Canadian Organic Standards change for Hydrolyzed Proteins and Amino Acids

Hydrolyzed protein-based fertilizers have had one of the biggest changes on the Permitted Substances List from the 2020 to the 2026 version. The 2020 version had them reviewed to amino acids, which was the following annotation:

Table 4.2 ─ Substances for crop production
Substance name(s)	Origin and usage	Column 1 Soil amendments	Column 2 Production aids
Amino acids	Derived from plants, animals or microorganisms, and extracted, hydrolyzed or isolated by non-chemical means, such as physical separation, or by substances listed in Table 4.2 (Column 1 or Column 2) excluding Formulants used in crop production aids.	✓	✓

Table 4.2 ─ Substances for crop production

Substance name(s)

Origin and usage

Column 1

Soil amendments

Column 2

Production aids

Amino acids

Derived from plants, animals or microorganisms, and extracted, hydrolyzed or isolated by non-chemical means, such as physical separation, or by substances listed in Table 4.2 (Column 1 or Column 2) excluding Formulants used in crop production aids.

✓

Now, amino acids have been removed from Table 4.2 and replaced with Hydrolyzed proteins of plant origin and Hydrolyzed proteins of animal origin. The annotation for both are the following:

Table 4.2 ─ Substances for crop production
Substance name(s)	Origin and usage	Column 1 Soil amendments	Column 2 Production aids
Hydrolyzed proteins of plant origin	Resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis (in conjunction with physical processes). Shall not contain more than 0.3% hydroxyproline (as a percentage of total amino acids). Shall not contain more than 15% N (dry basis). At least 90% of the total nitrogen shall be organic (protein) nitrogen. Isolated amino acids such as glycine, lysine and methionine are prohibited. Nitrogen compounds may not be added during hydrolysis	✓
Hydrolyzed proteins of animal origin	Resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis (in conjunction with physical processes). Shall not be applied to the edible portion of crops. Shall not contain more than 17% N (dry basis). At least 90% of the total nitrogen shall be organic (protein) nitrogen. Isolated amino acids such as glycine, lysine and methionine are prohibited. Nitrogen compounds may not be added during hydrolysis.	✓

Table 4.2 ─ Substances for crop production

Substance name(s)

Origin and usage

Column 1

Soil amendments

Column 2

Production aids

Hydrolyzed proteins of plant origin

Resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis (in conjunction with physical processes).

Shall not contain more than 0.3% hydroxyproline (as a percentage of total amino acids). Shall not contain more than 15% N (dry basis). At least 90% of the total nitrogen shall be organic (protein) nitrogen. Isolated amino acids such as glycine, lysine and methionine are prohibited. Nitrogen compounds may not be added during hydrolysis

✓

Hydrolyzed proteins of animal origin

Resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis (in conjunction with physical processes).

Shall not be applied to the edible portion of crops. Shall not contain more than 17% N (dry basis). At least 90% of the total nitrogen shall be organic (protein) nitrogen. Isolated amino acids such as glycine, lysine and methionine are prohibited. Nitrogen compounds may not be added during hydrolysis.

✓

If a product no longer meets Canadian Organic eligibility standards subsequent to the updated annotations, the following are top reasons why: