Organic fertilising products

Main requirements 

The regulation sets out requirements aiming at ensuring the quality of the products and that the storage and use of the products do not pose an unacceptable risk to the health of humans, animals or plants or to the environment.

The regulation sets out requirements for specific analytical methods regarding the labelling information on  nutrients and physical and chemical parameters. 

For soil improvers other than liming materials, growing media and mulching materials NS 2890 applies. 

For products containing animal by-products or waste-based materials the following requirements apply:

• The regulation separates the products in four different classes (I to IV) according to the amounts of heavy metals in the product. These classes are called “quality-classes”. The regulation sets out requirements for the use of products in different quality-classes. The products may be used on different types of areas (agricultural land or parks and garden-areas) and in different amounts depending on their quality-class.
• The regulation sets out limit values for impurities, such as plastic, glass and metal.
• The products must be treated (hygienised) to ensure that they don´t impose a risk for the health of humans, animals or plants. There are limit values for salmonella, thermotolerant coliform bacterias and wild oats.
• The products must be stabilised so that their storage and use do not cause problems concerning  odour or other environmental problems.
• There is a requirement of due care to ensure that the products do not contain levels of environmental organic pollutants and other environmentally harmful organic substances that may cause damage to the health of humans, animals or plants or to the environment.

The regulation sets out requirements for the use of products in different quality-classes. The products may be used on different types of areas (agricultural land or parks and garden-areas) and in different amounts depending on their quality-class.

• Use of products containing sewage sludge must be notified to the municipality within three weeks before application.
• Labelling with the type designation “sewage sludge based fertilisers with specific use restrictions” must be authorised by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Less stringent use restrictions apply for these products than for other types of sewage sludge.

The regulation also sets out labelling requirements that apply to all product with the exception of composting additives and plant biostimulants with microorganisms.  The labelling must contain the following information:

• Product type - brief description of the product.
• Composition of the different fractions.
• Guaranteed content - weight and volume.
• Contact information.
• The amount of nutrients indicated in elemental form.
• Physical qualities – content of dry matter and organic matter.
• The quality-class of products based on animal by-products or waste-materials and a description of the use-restrictions.

For soil improvers other than liming materials, growing media and mulching materials NS 2890 sets out some additional labelling requirements. 

Most products must be registered prior to marketing. The company performing the registration must have a Norwegian company code.

In addition to the regulations on organic fertilising products, the Norwegian Regulations of 1 December 2000 no. 1333 relating to plants and measures against pests will apply to organic fertilising products. According to these regulations, the importer of organic fertilising products must be established in Norway.