The National Organic
Standards Board meeting of October 15-17, 2001, was attended by 14 of its 15
members. The absent member was
Marvin Hollen.
THE NOSB ACTED ON THE
FOLLOWING ITEMS AT ITS OCTOBER 15-17, 2001, MEETING:
June 6-7, 2001, Meeting
Minutes -
Approved as amended. Jim Riddle
moved to approve and Willie Lockeretz seconded the motion. (14 in favor, 0 opposed, 0
abstaining)
LIVESTOCK COMMITTEE
ITEMS
Access
to Pasture Recommendation - Approved as amended. Jim Riddle moved to approve and Goldie
Caughlan seconded the motion. (14 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstaining)
Antibiotics in Vaccines and
Semen Recommendation - Approved. Dave Carter moved to approve and Kim
Burton seconded the motion. (14 in favor, 0 opposed, 0
abstaining)
Apiculture
Task Force Recommendations - Approved. George Siemon moved to approve and Owusu
Bandele seconded the motion. (13 in favor, 1 opposed, 0 abstaining)
MATERIALS COMMITTEE
ITEMS
The following materials
were determined to be synthetic and prohibited for use in organic crop
production.
Monocalcium Phosphate
– For the
purpose of conserving nitrogen in the compost pile. (14 synthetic, 0 natural, 0 abstaining; 1
approve, 13 prohibit, 0 abstaining)
Calcium
Chloride –
Non Brine Process is synthetic and prohibited. (14 synthetic, 0 natural, 0 abstaining; 0
approve, 14 prohibit, 0 abstaining)
The following material was
determined to be non-synthetic and prohibited, with annotation, for use in
organic crop production.
Calcium
Chloride -
Brine Process is natural and prohibited for use except as a foliar spray to
treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake. (1 synthetic, 13 natural, 0 abstaining; 2
approve, 12 prohibit, 0 abstaining)
The following material has been determined to be synthetic
and approved for use in organic crop production.
Copper
Sulfate –
NOSB approved amending the existing National List usage to add “…; only with
documented need as an algicide and tadpole shrimp control in aquatic rice
systems; not to exceed one application per field per two year interval; used in
a manner to minimize accumulation of copper in the soil and water systems.” This material was previously determined
to be synthetic. (10 approve, 3 prohibit, 1
abstaining)
The
NOSB reaffirmed its October 26, 1999, vote to allow the use of ethylene for the
post harvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening. Rosie Koenig moved to reaffirm the vote
and Eric Sideman seconded the motion.
(10 in favor, 0 opposed, 4
abstaining). The current
annotation does not allow for degreening.
The recommended amendment to the annotation will be included in the
proposed rule to amend the National List.
The following Livestock
materials have been determined to be synthetic and approved, with annotation,
for use in organic livestock production:
DL-Methionine, DL-Methionine
Hydroxy Analog, and DL-Methionine Hydroxy Analog Calcium – The NOSB determined that
these materials are not consistent with organic agriculture but approved them
for interim use, until October 21, 2005, by the organic poultry industry to
allow the phasing out of their use.
(14 synthetic, 0 natural, 0
abstaining; 14 approve, 0 prohibit, 0 abstaining) The NOSB also voted that if the Office
of General Counsel says no to the shorter sunset date, the material remains
prohibited and the NOSB will reconsider the material at a future meeting.
(8 in favor, 3 opposed, 3 abstaining)
The following materials
were determined to be synthetic and approved for use in organic
processing:
Ammonioum
Hydroxide – For use as boiler water
additive only with removal from the National List October 21, 2005. If the Office of General Counsel says no
to the shorter sunset date, the material remains prohibited. (11 synthetic, 0 natural, 3
abstaining; 10 approve, 1 prohibit, 3 abstaining)
Cyclohexlamine – For use as a boiler water additive for packaging
sterilization only. (11
synthetic, 0 natural, 3 abstaining; 8 approve, 3 prohibit, 3 abstaining)
Octadecylamine – For use as a boiler water additive for packaging
sterilization only. (11
synthetic, 0 natural, 3 abstaining; 8 approve, 3 prohibit, 3 abstaining)
Postassium
Hydroxide – Approved amending the
annotation to read: prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables
except when used for peeling peaches during the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)
production process. This material
was previously determined to be synthetic.
(14 approve, 0 prohibit, 0 abstaining)
Cellulose
– For use in regenerative casings, as an anti-caking agent (non-chlorine
bleached) and filtering aid.
(12 synthetic, 0 natural, 2 abstaining; 10 approve, 0 prohibit, 4
abstaining)
The following materials
were determined to be synthetic and prohibited for use in organic
processing:
Morpholine – The motion, to allow this material for use as a
boiler water additive for packaging sterilization only, failed. (10 synthetic, 0 natural, 4
abstaining; 6 approve, 4 prohibit, 4 abstaining)
Sodium
Phosphates – The motion, to amend
the current annotation by adding formulated with soymilk or dry soymilk
products, failed. The current
annotation remains as published in section 205.605(b)(33). This material was previously determined
to be synthetic. (3 approve,
10 prohibit, 1 abstaining)
The following Processing
materials have been deferred until the May 2002 NOSB meeting:
Diethylaminoethanol
Glycerol
Monooleate
PROCESSING COMMITTEE
ITEMS
No
action items.
CROPS COMMITTEE
ITEMS
Composting - The NOSB approved
creation of a Compost Task Force to address unresolved compost issues. The task force is expected to
recommended additional compose regulations at the NOSB's May 2002
meeting.
Greenhouse
Production Systems Recommendation - Approved as amended. Jim Riddle moved to approve and Steven
Harper seconded the motion. (13 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstaining, 1 absent)
Mushroom
Production Recommendation - Approved as amended. Eric Sideman moved to approve and George
Siemon seconded the motion. (11 in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstaining, 1 absent)
ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE
ITEMS
Principles
of Organic Production and Handling Recommendation - Approved. Dave Carter moved to approve and Jim Riddle
seconded the motion. (13 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstaining, 1 absent)
Small Farmer Exemption
Recommendation - Approved. Jim Riddle moved to approve and Becky
Goldburg seconded the motion. (13 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstaining, 1
absent)
Enclosed in a Container
requirement for Exclusion of Handler - No vote due to withdrawal
of the item by the Accreditation Committee.
Certification of Private
Label Products Recommendation - Approved as amended. Jim Riddle moved to approve and
Kim Burton seconded the motion. (12 in favor, 1 opposed, 0 abstaining, 1
absent)
AQUATIC WORKING GROUP
ITEMS
Aquatic
Animal Task Force Recommendations - The NOSB accepted the report
of the aquatic animal task force and approved the following recommend:
1.
No
standards be developed for wild caught aquatic animals;
2.
Standards be developed for
the production of farmed aquatic animals that reflect an innovative approach to
organic certification while remaining fully consistent with the statutory
requirements of the Organic Foods Production Act; and
3.
If
standards are developed for farmed aquatic animals, we recommend that the
National Organic Program and the National Organic Standards Board use the
aquatic animal task force report as guidance.
Eric Sideman moved to
approve and Willie Lockeretz seconded the motion. (14 in favor, 0 opposed, 0
abstaining)
Dave Carter was elected
Chairperson.
Jim
Riddle was elected Vice-Chairperson.
The
position of Secretary will be filled at a later date.
THE NEXT NOSB
MEETING
The next NOSB meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 7-9, 2002, in Austin, Texas.