National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) members have agreed to advise the U.S. Department of Agriculture to keep sodium phosphates on the list of approved ingredients for organic products. Emily Lyons, IDFA director of regulatory affairs and counsel, attended the NOSB meeting last week in Jacksonville, Florida, and asked the members to keep sodium phosphates on the National List because they have unique processing properties that other ingredients can’t provide.

Sodium phosphates are emulsifying salts that offer a uniform structure for organic processed cheese during production. They also act as stabilizers in some fluid dairy products to maintain uniform dispersion of milkfat and protein. 

Lyons explained that without sodium phosphates, organic dairy companies would not be able to produce a wide range of processed cheese types that meet the level of quality that consumers demand.

“IDFA’s organic dairy companies produce a wide variety of processed cheese products and have put significant time into finding a suitable organic replacement for sodium phosphates. At this time, they have been unable to find a suitable replacement for the functional properties of sodium phosphates,” Lyons said.

If approved by USDA, sodium phosphates will remain on the National List until the next review in 2022.

For more information, contact Lyons at elyons@idfa.org.