NOSB to Consider BPA Ban for Organic Food Packaging

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program has
announced a public meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
on October 28-30, 2014, in Louisville, Kentucky. The meeting will include
recommendations from the board’s six subcommittees on a wide range of
topics, including “substances petitioned to the National List of Allowed and
Prohibited Substances (National List), substances on the National List that
require NOSB review before their 2015 and 2016 sunset dates, updates from
working groups on technical issues, and amendments to guidance on
organic policies.”

In particular, the Handling Subcommittee intends “to take up the issue of
whether to prohibit BPA [bisphenol A] in packaging material used for organic
foods in light of mounting evidence that it may be harmful.” To this end, NOSB
plans to prioritize research dedicated to finding “suitable alternatives for the
linings of cans used for various organic products such as tomatoes, beans and
soups.” See Federal Register, September 8, 2014.

Issue 537