Materials Lists & Material Registration

For more information, e-mail us or call (360) 902-1805.

Materials List and Information

The National Organic Standards require that all certified organic producers, processors and handlers use materials that comply with the applicable part of the Standards [7 CFR Part 205].  The Standards include the National List, which dictates allowed and prohibited substances for use in organic crop and livestock production, as well as allowed non-organic substances allowed in organic food processing and handling. 

The WSDA Organic Program maintains a list of products that we have determined meet the requirements under the National Organic Standards.  The applicants have specifically requested a review of their products, so the list is not a comprehensive list of all materials that are allowed.  WSDA certified organic operators can use products that appear on this list and maintain confidence that the use of these products will not jeopardize certification.  

Under our authority as a USDA accredited certification agency, the WSDA Organic Program has conducted due diligence to determine that the products on the following lists comply with the National Organic Standards (7 CFR Part 205).  WSDA does not provide any guarantee or warranty for materials included on this list, nor offer an endorsement to any product. Quarterly updates are available in the Organic Program Quarterly Report.

If you are certified by a certification agency other than WSDA, check with your certifier prior to the use of any material. 

WSDA Approved Input List  (updated 1/13/2010) (PDF252kb)

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Request for Material Review

**Important Changes to the WSDA Brand Name Registration Program**

The WSDA Organic Program has maintained the Brand Name Material List as a tool for use by organic producers, processors and handlers. The List was comprised of materials that had been reviewed by the Program for compliance with the National Organic Standards.  All materials that appear on the list have a Registration that is valid through October 31, 2009. 

Recently, the Department has determined it needs to seek specific authority from the legislature in order to continue to operate its Material Registration Program. The Department will seek that authority in the 2010 legislative session. In the meantime, the Department cannot accept any renewal applications for 2010 and will refund any fees already submitted for 2010 registration of materials. No new applications for the Brand Name List will be accepted.  Because current product registrations expire on October 31, 2009, the 2009 Brand Name Materials List will no longer be valid after that date.

 In order to minimize industry disruption, the Department will use its ability as an accredited certifying agent (ACA) under the National Organic Program (NOP) (7 CFR 205) for interim product verification to:

1. Conduct due diligence on product(s) to determine compliance with the NOP National Organic Standards.
2. Issue letters to manufacturers of compliant products in order to document Department verification of compliance with the National Organic Standards. Letters verifying compliance with the National Organic Standards will expire on July 1, 2010.
3. Publish a list of products for which WSDA has verified compliance with the National Organic Standards. The list of products for which WSDA has verified compliance with the National Organic Standards will expire on July 1, 2010.

This interim measure is in addition to NOP-required due diligence for material review and is not mandated by NOP. The Department is providing these services on an interim basis as a stop-gap measure and does not have resources to conduct due diligence activities beyond those required by NOP after July 1, 2010. If the legislature grants specific authority to register materials for use in organic production and handling, the Department will reinstitute its Material Registration Program after July 1, 2010.

To complete due diligence review of product compliance, the Department requires the information detailed on the "Request for Review" document below. Product compliance with the National Organic Standards cannot be verified by WSDA without completed forms. 

1. Request for Review of a New Product Application Page (PDF) (263 KB)
    Request for Review Checklist Guidance (PDF) (29 KB)
    Cover letter - for Request for Review of a New Product (PDF) (36KB)
 

2. "Request for Review" of a Product previously approved by the Material Registration Program.

If you have any questions regarding the Material Registration, please contact the WSDA Organic Program at (360) 902-1805 or email organic@agr.wa.gov.

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Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)

In addition to the WSDA Organic Program's list of allowed materials, the Organic Program recognizes the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) Products List. All operators certified by the Organic Program may use the products on this list in their organic system. The OMRI Products List can be found at www.omri.org or a hard copy can be ordered by calling our office at (360) 902-1805.

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in the review of substances for use in organic production, processing, and handling. OMRI's Board of Directors is broadly representative of the industry segments with members distributed among certifiers, farmers, suppliers, processors, handlers, consumer organizations, and animal welfare and environmental groups. OMRI's services are directed to all aspects of the organic industry with a primary focus on the decision makers who deal with the compliance status of generic materials and brand name products. With the OMRI Generic Materials List and OMRI Brand Name Product List, OMRI provides guidance on the suitability of material inputs under the USDA National Organic Program standards.

• Organic Materials Review Institute website

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