Precautions
1. Any substances used in an organic system for soil fertilization and conditioning, pest and disease control, for the health of livestock and quality of the animal products, or for preparation, preservation and storage of the food product should comply with the relevant national regulations.
2. Conditions for use of certain substances contained in the following lists may be specified by the certification body or authority, e.g. volume, frequency of application, specific purpose, etc.
3. Where substances are required for primary production they should be used with care and with the knowledge that even permitted substances may be subject to misuse and may alter the ecosystem of the soil or farm.
4. The following lists do not attempt to be all inclusive or exclusive, or a finite regulatory tool but rather provide advice to governments on internationally agreed inputs. A system of review criteria as detailed in Section 5 of these Guidelines for products to be considered by national governments should be the primary determinant for acceptability or rejection of substances.
TABLE 1: SUBSTANCES FOR USE IN SOIL FERTILIZING AND CONDITIONING
Substances |
Description, compositional requirements, an conditions of
use |
Farmyard and poultry manure |
Need recognized by certification body or authority if not
sourced from organic production systems. Factory
farming20 sources not permitted. |
Slurry or urine |
If not from organic sources, need recognized by inspection
body. Preferably after controlled fermentation and/or appropriate dilution.
Factory farming sources not permitted |
Composted animal excrements, including poultry |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority |
Manure and composted farmyard manure |
Factory farming sources not permitted. |
Dried farmyard manure and dehydrated poultry manure |
Need recognized by the certification body or authority.
Factory farming sources not permitted. |
Guano |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Straw |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Compost and spent mushroom and Vermiculite substrate |
Need recognized by the certification body or authority. The
initial composition of the substrate must be limited to the products on this
list. |
Compost from organic household refuse |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Compost from plant residues |
- |
Processed animal products from slaughterhouses & fish
industries |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
By-products of food & textile industries |
Not treated with synthetic additives. Need recognized by the
certification body or authority. |
Seaweeds and seaweed products |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Sawdust, bark and wood waste |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Wood ash |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Natural phosphate rock. |
Need recognized by the certification body or authority.
Cadmium should not exceed90mg/kg P205 |
Basic slag |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Rock potash, mined potassium salts(e.g. kainite,
sylvinite) |
Less than 60% chlorine |
Sulphate of potash (e.g. patenkali) |
Obtained by physical procedures but not enriched by chemical
processes to increase its solubility. Need recognized by the certification body
or authority. |
Calcium carbonate of natural origin(e.g. chalk, marl, marl,
limestone, phosphate chalk) |
- |
Magnesium rock |
- |
Calcareous magnesium rock |
- |
Epsom salt (magnesium-sulphate) |
- |
Gypsum (calcium sulphate) |
- |
Stillage and stillage extract |
Ammonium stillage excluded |
Sodium chloride |
Only mined salt |
Aluminium calcium phosphate |
Maximum 90 mg/kg P205 |
Trace elements (e.g. boron, copper, iron, manganese,
molybdenum, zinc) |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Sulphur |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Stone meal |
- |
Clay (e.g. bentonite, perlite, zeolite) |
- |
Naturally occurring biological organisms (e.g.
