OMRI Update on Mushroom and Pet Food Rule
April 1, 2026
In December 2024, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) published the Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food final rule, clarifying the standards for the production of organic mushrooms and organic pet food products. OMRI was prepared to amend our Standards Manual and Generic Materials List in response to these regulatory changes, but paused our efforts when the USDA proposed rescinding the final rule in May 2025.
Many stakeholders in the organic industry, OMRI included, awaited correspondence regarding whether the USDA would retain the new rule or rescind it. With the March 2027 deadline approaching for organic operations to comply with the new rule, and no definitive regulatory announcement regarding the proposed rescission, OMRI has decided, along with the organic industry, to move forward with implementation of revisions to our Standards Manual and Generic Materials List categories by September 2026.
Leading up to implementation, OMRI has published an educational resource here that includes an overview of organic mushroom and pet food production through the lens of input review. This resource describes:
- The basics of the mushroom life cycle and commercial production methods
- The requirements for organic mushroom and pet food production based on the clarified regulations
- OMRI’s criteria for product review under the clarified regulations
- A description of the differences between pets and livestock and what those definitions mean for input product review
We look forward to implementing these new clarified standards later this year and we invite subscribing certifiers or impacted manufacturers to consult this resource as everyone moves towards full implementation of the standard next year. Please feel free to reach out to me to continue the conversation.
Contact Information:
Jarod Rhoades
Standards Manager
(541) 343-7600, ext. 107
