February 22, 2023
OMRI Generic Materials List Update
Dear stakeholder,

OMRI has revised the OMRI Generic Materials List© (GML) for review to the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. These revisions align OMRI’s standards with the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) at 7 CFR §§205.601–606, which was updated on December 21, 2022, as reported in a Federal Register notice.

Additional revisions were made in response to needed edit requests, and are described below. All revisions are effective today, February 22, 2023. 

You may use this link to access the OMRI Generic Materials List addendum for use in conjunction with the 2022 OMRI Standards Manual©. The search feature at OMRI.org has also been updated with the latest information.

A Federal Register notice reported the NOP’s intention to update the National List on December 21, 2022. These updates were based on recommendations submitted by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to the Secretary of Agriculture in October 2020 and April 2021. In response, OMRI has either edited or created the following GML categories: 

USDA National List updates

  • Paper-based crop planting aid (Class CT): Created a new Allowed category. The creation of this category now allows OMRI to review and add to the OMRI Products List© paper-based planting aids that meet the standard.

  • Low-acyl gellan gum (Class PN): Created a new Allowed category.

  • Wood Rosin (Class PN): Amended the category name from “Wood Resin” to “Wood Rosin.”


Further revisions to the GML not related to the National List update are also being implemented. These include: 

  • Pollinator Attractants (Class CT): Created a new Allowed category to communicate the compliance criteria of pollinator attractants composed of nonsynthetic substances not prohibited at §205.602.

  • Aquatic Plant Products (Class CF); Aquatic Plant Products, synthetically extracted (Class CF): Amended categories to include allowance for synthetic stabilizers (e.g., Vitamin C and E) allowed per §205.601(j).

  • Fertilizers, Blended with micronutrients (Class CF): Amended the restriction to alert end users and OMRI staff that products in this category must also be listed in additional GML categories that convey the identity of individual synthetic plant micronutrients.
 
xxxxxxBackground: OMRI has worked over the last four years to move to a system xxxxxxwhere identification of synthetic plant micronutrients on product labels is no xxxxxxlonger the singular method for conveying to the public which micronutrients xxxxxxare present in a product and therefore must be held to the use restriction xxxxxxpublished in the National List at §205.601(j). Instead of label declarations, xxxxxxthis new system will rely on the use of GML categories as the singular xxxxxxmethod to communicate the identity of synthetic micronutrients.
 
  • Micronutrients (Class CF): Created an education-only category.

  • Mushroom Media Waste (Class CF): Amended the annotation to clarify that compliant mushroom media waste must carry a GML status of “Allowed.”

  • Worm Castings (Class CF): Amended the annotation to clarify that compliant worm castings are “made from allowed feedstocks.”

  • Peracetic Acid/Peroxyacetic Acid (Class CT): Amended the annotation to align with the CP category of the same name.

  • Seed Treatments (Class CT, Prohibited): Amended the annotation to eliminate the reference to genetically modified seed, as standards for seeds are separate from those for seed treatments.

  • Seed Treatments (Class CP): Amended the category to communicate the type of Allowed inert ingredients.

  • Seed Treatments (Class CT): Created an educational category to provide information on Prohibited seed treatments; redirects to the relevant, restricted seed treatment materials.

  • Mulch, Plastic (Class CP): Amended the category to include an additional rule reference to the Crop, Pest, Weed, and Disease Management standard.

  • Pheromones (Class CP): Amended the category to clarify that the term “substances” in the annotation is a reference to inert ingredients.

  • Fungicides (Class CP): Amended the category to clarify that the post-harvest handling restriction is separate from the generic pesticide restriction.

  • Adjuvants, for use in passive pheromone dispensers (Class CP): Amended the category to include the EPA List 4 Inerts as permitted.

  • Ethylene Gas (Class CP): Amended the category to add details on the requirements for inert ingredient review.

  • Potassium Tartrate (Class PN): Archived the category to reflect removal from the National List.

  • Smoke Flavorings (Class PN): Amended the category to redirect only to Flavors (Class PN).

  • Tannic Acid (Class PA/PN): Amended the category to remove the PA class and make the category educational-only.

  • Tannic Acid (Class PA): Created an educational-only category.

  • Microorganisms (Class LF): Amended the category to remove restriction language related to active health care ingredients.

  • Phosphoric Acid (Class LT): Amended the category to remove the restriction related to non-National List cleaners and replace it with a restriction related to the specific use of the substance in the LT class.
 
OMRI is now working to update product listings impacted by these changes. Changes to the status or restrictions for OMRI Listed products will be communicated to subscribers via the regular quarterly updates. 
Sincerely,

Technical Director
(541) 343-7600, ext. 113
OMRI encourages organic producers, certifiers and gardeners to verify product listing status and usage at OMRI.org. By verifying product information using OMRI’s web search or checking product certificates, we can all do our part to protect organic integrity.
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