Please see below for an important correction regarding colors in organic processed products and an article on the organic certification cost share programs. 

The National Organic Program (NOP) recently published a final rule which renewed the use of specified allowed or prohibited substances in organic agriculture.   

During this renewal process, the NOP clarified the use of colors in organic processed products. If the organic form is not commercially available, the USDA organic regulations allow the use of 19 non-organic colors that meet specific criteria.

However, the list of these 19 specific colors was mistakenly omitted. A technical correction, published in the Federal Register today, updates the USDA organic regulations to again detail which non-organic colors may be used.

Do you have organic certification expenses? The USDA organic cost share programs make certification more affordable by reimbursing producers and handlers for as much as 75 percent--up to a maximum of $750 a year--for their certification costs.

States are currently collecting applications for certification fees incurred from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012. Funds are distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

Organic 101: Organic Certification Cost Share Programs

State Contact Information

The NOP facilitates trade and ensures integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations throughout the world. Learn more.