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What are elemental sulfur and sulfurous acid? How are they allowed for use in organic farming?
By Cesar Cartagena
Sulfur is the fifth most common element on Earth when measured according to mass. “Elemental sulfur” refers to the chemically simple form that is not combined with other elements in compounds (e.g., sulfates, sulfites or sulfur dioxide). Since sulfur is so abundant, the extraction of pure sulfur from volcanic regions was the primary method for production in the United States until the late 20th century....
by Brice Crayne
Organic farming often depends on some smelly products, such as manure and fish emulsion, for several functions such as increasing soil fertility, reducing municipal wastes and supporting animal waste management. What is it that makes these materials unappealing to our sense of smell? Ammonia (NH₃) and methane (CH₄) are two of the most common compounds emitted during the microbial breakdown of organic compounds that are instinctually unappealing to humans. Imagine a barn with 10,000 laying hens…that’s a lot of poop!...
By Jarod Rhoades
In the world of rocks, there is perhaps no other mineral with more names than silica. Quartz, jasper, amethyst, chert, flint, citrine, chalcedony and tridymite are just a sampling of the many varieties of silica that can be found on the Earth’s surface, and those are just the crystalline forms. Silica (known as SiO2 to chemists – silicon dioxide) is the second most common mineral in the crust of the planet.
It is quite common to see a reference to crystalline silica on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for a mined...
I see AAFCO referenced in the OMRI Generic Materials List© (GML), but how exactly does OMRI use the AAFCO publication in product reviews?
Doug Currier
The Association of American Feed Control Official’s (AAFCO) annual publication is referenced throughout OMRI’s Generic Materials List (GML) and is a cornerstone resource when reviewing livestock feed additives and supplements for use in organic production. From the definitions it provides to the list of approved livestock feed additives, the AAFCO publication is an...
What are the NOP standards for injectable vitamins? Does OMRI allow them?
By Amber Lippert
Vitamins are given to livestock orally, in feed, or as an injection. Some injectable vitamins are registered as drugs, while most non-injectable vitamins are used as additives in formulated feeds or diluted and offered free choice. The intended purpose of a vitamin product, such as whether it is meant to be fed daily or only in times of stress, makes a difference when it comes to the organic standards. Vitamins available on the...
What processing aids can be used as fining agents to remove skins and other solids from organic wine?
By Brian Baker
As a general rule, to make organic wine, the fining agents need to be certified organic or on the National List, either at 205.605 or 205.606. Organic egg whites are one option. Other options would be to use bentonite clay or diatomaceous earth, both of which are on 205.605(a). Silicon dioxide is also on the National List at 205.605(b). Gelatin is on 205.606 and may be used from an organic source or a...
What is Flux-Calcined Diatomaceous Earth, and is it allowed for use in organic production?
By Gwynn Sawyer Ostrom
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the fossilized remains (skeletons) of single-celled aquatic algae called diatoms. A mineral compound, DE is found in exposed ancient lake and ocean beds, and can be mined and processed in several ways. It is typically classified into three grades: a natural grade, a calcined grade, and a flux-calcined grade. Once graded, DE can be used in a variety of ways including as a filtration...
What is electrolyzed water, and is it allowed for organic processing?
By Daniel Nguyen
Electrolyzed water, sometimes referred to as electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water), is a sanitizing solution conventionally used to reduce microbial contamination on both food contact and non-food contact surfaces. Unlike many other commercial sanitizers, electrolyzed water solutions are usually generated on-site with specially designed electrolyzed water generating devices.
An electrolyzed water solution is generated by...
How does OMRI address the commercial availability requirements for inputs reviewed to the Canada Organic Regime (COR) regulations?
By Nick Stansbury
CAN/CGSB 32.310 and 32.311 ensure there is a preference for the use of certified organic materials when commercially available. Clause 3 of CAN/CGSB 32.310 defines the term “commercially available” as the “documented ability to obtain a production input or an ingredient in an appropriate form, quality, quantity or variety, irrespective of cost, in order to fulfil an...
Are there restrictions on the use of natural sources of methionine, or is only synthetic methionine restricted?
By Annie Amos
Methionine is an essential amino acid necessary for poultry growth and feathering. Poultry can not produce it biologically, so it must be obtained through diet. Birds can get methionine from natural sources including whole wheat, oats, alfalfa, fish meal, earthworms and sunflower meal, or from a synthetic additive.
The National Organic Program (NOP) regulations allow three forms of...
