NOSB Meeting to Address National List Changes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Standards Board
(NOSB) has announced an April 29-May 2, 2014, public meeting in San
Antonio, Texas, to discuss the work of its six subcommittees and receive
input on proposed changes to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited
Substances (National List), which governs what may be used in organic
handling and production.

Among other things, the meeting will address several petitions proposing
the addition, extension or deletion of substances scheduled for reassessment
under the National List’s sunset review rules. In particular, petitioners have
requested (i) a National List extension for streptomycin—slated to expire
October 14, 2014—to allow “adequate time for the transition from strep over
to non-antibiotic, biological alternatives for fire blight control”; (ii) revisions to
provisions governing the use of synthetic methionine in poultry feed; (iii) the
addition of several synthetic substances used in aquaculture production; and
(iv) the removal of synthetic glycerin—which is used in a wide variety of food
products—from the National List now that “there is sufficient quantity of
organically produced glycerin” on the market. NOSB will accept oral comment
requests and written public comments on the agenda topics through April 8.
See Federal Register and NOSB Press Release, March 10, 2014.

Issue 517