USDA Proposes Updates to National List with New Allowed and Prohibited Substances

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Written by Peter Nell on Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The National Organic Program released a proposed rule to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The proposed rule is based off public input and recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board from 2018.

Stakeholders may submit comment on the proposed amendment by December 17, 2019. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov using Docket Number AMS_FRDOC_0001-1913.

The proposed rule would:

  • Allow the use of blood meal made with sodium citrate to be used as a soil amendment
  • Prohibit the use of natamycin in organic crop production
  • Allow tamarind seed gum to be used as a nonorganic ingredient in organic handling when an organic form is not commercially available.

NOSB reviewed natamycin and determined that the use of it as a post-harvest treatment on harvested crops met prohibition criteria because its use could negatively impact human health. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service proposes prohibiting natamycin in organic crop production, including both pre-harvest and post-harvest treatment.

For questions about the proposed rule, contact Robert Pooler, Standards Division, National Organic Program, at (202) 720-3252.