The National Organic Program (NOP) has issued significant policy updates regarding how to calculate organic content of products (NOP 5037) and how to classify materials (NOP 5033) as agricultural or non-agricultural and as synthetic or non-synthetic.
We encourage all our NOP handler clients to read these documents and assess what, if any, changes need to be made to product formulations.
Updates for NOP 5037, Calculating Organic Content
This new guidance explains how to:
- Calculate organic percentages of multi-ingredient ingredients used in organic processed products
- Determine the organic content of single-ingredient ingredients (raw or processed)
- Exclude water from the calculation of ingredients used in organic processed products
- Calculate the organic content of carbonated beverages
- Exclude salt from ingredients used in organic processed products
The updates also include an Excel calculation worksheet and examples of how to complete the form for different types of products containing multi-ingredient ingredients.
NOP 5037 is in the draft guidance stage and you can submit comments to AIAInBox@ams.usda.gov through February 6, 2017.
Updates for NOP 5033, Classifying Materials
Updates to NOP 5033 include decision trees for classifying materials as:
- Synthetic or non-synthetic
- Agricultural or non-agricultural for organic livestock production or handing