Today, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced revised guidelines for requesting amendments to the National Organic Program’s (NOP) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). AMS also published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of NOP 3011: National List Petition Process.
The National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used and the nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used in organic crop and livestock production. It also identifies a limited number of non-organic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products. Once a substance is on the National List, changes to its listing are initiated through a petition or through the sunset review process. These guidelines implement recommendations made by the National Organic Standards Board and apply to petitions that request an amendment to the National List.
In addition, these guidelines clarify the information to be submitted for all types of petitions requesting amendments to the National List. Public input is critical to the National List process, and this notice clarifies and clearly explains how stakeholders can make their voices heard and petition to change the National List.
This notice and NOP 3011, which is now available as part of the NOP Handbook, replace the previous petition guidelines that were published in the Federal Register on Jan. 18, 2007.
View the Federal Register Notice
View NOP 3011: National List Petition Process