worms) |
- |
Vermiculite |
- |
Peat |
Excluding synthetic additives; permitted for seed, potting
module composts. Other use as recognized by certification body or
authority |
Humus from earthworms and insects |
- |
Zeolites |
- |
Wood charcoal |
- |
Chloride of lime |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority |
Human excrements |
Need recognized by the certification body or authority. If
possible aerated or composted. Not applied to crops intended for human
consumption. |
By-products of the sugar industry(e.g. Vinasse) |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority |
By-products from oil palm, coconut and cocoa (including empty
fruit bunch, palm oil mill effluent(pome), cocoa peat and empty cocoa
pods) |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority |
By-products of industries processing ingredients from organic
agriculture |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority |
20 Factory farming refers to industrial management systems that are heavily reliant on veterinary and feed inputs not permitted in organic agricultureTABLE 2: SUBSTANCES FOR PLANT PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL
Substance |
Description, compositional requirements; and conditions
for use |
I. Plant and Animal |
|
Preparations on basis of pyrethrins extracted from
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, containing possibly a synergist |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Preparations of Rotenone from Derris elliptica,
Lonchocarpus, Thephrosia spp. |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Preparations from Quassia amara |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Preparations from Ryania speciosa |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Preparations of Neem (Azadirachtin) from Azadirachta
indica |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Propolis |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Plant and animal oils |
- |
Seaweed, seaweed meal, seaweed extracts, sea salts and salty
water |
Not chemically treated. |
Gelatine |
- |
Lecithin |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Casein |
- |
Natural acids (e.g. vinegar) |
Need recognized by the certification body or
authority. |
Fermented product from Aspergillus |
- |
Extract from mushroom (Shiitake fungus) |
- |
Extract from Chlorella |
- |
Natural plants preparations, excluding tobacco |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Tobacco tea (except pure nicotine) |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
II. Mineral |
|
Inorganic compounds (Bordeaux mixture, copper hydroxide,
copper oxychloride) |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Burgundy mixture |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Copper salts |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Sulphur |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Mineral powders (stone meal, silicates) |
- |
Diatomaceous earth |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Silicates, clay (Bentonite) |
- |
Sodium silicate |
- |
Sodium bicarbonate |
- |
Potassium permanganate |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Paraffin oil |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
III. Micro organisms used for biological pest
controls |
|
Micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) e.g. Bacillus
thuringiensis, Granulosis virus, etc. |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
IV. Other |
|
Carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Potassium soap (soft soap) |
- |
Ethyl alcohol |
Need recognized by certification body or authority. |
Homeopathic and Ayurvedic preparations |
- |
Herbal and biodynamic preparations |
- |
Sterilized insect males |
Need recognized by certification body or authority |
V. Traps |
|
Pheromone preparations |
|
Preparations on the basis of metaldehyde containing a
repellent to higher animal species and as far as applied in traps. |
Need recognized by certification body or authority |
3.1 Food additives, including carriers
INS |
Name |
Specific conditions |
|
For plant products |
|
170 |
Calcium carbonates |
|
220 |
Sulfur dioxide |
Wine products |
270 |
Lactic acid |
Fermented vegetable products |
290 |
Carbon dioxide |
|
296 |
Malic acid |
|
300 |
Ascorbic acid |
If not available in natural form |
306 |
Tocopherols, mixed natural concentrates |
|
322 |
Lecithin |
Obtained without the use of bleaches and organic
solvents |
330 |
Citric acid |
Fruit and vegetable products |
335 |
Sodium tartrate |
cakes/confectionery |
336 |
Potassium tartrate |
cereals/cakes/confectionery |
341i |
Mono calcium phosphate |
only for raising flour |
400 |
Alginic acid |
- |
401 |
Sodium alginate |
- |
402 |
Potassium alginate |
- |
406 |
Agar |
- |
407 |
Carageenan |
- |
410 |
Locust bean gum |
- |
412 |
Guar gum |
- |
413 |
Tragacanth gum |
- |
414 |
Gum arabic |
Milk, fat and confectionary products |
415 |
Xanthan gum |
Fat products, fruit and vegetables, cakes & biscuits,
salads. |
416 |
Karaya gum |
- |
440 |
Pectins |
- |
500 |
(unmodified)Sodium carbonates |
Cakes & biscuits, confectionery |
501 |
Potassium carbonates |
Cereals/cakes & biscuits/confectionary |
503 |
Ammonium carbonates |
- |
504 |
Magnesium carbonates |
- |
508 |
Potassium chloride |
Frozen fruit and vegetables/canned |
|
|
fruit and vegetables, vegetable sauces/ketchup and
mustard |
509 |
Calcium chloride |
Milk products/fat products/fruits and vegetables/soybean
products |
511 |
Magnesium chloride |
Soy bean products |
516 |
Calcium sulphate |
Cakes & biscuits/soy bean products/bakers yeast.
