feed additives
> Chlorohexidine as a teat dip
> Enzymes as feed additives
> Glycerin as a topical antiseptic
> Lanolin cream as a topical antiseptic
> Parasiticides, including Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, and Levamisole
> Phosphoric Acid as a sanitizer
>
> Processing and Handling
> Amino Acids
> Enzymes, plant and yeast
> Ethylene gas for use on tropical dried fruit
> Magnesium Chloride (clarify 'refined' and 'unrefined')
> Waxes, including shellac, beeswax, and ammonium soaps
>
> OMRI has been contracted by the USDA to review the materials listed above.
OMRI
> staff is managing the TAP process, and asks for scientific and technical
> supporting documentation scientific studies that help determine whether or
not
> a given product is synthetic, and address the OFPA criteria.
>
> For plant crop and livestock production, the NOSB will consider the
following
> criteria:
> (1) the potential of such substances for detrimental chemical
interactions
> with other materials used in organic farming systems;
> (2) the toxicity and mode of action of the substance and of its
breakdown
> products or any contaminants, and their persistence and areas of
concentration
> in the environment;
> (3) the probability of environmental contamination during manufacture,
use,
> misuse or disposal of such substance;
> (4) the effect of the substance on human health;
> (5) the effects of the substance on biological and chemical
interactions in
> the agroecosystem, including the physiological effects of the substance on
soil
> organisms (including the salt index and solubility of the soil), crops and
> livestock;
> (6) the alternatives to using the substance in terms of practices or
other
> available materials; and
> (7) its compatibility with a system of sustainable agriculture.
>
>
>
> For materials used in post-harvest handling and processing, the NOSB will
> consider synthetic processing aids and adjuvants against the following
> criteria:
> (1) An equivalent substance cannot be produced from a natural source
> and has
> no substitutes that are organic ingredients.
>
> (2) Its manufacture, use and disposal does not contaminate the
environment.
>
> (3) If the nutritional quality of the food is maintained and the
material
> itself or its breakdown products do not have any adverse effect on human
> health.
>
> (4) Is not a preservative or used only to recreate/improve flavors,
colors,
> textures, or nutritive value lost during processing except in the latter
case
> as required by law.
>
> (5) Is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by FDA when used in
accordance
> with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and contains no residues of
heavy
> metals or other contaminants in excess of the tolerances established by
FDA.
>
> (6) Is compatible with the principles of organic handling.
>
> (7) There is no other way to produce a similar product without its use
and
> it is used in the minimum quantity required to achieve the process.
>
>
>
> Please email any technical references or appropriate studies on the above
> materials to info@omri.org or mail information to OMRI at P.O. Box 11558,
> Eugene, OR 97440-3758 by August 3. Please do not call. OMRI is not seeking
> opinions, anecdotes, testimonials, or economic data, and this is not a
public
> comment period for these materials. OMRI is seeking scientific studies and
> technical information that will help the NOSB make recommendations based
on
> consideration of the above criteria. Members of the public may want to
engage
> in a dialog about the above materials through various channels.
>
> Selected data will be provided to reviewers who will provide their
comments and
> suggestions. OMRI staff will add their feedback, then send the TAP reviews
to
> the USDA in time to be included in the NOSB's Fall meeting agenda,
tentatively
> scheduled for October 25-27.
>
>
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