Substances Prohibited from Organic Feed

There is great detail involved in outlining “prohibited substances” and how substances may be used.

Synthetic Substances, for example, are prohibited substances but some are allowed for certain functions on an organic farm. All of these details (allowed and prohibited) are provided by the National Organic Program and the most up to date list can always be found through that organization. Below are the allowed synthetic substances and how they may be used under the organic certification:

1. As algicide, disinfectants, and sanitizer including irrigation system cleaning systems.
   1. Alcohols:
      1. Ethanol
      2.  Isopropanol
   2. Chlorine materials—For pre-harvest use, residual chlorine levels in the water in direct crop contact or as water from cleaning irrigation systems applied to soil must not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act, except that chlorine products may be used in edible sprout production according to EPA label directions.
      1. Calcium hypochlorite
      2. Chlorine dioxide
      3. Sodium hypochlorite
   3. Copper sulfate—for use as an algicide in aquatic rice systems, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to those which do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent.
   4. Hydrogen peroxide.
   5. Ozone gas—for use as an irrigation system cleaner only.
   6. Peracetic acid—for use in disinfecting equipment, seed, and asexually propagated planting material.
   7. Soap-based algicide/demossers.
   8. Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate (CAS #-15630-89-4)—Federal law restricts the use of this substance in food crop production to approved food uses identified on the product label.
2. As herbicides, weed barriers, as applicable.
   1. Herbicides, soap-based—for use in farmstead maintenance (roadways, ditches, right of ways, building perimeters) and ornamental crops.
   2. Mulches
      1. Newspaper or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.
      2. Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC)).
3. As compost feedstocks—Newspapers or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.
4. As animal repellents—Soaps, ammonium—for use as a large animal repellant only, no contact with soil or edible portion of crop
5. As insecticides (including acaricides or mite control)
   1. Ammonium carbonate—for use as bait in insect traps only, no direct contact with crop or soil.
   2. Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #-1312-76-1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand.
   3. Boric acid—structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops.
   4. Copper sulfate—for use as tadpole shrimp control in aquatic rice production, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to levels which do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent.
   5. Elemental sulfur.
   6. Lime sulfur—including calcium polysulfide.
   7. Oils, horticultural—narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils.
   8. Soaps, insecticidal.
   9. Sticky traps/barriers.
   10. Sucrose octanoate esters (CAS #s—42922-74-7; 58064-47-4)—in accordance with approved labeling.
6. As insect management. Pheromones.
7. As rodenticides. Vitamin D3 .
8. As slug or snail bait. Ferric phosphate (CAS # 10045-86-0).
9. As plant disease control.
   1.  Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #-1312-76-1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand.
   2. Coppers, fixed—copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, Provided, That, copper-based materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the soil and shall not be used as herbicides.
   3. Copper sulfate—Substance must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation of copper in the soil.
   4. Hydrated lime.
   5. Hydrogen peroxide.
   6. Lime sulfur.
   7. Oils, horticultural, narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils.
   8. Peracetic acid—for use to control fire blight bacteria.
   9. Potassium bicarbonate.
   10. Elemental sulfur.
   11. Streptomycin, for fire blight control in apples and pears only until October 21, 2014.
   12. Tetracycline, for fire blight control in apples and pears only until October 21, 2014.
10. As plant or soil amendments.
    1.  Aquatic plant extracts (other than hydrolyzed)—Extraction process is limited to the use of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; solvent amount used is limited to that amount necessary for extraction.
    2. Elemental sulfur.
    3. Humic acids—naturally occurring deposits, water and alkali extracts only.
    4. Lignin sulfonate—chelating agent, dust suppressant.
    5. Magnesium sulfate—allowed with a documented soil deficiency.
    6. Micronutrients—not to be used as a defoliant, herbicide, or desiccant. Those made from nitrates or chlorides are not allowed. Soil deficiency must be documented by testing.
       1. Soluble boron products.
       2. Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
    7. Liquid fish products—can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or phosphoric acid. The amount of acid used shall not exceed the minimum needed to lower the pH to 3.5.
    8. Vitamins, B1 , C, and E.
    9. Sulfurous acid (CAS # 7782-99-2) for on-farm generation of substance utilizing 99% purity elemental sulfur per paragraph (j)(2) of this section.
11. As plant growth regulators. Ethylene gas—for regulation of pineapple flowering.
12. As floating agents in postharvest handling.
    1. Lignin sulfonate.
    2. Sodium silicate—for tree fruit and fiber processing.
13. As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or synthetic substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances.
    1. EPA List 4—Inerts of Minimal Concern.
    2. EPA List 3—Inerts of unknown toxicity—for use only in passive pheromone dispensers.
14. Seed preparations. Hydrogen chloride (CAS # 7647-01-0)—for delinting cotton seed for planting.
15. As production aids. Microcrystalline cheesewax (CAS #’s 64742-42-3, 8009-03-08, and 8002-74-2)-for use in log grown mushroom production. Must be made without either ethylene-propylene co-polymer or synthetic colors.

Furthermore, not all non-synthetic substances are allowed in organic crop production:

• Ash from manure burning.
• Arsenic.
• Calcium chloride, brine process is natural and prohibited for use except as a foliar spray to treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake.
• Lead salts.
• Potassium chloride—unless derived from a mined source and applied in a manner that minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil.
• Sodium fluoaluminate (mined).
• Sodium nitrate—unless use is restricted to no more than 20% of the crop’s total nitrogen requirement; use in spirulina production is unrestricted until October 21, 2005.
• Strychnine.
• Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate).

Click here for the most up to date list of allowed and prohibited substances.