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	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	NATRUE European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold
What it means	The leading certification for organic cosmetics in Europe. Two grades: COSMOS Organic (≥95% organic agricultural ingredients) and COSMOS Natural (no organic minimum, but the same restricted-ingredient list).	An EU-based natural-and-organic cosmetics certification. Three grades: Natural, Natural with Organic portion, and Organic.	Japan's national organic standard under the Japanese Agricultural Standard system. The mark must appear on any food sold as 'organic' (有機 or オーガニック) in Japan.	The US Department of Agriculture's national organic standard. The green-and-white seal is the legal mark for any food sold as 'organic' in the United States.
Scope	Cosmetics	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	2010	2007	2001	2002
Inspection	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier
Residue testing	Risk-based	Risk-based	Required for high-risk operations	Required on ≥5% of operations annually
Guarantees	COSMOS Organic: ≥95% organic agricultural ingredients. COSMOS Natural: minimum natural-origin ingredients with banned synthetic restrictions. No GMOs, no parabens, no PEGs, no synthetic fragrances, no SLS/SLES. Biodegradability requirements. Annual on-site audit.	Restricted ingredient list (no synthetic fragrances, no silicones, no PEGs). Tiered organic content: Natural with Organic portion ≥70% certified organic; Organic ≥95%. Annual third-party verification.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.	At least 95% of ingredients are certified organic (the '100% Organic' variant requires every ingredient). No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs, no sewage sludge, no irradiation. Annual on-site inspection by a USDA-accredited certifier. Residue testing on at least 5% of certified operations each year.
Does NOT	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Mark is trademark-protected.	Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.	Doesn't certify nutrition, taste, or animal welfare specifically (separate marks like AWA cover welfare). Doesn't guarantee local production — a 'USDA Organic' product can be grown anywhere with an accredited inspector.

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