Pectin

What should I look for in a compliant pectin?

By Doug Currier

Pectin, the gelling agent that provides us with jams and marmalades, has appeared on the National List in different places over the years. In the past, pectin (low-methoxy) was listed as an allowed synthetic, nonagricultural ingredient at §205.605(b) while pectin (high-methoxy) was listed at §205.606. In response to a petition filed in 2005, the NOSB Handling Committee recommended in October 2010 that pectin (low methoxy) be removed from §205.605(b) and the listing as an allowed nonsynthetic at §205.606 of pectin (high methoxy) be changed to read “Pectin-non-amidated sources only.” These recommendations were implemented on the National List in 2012. So what exactly does “non-amidated” mean?

Amidated versus non-amidated refers to how the pectin is processed and manufactured. Pectins are extracted using acidic aqueous solution from fruits such as apples, oranges and other citrus fruits and are considered nonsynthetic. D-galacturonic acid is the principal monosaccharide unit that links pectin’s polysaccharide structure together. When pectin is amidated, ammonia (ammonia hydroxide) is used instead of an acidic aqueous solution and galacturonic acid is converted to carboxylic acid amide, thus changing the structure of the material. Using ammonia to change the structure of pectin renders the pectin synthetic. Synthetic, amidated pectin is specifically prohibited on the National List for use in or on organic produce.

What is allowed in organic production is pectin, non-amidated, which now includes both low and high methoxy pectin. The “low” and “high” denotations refer to the percentage of esterfied galacturonic acid where more than 50% esterfied galacturonic acid is high and below 50% is low. It is important when sourcing compliant pectin to ensure that it is from non-amidated source. This can be accomplished by comparing CAS numbers. For example, amidated pectin is assigned the CAS#56645-02-4. It is also important to remember that all agricultural ingredients listed at §205.606 have the commercial availability restriction, meaning that they can be used only if certified organic ingredients are not commercially available.

Revised and updated in August 2017 by OMRI Technical Director Johanna Mirenda. This article was originally published in the Spring 2013 edition of the OMRI Materials Review newsletter.