NOTE: Recommendations made by the NOSB are not official policy until they are approved and adopted by USDA.
Subcommittees. The NOSB’s six Subcommittees-Crops; Livestock; Handling; Materials; Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification; and Policy-meet between public meetings to develop recommendations to proposals for the full NOSB’s consideration.
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Substance Review. The NOSB advises USDA on which substances should be allowed or prohibited in organic farming and processing, based on criteria under the Organic Foods Production Act. In general, synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically allowed (e.g. vaccines) and non-synthetic substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited (e.g. arsenic). The NOSB must also review each substance on the
National List every five years to confirm that it continues to meet all required criteria; this is referred to as the “sunset” review.
Meetings. The NOSB meets twice per year in a public forum to discuss the issues and vote on their final recommendations. The NOSB values transparency and public input, inviting both advance written and in-person oral public comments to gain additional perspectives on their recommendations. All meetings are free and open to the public.
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