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Circular definitions are inherently invalid.
As pointed out earlier, "synthetic" can be equally applied to everything and nothing. Unless you're Johnny Appleseed, whatever it is you're dropping on your crops, even if it's manure, isn't "naturally occurring". So the distinction boils down to value judgements and semantics.
I pointed out specific examples (such as wine, dried fruit, and antibiotics) that are produced artificially via natural processes. But really almost anything fits this category.
What about aspirin? Under the regulations, it's counted as an "exempt" synthetic substance. But wait! Where does aspirin come from? Willow bark. If it's naturally occurring, why count it as synthetic?
The regulations also include a lot of curious contradictions. Urea (which is about as naturally occurring as it gets) isn't permitted. Lime, also naturally occurring, counted as synthetic. Glucose and glycerin (which naturally occur in many lifeforms; the former is essential for life) are also counted as synthetic. Why?
But then it counts magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate as "non-synthetic", which makes no sense because none of those chemicals are naturally occurring.
Antibiotics are counted as synthetic but agar isn't, even though according to the document's own definitions, anything produced from an organic product and natural processes are organic.
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It is poorly understood because people tend to attach their own meanings when it already has clearly defined characteristics.
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Now I'm skeptical again, because if that list is used, in part or whole, to determine whether something is or isn't "organic," it's a pretty terrible list if for no other reason than the term "organic" is used a few times in it as one of the determining requirements.
National Organic Program wrote:
Organic. A labeling term that refers to an agricultural product produced in accordance with the Act and the regulations in this part.
Organic production. A production system that is managed in accordance with the Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.
You are so stuck on the labels of the classifications that you don't understand the point of the classifications.
