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What alternatives to antibiotics exist for the control of fire blight on fruits such as apple and pear in organic production?
By Amber Lippert
If you grow pome fruits (such as apple, pear, and quince), chances are you know about fire blight. This destructive disease is caused by a bacterium, Erwinia amylovora, which forms cankers that can kill branches and tree trunks. Bacterial “ooze” infects flower blossoms and new shoots, and subsequently spreads into woody tissues. The bacteria can also be spread by...
Is charcoal allowed as a soil amendment in organic farming?
The answer depends on how the charcoal is made. If the charcoal is produced by burning untreated plants or animals, then the charcoal would be permitted as a soil amendment on organic farms. Guidance NOP 5034-1, Materials for Organic Crop Production lists biochar as an allowed nonsynthetic substance. Charcoal produced by burning manure, sewage sludge or fossil fuel sources, such as coal, is prohibited.
...What extraction processes and carriers are prohibited and allowed for use in flavors used in organic processing?
Organic standards have additional requirements for flavors beyond what are considered natural flavors used in conventional foods. To begin with, some ingredients that are identified as “natural flavors” are in fact “nature identical” substances that are synthetic, such as ethyl citrate. These are not the same as true nonsynthetic flavors.
Natural flavors may contain synthetic solvents, carriers and...
Are genetically modified substrates or growth media permitted in organic production under the Canadian organic standards?
By Shannon McCormick
Genetically modified substrate or growth media are allowed in Canadian organic production only if the material is removed first from the permitted substance, and if a non-genetically modified alternative is not commercially available. (Consumption, and physical methods such as filtration or centrifugation, are examples of generally accepted events which separate or...
What is insect frass and how does OMRI review it?
By Tara Sistrunk
Insect frass is debris or excrement from larvae and mature insects. Similar to the production of worm castings, frass is produced by introducing larvae or mature insects to feedstocks such as food scraps or grains, and then allowing them to grow. Larvae or mature insects are then separated from their excrement, which is...
What is EDDI, and why is it used? Can it be used as a feed additive for organic cows?
EDDI stands for ethylenediamine dihydriodide, a synthetic feed additive. EDDI is also used for therapeutic purposes and administered subtherapeutically for the claimed prevention of certain diseases. Because it is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in small doses by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and because the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) refers to EDDI as an nutritional source of iodine, OMRI recognizes...
By Tina Jensen Augustine
The use of internal parasiticides in organic livestock production is permitted under the livestock health care practice standard at §205.238 for emergency situations when preventative practices and veterinary biologics have failed to control a parasitic infection. There are two synthetic parasiticides permitted on the National List at §205.603(a): fenbendazole and...
What is sugar (beet) lime, how is it made, and why is it prohibited for use in USDA organic crop production?
Beet sugar refineries typically operate on-site limekilns that burn limestone to produce calcium oxide—also known as burned lime or quick lime. In addition to calcium oxide, carbon dioxide is also produced. Both calcium oxide and carbon dioxide are used in sugar refining processes, and the chemical reaction can be written as follows:
CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2
Cane sugar refining...
What materials are allowed for use as egg cleaners and sanitizers in organic operations?
By Ana Negrete
Adequate sanitation of shell eggs has always been a great concern. The topic gained special attention in 2010, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a voluntary market recall of over 500 million shell eggs that were potentially contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis. As a result, USDA agencies such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) have joined...
What forms of irradiation are prohibited in organic production?
Different kinds of radiation have a variety of functions and purposes. For example, governments may use gamma irradiation to perform non-invasive searches of containers crossing their countries’ borders. X-rays are another commonly used method of inspection. Microwaves used in food preparation emit microwave radiation. Are these methods considered “ionizing radiation,” and therefore prohibited under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) regulations for...
