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	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty	Australian Certified Organic Australia · 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).	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.	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.	Australia's largest organic certifier, accredited under the Australian National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce. The bud-and-leaf logo is the most-seen organic mark in Australian supermarkets.
Scope	Cosmetics	Food	Food	Food
Established	2010	2002	2010	2002
Inspection	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit + lab testing	Annual on-site, ACOS-accredited
Residue testing	Risk-based	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	GMO testing only (not pesticide)	Risk-based
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.	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.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs. Annual on-site inspection. Animal welfare and biodynamic-compatible production options.
Does NOT	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	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.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.	Australia has no single mandatory organic mark — ACO is the dominant one, but NASAA, OFC, and others also certify.

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