Regs on Organic Food Ingredients

The USDA issued the final rule on organic food standards in December 2000. Under the rule, a food product can be placed into one of three categories: 100% organic, organic, or made with specified organic ingredients. Natural flavorings can be used in the last two categories, but not in food products claiming to be 100% organic. They must also come from "nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative."

The use of other functional additives is restricted, as well. Many familiar ingredients do not appear on the list, or have restrictions. For example, citric acid must be "produced by microbial fermentation of carbohydrate substances," cornstarch must be "native," and gums must be "water extracted only (arabic, guar locust bean, carob bean)."

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These ingredients appear on "The National List" which delineates allowed and prohibited substances. For other ingredients to be allowed in organic foods, a petition process must be undertaken. USDA's National Organic Program's website provides information on the National List in the final rule, its petition process and a list of substances for which petitions have been submitted. This "petitioned" list provides information on when the petition was submitted, who made the petition, what the substance is to be used for and the results of the materials review.

See www.ams.usda.gov/nop.>