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EGTOP/2021 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Directorate B. Quality, Research & Innovation, Outreach B.4. Organics Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production EGTOP Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed Final Report The EGTOP discussed this technical report at the plenary meeting of June 16, 2021. Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed - Final Report About the setting up of an independent expert panel for technical advice With the Communication from the Commission to the Council and to the European Parliament on a European action plan for organic food and farming adopted in June 2004, the Commission intended to assess the situation and to lay down the basis for policy development, thereby providing an overall strategic vision for the contribution of organic farming to the common agricultural policy. In particular, the European action plan for organic food and farming recommends, in action 11, establishing an independent expert panel for technical advice. The Commission may need technical advice to decide on the authorisation of the use of products, substances and techniques in organic farming and processing, to develop or improve organic production rules and, more in general, for any other matter relating to the area of organic production. By Commission Decision 2017/C 287/03 of 30 August 2017, the Commission set up the Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production. EGTOP The Group shall provide technical advice on any matter relating to the area of organic production and in particular it must assist the Commission in evaluating products, substances and techniques which can be used in organic production, improving existing rules and developing new production rules and in bringing about an exchange of experience and good practices in the field of organic production. Contact European Commission Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate B: Quality, Research & Innovation, Outreach Unit B4 – Organics Office L130 – 06/148 B-1049 BRUSSELS BELGIUM Functional mailbox: [email protected] The report of the Expert Group presents the views of the independent experts who are members of the Group. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The reports are published by the European Commission in their original language only. http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en 1 Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed - Final Report ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Members of the EGTOP Group are acknowledged for their valuable contribution to this technical advice. The permanent group members attending the meeting of June 16, 2021 are: Katarzyna Daniela BAŃKOWSKA Andrea BESTE María Isabel BLANCO PENEDO Marie BOURIN Giuseppe LEMBO (chair) Patrice MARCHAND Cristina MICHELONI Frank Willem OUDSHOORN Paula QUINTANA FERNÁNDEZ Evangelia SOSSIDOU Werner VOGT-KAUTE The experts attending the subgroup meetings are Lidia ALDEGUER MORALES Franz GOETZFRIED Giuseppe LEMBO (chair) Patrice MARCHAND Louis MERLIN Cristina MICHELONI Andrea SIEBERT Secretariat: Bas Drukker, Denis de Froidmont. All declarations of interest of Permanent Group members are available at the following webpage: www.organic-farming.europa.eu 2 Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed - Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 4 1. TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................ 5 2. CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ........................................................... 7 2.1. General consideration .................................................................................................. 7 2.2. Production rules applicable to organic production of salt ....................................... 7 2.2.1. Scope .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.2. Composition .................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.3. Use of certain products and substances ..................................................................... 8 2.2.4. Cleaning and disinfection products ............................................................................ 8 2.2.5. Practices and restrictions ............................................................................................ 8 2.2.6. Environmental aspects ................................................................................................. 9 2.2.7. Water quality .............................................................................................................. 10 2.2.8. Location ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.9. Conversion rules ......................................................................................................... 10 2.2.10. Organic, in-conversion and non-organic production at the same holding . 11 2.2.11. Misleading nature of products ........................................................................ 11 2.2.12. Obligation of operators .................................................................................... 11 3. ANNEX I - DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT SALT ORIGINS, SALT PRODUCTION METHODS, COMPOSITION AND CONTAMINANTS .......... 12 4. ANNEX II – TABLES AND FIGURES ................................................................... 33 3 Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed - Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In addition to the general production rules laid down in the Regulation (EU) 2018/848, the following rules shall apply to the organic production of food grade salt and salt for feed obtained from the sea, from rock salt deposits, from natural brine or from salt lakes. It does not apply to salt from origins other than those mentioned above, notably to the salt which is a synthetic product of chemical reactions, or is made from effluents from chemical industry, other industries and seawater desalination plants, or is a by-product from potash flotation. Organic salt shall be consisting predominantly of sodium chloride as defined in Codex Alimentarius Standard 150-1985 for food grade salt. By way of derogation, the level of sodium chloride may be lower in case provisions of Union law or provisions of national law compatible with Union law, define this level differently (for example: Salt flower/Fleur de sel/Flor de sal, sal marina virgen, sel gris, sal marinho tradicional). Food and feed additives, processing aids and non-organic agricultural ingredients, if authorised for organic production in the acts adopted on the basis of Article 24 (2)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, are authorized for production of organic salt, in accordance with restrictions and specifications included. For cleaning, descaling and disinfection of process equipment, surfaces which are in contact with organic salt only the following products shall be used: (a) cold water and hot water for cleaning; (b) acetic acid, formic acid, diluted hydrochloric acid, and sodium carbonate for descaling; (c) hot water and steam for disinfection. Practices, processes and treatments in organic salt production, which are allowed and prohibited are specifically reported in the pertinent section of this report. The production of salt is considered as organic production provided that the seawater and salty waters quality corresponds to clean seawater or clean water according to Article 2(1)(h) and (i) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004. For salt obtained from the sea, rock salt deposits, natural brine or salt lakes, in order to be considered an organic product, a conversion period of at least two years before the first harvest shall be required. The production of organic, in-conversion and non-organic salt in the same production unit is permitted. Products, substances and techniques that reconstitute properties that are lost in the production or storage of organic salt, that correct the results of negligence in the production of organic salt, or that otherwise may be misleading as to the true nature of products intended to be marketed as organic salt, shall not be used. 4 Organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed - Final Report 1. TERMS OF REFERENCE In the light of the most recent technical and scientific information available to the experts, the group is asked to address the following list of items and assess which measures in line with the rules laid down in Regulation (EU) No 2018/848 could be proposed for organic sea salt and other salts for food and feed. Review of production methods Salt may be produced from salty water or from rocks. Numerous processes exist and include different techniques (collect, separation from water -sun, wind, heat, vacuum- purification, grinding, sorting, cutting, drilling, blasting, refining, …). The salt sub-group shall describe each production process separately and evaluate its compatibility with the objectives and principles of organic production mentioned in Chapter II of Regulation 2018/848. Where relevant, comparison with existing production rules of agricultural product laid down in Chapter III of this Regulation shall be done to evaluate the compatibility with the objectives and principles of organic production. Composition and contamination Salt for food and feed correspond to sodium chloride (NaCl), depending
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