National List Restricts the use of Silicon Dioxide in Organics

As one would expect, production of organic products in the United States is highly regulated in order to protect the interests of consumers. The National Organic Program (NOP) is the group responsible for implementing organic product standards. These standards are contained in the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which identifies the substances that are allowed and disallowed in the production and processing of organic goods. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and USDA regulations prohibit the use of any substances that do not comply with this list.

Nevertheless, as researchers continue to learn more about the ingredients on the National List, changes occasionally need to be made. One such instance regarding five common processing ingredients occurred at the end of May, 2013. The changes were recommended by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and represented public opinion on an initial proposal in February 2013.

One noteworthy part of this amendment involves Silicon Dioxide, a common food additive that can function as an anti-caking or flow agent. While it was previously allowed in all organic products, it is now only allowed as an anti-foaming agent, provided that organic rice hulls are commercially available and are an adequate replacement. This change will go into effect November 3, 2013 and all products must be in compliance by November 3, 2014, which will allow producers sufficient time for reformulation.

RIBUS fully supports this amendment, as it will protect consumers by reducing the amount of synthetic material in organic products. RIBUS is the global leader in sustainable rice-based alternatives to chemical food additives with over 20 years of experience. RIBUS’ patent-pending ingredient Nu-FLOW, derived from organic rice hulls, effectively replaces silicon dioxide in anti-caking or flow applications. What’s more, “Rice Concentrate” on the label sounds a lot better than a chemical!