Agricultural Marketing Service January 13, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces draft guidance for the organic industry to address the labeling, composition of and use of percentage statements in ``made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups).'' Specifically, the draft guidance addresses (1) the use of non-organic ingredients in ``made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups)'' products, and (2) the use of statements about the percentage of organic ingredients within the ``made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups)'' labeling category. The guidance explains the policy of the National Organic Program (NOP) concerning the portions of the regulations in question, referenced herein. The NOP invites organic producers, handlers, certifying agents, consumers and other interested parties to submit comments about these guidance provisions. A notice of availability of final guidance on this topic will be issued upon its final approval. Once finalized, this guidance document will be available from the NOP through ``The Program Handbook: Guidance and Instructions for Accredited Certifying Agents (ACAs) and Certified Operations.'' This Handbook provides those who own, manage, or certify organic operations with guidance and instructions that can assist them in complying with the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. The current edition of the Program Handbook is available online at https://www.ams.usda.gov/nop or in print upon request.