Blended Formulations

Why can’t OMRI Listed^® ingredients be blended and marketed as OMRI Listed without undergoing review?

By Amanda Kerr

Only products reviewed by OMRI and determined to be allowed for use in organic production may market themselves as “OMRI Listed.” The OMRI Listed seal assures the suitability of products for certified organic production, handling and processing under the following conditions:

• For certified farmers, the product must be included in the operator’s approved organic system (farm) plan.
• Use of the product must be in accordance with any restrictions described in the OMRI Products List^©, the OMRI Canada Products List^© or the OMRI Mexico Products List^© under the product’s category (or categories).

Any product that has not been reviewed and listed by OMRI may not use the OMRI Listed seal or otherwise market itself as OMRI Listed, even if it consists solely of a blend of OMRI Listed products. There are three specific reasons for this.

The first reason is that the identity and status of OMRI Listed ingredients used in a formulation must be verified during the application process with proof of purchase documentation. An OMRI Listed ingredient must be actively listed, with either Allowed or Allowed with Restrictions status, and be purchased after its OMRI listing date in order to be reviewed as an OMRI Listed product within the formulation.

The second reason a product composed of one or more OMRI Listed products must be reviewed is to ensure that no potentially prohibited substance is formed by combining products. The OMRI Review Program verifies this by considering the final product’s formulation and manufacturing process.

The third reason is to verify that the materials within each OMRI Listed ingredient are allowed for that final product’s intended use. Organic standards are specific with regard to the uses for each material. Materials allowed for one use (such as pest control) may be restricted or prohibited for another use (such as soil fertility). Also, OMRI Listed products reviewed to one standard, such as the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) regulations, may be prohibited under another, such as the Canada Organic Regime standards.

OMRI’s Review Program ensures that listed products have use instructions that are within the scope of organic production, and that any relevant restrictions are communicated to end users. For example, under NOP review, a crop fertilizer that uses an OMRI Listed potassium chloride product as an ingredient will carry the use restriction, “Must be applied in a manner that minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil.”

Ultimately, OMRI evaluates input products for organic compliance based on their formulation and intended use. Therefore, any product seeking OMRI listing must be reviewed for compliance, whether it contains OMRI Listed products or not.  

This article was originally published in the fall 2021 edition of the OMRI Materials Review newsletter, and was revised in February 2024 by Research and Education Manager Peter Bungum.