Lists and Standards

OMRI reviews products for compliance with established standards. These standards are developed and regularly updated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the National Organic Program standards, and by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for the Canada Organic Regime standards. OMRI's two standards manuals describe how OMRI applies these established standards when reviewing inputs for organic use. Both are available for free download using the links provided above, and include an index of materials allowed and prohibited in formulations for organic use.

The National Organic Program (NOP) and Canada Organic Regime (COR) standards are publicly available and maintained by their respective scheme owners (USDA and CFIA). OMRI does not create or change the standards under these certification schemes. For both the USDA and the CFIA, there is a mechanism whereby stakeholders and members of the public can request changes to the standards, and a process for vetting those requests.

When the scheme owners (USDA and CFIA) publish updated standards, OMRI initiates corresponding updates to the appropriate standards manual. Changes are published and implemented, and a notification is sent to affected stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe, with the goal of ensuring that the OMRI Products Lists are as current as possible.

Classes & Categories

OMRI Use Classes and Categories make up our classification system. Some product categories carry restrictions, or limits on how and when a product may be used. Together, the product Use Class, Category, and Restriction describe how the product was reviewed by OMRI.

OMRI Use Classes group products together with similar end uses (how the final product is meant to be used in organic production/processing). Examples of product Use Classes include Crop Fertilizers and Soil Amendments, Livestock Health Care, and Processing Sanitizers and Cleaners.

OMRI Categories provide more detailed classification, referencing the material listing that best fits the product’s description. Examples include “Potting Soil,” “Copper Sulfate” and “Chlorine Materials.”

Restrictions apply to all products in certain categories. There are important qualifications for the use of some materials, and the restriction text ensures that users are aware of these qualifications.

OMRI listing assures the suitability of products for certified organic production, handling, and processing under the following conditions:

• Product use must be in accordance with Use Class and Category, and any restrictions described on the product certificate.
• Some products have multiple uses and multiple use instructions on the label. Users must apply a product according to the instructions or purpose on the label that corresponds with the OMRI Listed class and category. Note that OMRI reviews products for specific uses, and not all uses on a product's label are necessarily compliant for organic systems.
• For certified organic producers and processors, the operator’s organic certifying agent must be informed and always has the final say in whether a given product may be used.
• Both the product and company names on the label must match the information in the OMRI Products List to ensure you are in fact using the correct OMRI Listed product.

The following common sense precautions also apply

• Users are expected to guard against the possibility of environmental contamination and negative ecological impacts.
• It is important to handle products with care for the safety of any individuals in your vicinity.
• Contact the manufacturer to learn more about how to use their product appropriately and any health and/or environmental concerns.

OMRI does not provide any guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, for any products included on the OMRI Products List. It is the user’s responsibility to properly use a product according to applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

OMRI is not responsible for the loss of certification, loss of organic status, or other consequences for failure to comply with organic, legal or certification standards. OMRI assumes no liability or responsibility for delay or denial of organic certification to any third party who has used a material pending OMRI review, or for the subsequent denial or loss of organic certification of a third party that results from the use of a prohibited material.

Verify OMRI Listing

It is important that users of OMRI Listed products check the online search to make sure both product and manufacturer names on the label match the listing in the OMRI Products List, and that the product is currently OMRI Listed.

If you do not find the product you are looking for in the search, and you have reason to believe that the product may be fraudulent, please refer to the instructions below to Report a Product.

What to do if

You find the OMRI seal on a product and want to know more

The OMRI seal is there to let customers know that the product has been reviewed by OMRI, but it is also important to verify the current listing and check for product use restrictions on OMRI.org. The downloadable OMRI Products Lists and the online search are updated nightly with the current listings.

A product with an OMRI seal is not found in the OMRI search

If a product that displays the OMRI seal is not included on the online search, this means that the product may not be currently OMRI Listed. If you’d like to confirm with OMRI staff that the product is no longer listed, or would like to know when the certificate expired, email info@omri.org.

A product that is OMRI Listed does not seem to meet organic standards

If you have found a product that has the OMRI seal and is currently OMRI Listed, but you believe it does not meet organic standards, see our section below to Report a Product.

Report a Product

If a product that is not OMRI Listed is using the OMRI seal, please do reach out to OMRI with a simple email to verify the listing and let us know where you saw the OMRI seal. We will follow up on any potential seal use violations.

If you have evidence that an OMRI Listed product may contain a prohibited substance, we encourage you to submit a formal complaint, which would allow us to investigate any potential non-compliance. In accordance with our confidentiality policies, OMRI staff will not discuss the specifics of any product with anyone who is not an authorized contact for that company. OMRI’s policy regarding complaints can be found at §4.1.3 of the OMRI Policy Manual and is summarized below.

Third party complaints alleging nonconformance of OMRI Listed® products must be submitted in writing and must:

• state that a formal complaint is being registered;
• contain a full explanation of the complaint including dates and names of those individuals, companies, and/or products involved and the specific OMRI policies or standards alleged to have been compromised;
• include supporting evidence, if available;
• state the outcome the complainant is seeking; and
• include the name, contact information, and signature of the complainant.

You may submit a complaint using our Contact Form, or by emailing OMRI directly.

OMRI updates our manuals regularly in response to changes in the standards or other emerging issues in the industry. In addition, OMRI completes a full re-review of the OMRI Policy Manual©, OMRI Standards Manual©, and OMRI Generic Material List© around every two years. The form linked below is provided for stakeholders to offer suggestions for improvement to the design and content of these manuals. Some examples of such feedback could include comments regarding the following aspects of OMRI:

• OMRI's review process
• Legal or contractual requirements
• Organizational structure
• Mechanisms for safeguarding confidentiality
• Methods for ensuring impartiality in decision making
• Compliance with any other component of the ISO 17065 standards
• Suggestions for new listing categories, or changes to OMRI’s current categories
• Suggested edits to OMRI’s Use Class descriptions or standards manual

16PolStanCommentForm1F.pdf