7 CFR Part 205 - NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM

The National Organic Program (NOP) is announcing the availability of three final guidance documents and one instruction document intended for use by certifying agents and certified operations. The final guidance and instruction documents are entitled as follows: “The Use of Kelp in Organic Livestock Feed (NOP 5027) ; Responding to Results from Pesticide Residue Testing (NOP 2613)”; “Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock in Organic Crop Production (NOP 5029)”; and “Evaluating Allowed Ingredients and Sources of Vitamins and Minerals for Organic Livestock Feed (NOP 5030)”. These final guidance and instruction documents are intended to inform the public of NOP's current thinking on these topics.

This proposed rule would address recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) following their November 2011 and May 2012 meetings. These recommendations pertain to the 2013 Sunset Review of substances on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this proposed rule would continue the allowed uses of multiple synthetic and nonsynthetic substances and the prohibition of one nonsynthetic substance on the National List (along with any restrictive annotations). This proposed rule would also remove one synthetic substance from the National List.

The National Organic Program (NOP) is announcing the availability of three final guidance documents and one instruction document intended for use by certifying agents and certified operations. The final guidance and instruction documents are entitled as follows: “The Use of Kelp in Organic Livestock Feed (NOP 5027) ; Responding to Results from Pesticide Residue Testing (NOP 2613)”; “Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock in Organic Crop Production (NOP 5029)”; and “Evaluating Allowed Ingredients and Sources of Vitamins and Minerals for Organic Livestock Feed (NOP 5030)”. These final guidance and instruction documents are intended to inform the public of NOP's current thinking on these topics.

This proposed rule would amend the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) to address recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on November 5, 2009, and December 2, 2011. One recommendation addressed in this proposed rule pertains to amending the annotations for two exemptions (uses) for peracetic acid in organic crop production. Additional NOSB recommendations addressed in this proposed rule pertain to changing the annotations for three substances, potassium hydroxide, silicon dioxide, and beta-carotene extract color, which are currently allowed for use in organic handling. This proposed rule would also address the NOSB recommendation to remove the allowance on the National List for the use of nonorganic annatto extract color in organic handling.