Genetic Engineering and the COR Standards

If a product is OMRI Listed® for use under USDA organic regulations, does that provide sufficient verification of GE status to prove compliance under the COR standards?

By Sarah Peters

The Canadian and U.S. regulations differ in regard to how they address genetic engineering (GE) in organic production. As a result, the OMRI listing of a product for compliant use under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) regulations does not automatically equate to that same material being considered compliant under the Canadian standards. 

OMRI refers to the NOP definitions of genetic engineering at §§205.105 (e) and 205.2 Excluded Methods for review of input materials and processes. For OMRI review to the Canada Organic Regime standards, CAN/CGSB 32.310, subclause 1.4 of the Canadian Organic Standards confirms that materials that result from genetic engineering are not compatible with organic production, and identifies additional specific restrictions within other portions of the regulation (4.1.3, 5.1.2 and 6.2.1 of CAN/CGSB-32.311).

OMRI requires that applicants submit a declaration with each product application, identifying whether the final product or any of its ingredients are produced through genetic engineering. For NOP reviews, OMRI considers corn and cotton to be high-risk ingredients that may require specific genetic engineering declarations from the ingredient manufacturer. In COR reviews, in addition to corn and cotton, OMRI also considers non-organic alfalfa, canola, cotton, papaya (papain), soy (vegetable protein), sugar beets (sugar or molasses), squash, yeast, enzymes and all microorganisms to be high-risk, and thus requires declarations from the ingredient manufacturers. 

OMRI does not accept a GE test in lieu of a signed declaration from the ingredient manufacturers. Processing can occur to the ingredient that would obscure the origins of the material. Organic operators looking to use a new material should always consult their certifier first.

This article first appeared in the summer 2021 edition of the OMRI Materials Review newsletter.