Applicable minimum biobased content. The biobased content at or above the level set by USDA to qualify for use of the certification mark.

ASTM International (ASTM). American Society for Testing and Materials is a nonprofit organization that provides an international forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services.

Biobased content. The amount of biobased carbon in the material or product expressed as a percent of weight (mass) of the total organic carbon in the material or product. For BioPreferred Products (products that have been identified for Federal preferred procurement), the biobased content shall be defined and determined as specified in the applicable section of subpart B of part 3201. For all other products, the biobased content is to be determined using ASTM Method D6866, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis.

Biobased product. (1) A product determined by USDA to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is:

(i) Composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials and forestry materials; or

(ii) An intermediate ingredient or feedstock.

(2) The term “biobased product” includes, with respect to forestry materials, forest products that meet biobased content requirements, notwithstanding the market share the product holds, the age of the product, or whether the market for the product is new or emerging.

Certification mark. A combination of the certification mark artwork (as defined in this subpart); one of three statements identifying whether the USDA certification applies to the product, the package, or both the product and package; and, where applicable, the letters “FP” to indicate that the product is within a designated product category and eligible for Federal preferred procurement. The certification mark is owned, and its use is managed by, USDA (standard trademark law definition applies).

Certification mark artwork. The distinctive image, as shown in Figures 1-3, that identifies products as USDA Certified.

Certified biobased product. A biobased product for which the manufacturer or vendor of the product has received approval from USDA to affix to the product the “USDA Certified Biobased Product” certification mark.

Days. As used in this part means calendar days.

Designated product category. A generic grouping of biobased products, including those final products made from designated intermediate ingredients or feedstocks, or complex assemblies identified in subpart B of 7 CFR part 3201, that is eligible for the procurement preference established under section 9002 of FSRIA.

Designated representative. An entity authorized by a manufacturer or vendor to affix the USDA certification mark to the manufacturer's or vendor's certified biobased product or its packaging.

Forest product. A product made from materials derived from the practice of forestry or the management of growing timber. The term “forest product” includes:

(1) Pulp, paper, paperboard, pellets, lumber, and other wood products; and

(2) Any recycled products derived from forest materials.

Intermediate ingredient or feedstock. A material or compound made in whole or in significant part from biological products, including renewable agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials that have undergone value added processing (including thermal, chemical, biological, or a significant amount of mechanical processing), excluding harvesting operations, offered for sale by a manufacturer or vendor and that is subsequently used to make a more complex compound or product.

ISO. The International Organization for Standardization, a network of national standards institutes working in partnership with international organizations, governments, industries, business, and consumer representatives.

ISO 9001 conformant. An entity that meets all of the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, but that is not required to be ISO 9001 certified. ISO 9001 refers to the International Organization for Standardization's standards and guidelines relating to “quality management” systems. “Quality management” is defined as what the manufacturer does to ensure that its products or services satisfy the customer's quality requirements and comply with any regulations applicable to those products or services.

Manufacturer. An entity that performs the necessary chemical and/or mechanical processes to make a final marketable product.

Other entity. Any person, group, public or private organization, or business other than USDA, or manufacturers or vendors of biobased products that may wish to use the “USDA Certified Biobased Product” certification mark in informational or promotional material related to a certified biobased product.

Program Manager. The manager of the BioPreferred Program.

Qualified biobased product. A product that is eligible for federal preferred procurement because it meets the definition and minimum biobased content criteria for one or more designated product categories, or one or more designated intermediate ingredient or feedstock categories, as specified in subpart B of 7 CFR part 3201.

Renewable chemical. A monomer, polymer, plastic, formulated product, or chemical substance produced from renewable biomass.

USDA. The United States Department of Agriculture.

Vendor. An entity that offers for sale final marketable biobased products that are produced by manufacturers.

[76 FR 3806, Jan. 20, 2011. Redesignated and amended at 76 FR 53632, Aug. 29, 2011; 80 FR 34036, June 15, 2015]