National Organic Program Issues a Memo to the NOSB

Date
May 11, 2016

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) has issued a memo to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a citizen advisory committee appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, requesting that the NOSB review the use of certain animal manure products as fertilizers in organic crop production.

The NOP previously published guidance on using processed manure (heated and dried manure) that meets microbial reduction standards without an intervening period between application and harvest. In light of recent inquiries from fertilizer manufacturers, the NOP is asking the NOSB to review manure products that do not fit within the previous guidance, including heat treated liquid manure products and anaerobic digestate products made with manure feedstock.  In considering this topic and making any recommendation to AMS regarding treated manure products in organic production, the NOP requests that the NOSB take into account new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) at 21 CFR Part 112.

View the Memo to the NOSB.

This notice was also published in the USDA Organic Insider.

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