USDA BioPreferred Certification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Greg Frost Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC gulfcoasttungoil@gmail.com 

Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC dba Tallahassee Tung Oil Earns USDA Certified Biobased Product Label

TALLAHASSEE, FL. October 13, 2026 — Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label for its tung oil sold under the brand Tallahassee Tung Oil.  The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label displays a product's biobased content.  Results from the USDA’s third-party laboratory verified that the tung oil produced by Gulf Coast Tung Oil is 100% plant based.  Utilizing renewable 100% biobased materials displace the need for non-renewable petroleum-based chemicals.

Greg Frost, owner of Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC said, “As the only grower and producer of tung oil in the United States, I’m very pleased to receive the USDA BioPreferred Product certification.  Placing the USDA label on our Tallahassee Tung Oil packages provides our customers with confidence that they are purchasing 100% pure tung oil.  The certification also builds our company’s credibility for federal agencies purchasing tung oil through the Buy American Act reducing reliance on imported tung oil from China.”

By having Tallahassee Tung Oil become USDA Certified Biobased, Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC joins an expanding list of businesses combatting inaccurate marketing claims and the practice of greenwashing, while also contributing to a thriving bioeconomy that decreases our reliance on petroleum.

"We applaud Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label," said Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program. "The label is intended to help spur economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities. But the label also makes it easier for consumers and federal buyers to locate biobased products and consider planet-friendlier options during purchase decisions.

The latest Economic Impact Report released by USDA, the biobased products industry supported 4.6 million American jobs; contributed $470 billion to the U.S. economy and generated 2.79 jobs in other sectors of the economy for every biobased job. Biobased products also have a substantial environmental impact, displacing about 9.4 million barrels of oil a year, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 12.7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year.

### About Gulf Coast Tung Oil LLC: Family-owned, U.S. agricultural producer dedicated to growing, processing, and supplying high-quality pure tung oil made in America. From its tung tree orchards in the Southeast to the finished oil delivered to customers, the company manages the production process with an emphasis on purity, consistency, sustainability, and dependable domestic supply. Gulf Coast Tung Oil serves woodworkers, manufacturers, formulators, and other industries seeking a renewable, naturally derived drying oil while supporting the reestablishment of commercial tung oil production in the United States.

### About the USDA BioPreferred Program: With the goal of increasing the development, purchase, and use of biobased products, USDA's BioPreferred® Program was first introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized in 2018. It requires federal agencies and contractors to give purchasing preference to biobased products. The USDA BioPreferred Program also includes a voluntary certification and labeling initiative for biobased products. From farm and field all the way through the manufacturing process, the expanding market for biobased products creates jobs, supports rural economic growth in America, and has a positive impact on our planet. Have questions? Please contact: Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program.