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OMRI Awarded $100,000 Contract to Conduct Technical Reviews for Organic Farming and Processing MaterialsOctober 3, 2000For immediate release
Contact: Kathleen Downey
EUGENE, OR-The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) has been awarded a $100,000 contract for consulting services from the United States Department of Agriculture. Under the terms of the order, OMRI will compile 50 technical reviews of substances under consideration for inclusion on or removal from the National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances for organic farming and processing. The technical reviews, known as Technical Advisory Panel or TAP reviews, will take place during the federal government's 2001 fiscal year, beginning October 1, 2000, and ending September 30, 2001.
"Conducting these scientific reviews is fully in keeping with OMRI's mission of providing independent, high-quality reviews of materials and processes in order to preserve the integrity of the organic label," says Kathleen Downey, executive director of OMRI. "Organic certification standards must remain current and every material or process petitioned for use must be examined carefully."
"OMRI is honored to do this important work for the organic industry and will endeavor to do an excellent job," adds Bill Wolf, president of the OMRI board of directors and president of Wolf & Associates of New Castle, Va. "Under the new, stricter National Organic Program rules, every synthetic compound that is used in organic production must be reviewed. This is a great start on very essential work."
TAP reviews consist of scientific analysis and evaluation of substances that have been petitioned for inclusion on (or removal from) the National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances. The National List is a master list, mandated by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which catalogs substances allowed or prohibited in organic farming and processing. The list will be published by the National Organic Program of the Agricultural Marketing Services division of the USDA as part of the final version of federal organic certification standards, and is essential to their implementation.
OMRI, which has previously completed 16 TAP reviews for the NOSB and the National Organic Program, will gather technical background information, create databases, and secure three or more TAP reviewers for each material to be evaluated. The reviewers represent a geographical cross-section with professional expertise pertinent to the substance under review, and are independent of the manufacturers of the considered materials to prevent undue influence over any portion of the review process or the National List.
On completion of the TAP review process, OMRI will recommend a status for each reviewed substance to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a federal advisory board which provides policy advice in carrying out the National Organic Program. The NOSB, in turn, uses information from TAP reviews and other sources to submit recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture about materials on the National List.
The Organic Materials Review Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization that provides professional, independent, and transparent
review of materials and compatible processes allowed to produce, process,
and handle organic food and fiber. For more on the TAP review process or
OMRI's mission, visit www.omri.org. To learn more about the National
Organic Program, go to www.ams.usda.gov/nop/.
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