Carrier |
524 |
Sodium hydroxide |
Cereal products |
938 |
Argon |
- |
941 |
Nitrogen |
- |
948 |
Oxygen |
- |
Substances and products labelled as natural flavouring substances or natural flavouring preparations as defined in General Requirements for Natural Flavourings (CAC/GL 29-1987).
3.3 Water and salts
Drinking water.
Salts (with sodium chloride or potassium chloride as basic components generally used in food processing).
3.4 Preparations of Microorganisms and Enzymes
Any preparations of microorganisms and enzymes normally used in food processing, with the exception of microorganisms genetically engineered/ modified or enzymes derived from genetic engineering.
3.5 Minerals (including trace elements), vitamins, essential fatty and amino acids, and other nitrogen compounds
Only approved in so far as their used is legally required in the food products in which they are incorporated.
For livestock and bee products
The following is a provisional list for the purposes of processing livestock and bee products only. Countries may develop a list of substances for national purposes that satisfy the requirements of these Guidelines as recommended in Section 5.2.
INS |
Name |
Specific conditions |
153 |
Wood Ash |
Traditional cheeses |
170 |
Calcium carbonates |
Milk products. Not as colouring agent. |
270 |
Lactic acid |
Sausage casings |
290 |
Carbon dioxide |
- |
322 |
Lecithin |
Obtained without the use of bleaches or organic solvents. Milk
products/milk based infant food/fat products/mayonnaise. |
331 |
Sodium citrate |
Sausages/pasteurisation of egg whites/milk products |
406 |
Agar |
- |
407 |
Carrageenan |
Milk products |
410 |
Locust bean gum |
Milk products/meat products |
412 |
Guar gum |
Milk products/canned meat/egg products |
413 |
Traganth gum |
- |
414 |
Arabic gum |
Milk products/fat/confectionery |
440 |
Pectin (unmodified) |
Milk products |
509 |
Calcium Chloride |
Milk products/meat products |
938 |
Argon |
- |
941 |
Nitrogen |
- |
948 |
Oxygen |
- |
Substance |
Specific conditions |
For plant products |
|
Water |
- |
Calcium chloride |
coagulation agent |
Calcium carbonate |
- |
Calcium hydroxide |
- |
Calcium sulphate |
coagulation agent |
Magnesium chloride (or |
coagulation agent |
nigari) |
|
Potassium carbonate |
drying of grape raisins |
Carbon dioxide |
- |
Nitrogen |
- |
Ethanol |
solvent |
Tannic acid |
filtration aid |
Egg white albumin |
- |
Casein |
- |
Gelatine |
- |
Isinglass |
- |
Vegetable oils |
greasing or releasing agent |
Silicon dioxide |
as gel or collodial solution |
Activated carbon |
- |
Talc |
- |
Bentonite |
- |
Kaolin |
- |
Diatomaceous earth |
- |
Perlite |
- |
Hazelnut shells |
- |
Beeswax |
releasing agent |
Carnauba wax |
releasing agent |
Sulphuric acid |
pH adjustment of extraction water in sugar
production |
Sodium hydroxide |
pH adjustment in sugar production |
Tartaric acid and salts |
- |
Sodium carbonate |
sugar production |
Preparations of bark components |
- |
Potassium hydroxide |
pH adjustment for sugar processing |
Citric Acid |
pH adjustment |
Any preparations of microorganisms and enzymes normally used as processing aids in food processing, with the exception of genetically engineered/modified organisms and enzymes derived from genetically engineered/modified organisms.
For livestock and bee products
The following is a provisional list for the purposes of processing livestock and bee products only. Countries may develop a list of substances for national purposes that satisfy the requirements of these Guidelines as recommended in Section 5.2.
INS |
Name |
Specific conditions |
|
Calcium arbonates |
- |
|
Calcium Chloride |
Firming, coagulation agent in cheese making. |
|
Kaolin |
Extraction of propolis. |
|
Lactic acid |
Milk products: coagulation agent, pH |
|
|
regulation of salt bath for cheese. |
|
Sodium carbonate |
Milk products: neutralizing substance. |
|
Water |
- |