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	EU Organic (Euro-Leaf) European Union · Tier 1 Gold	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud) Switzerland · Tier 2 Trusted	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold
What it means	The mandatory mark for any pre-packaged organic food sold in the EU. The 'Euro-Leaf' is a stylised leaf made of twelve white stars on a green background.	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 Swiss organic farmers' federation mark. The Knospe (Bud) is the dominant organic mark in Swiss supermarkets and operates to standards stricter than the Swiss federal organic ordinance.	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	Food	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	2010	2010	1981	2002
Inspection	Annual on-site by accredited control body in producer country	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual on-site, bio.inspecta accredited	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier
Residue testing	Risk-based; mandatory at higher-risk operations	Risk-based	Required	Required on ≥5% of operations annually
Guarantees	At least 95% of agricultural ingredients are organic (regulation EU 2018/848). No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Animal welfare standards (outdoor access, lower stocking density, no routine antibiotics). Annual inspection by an accredited control body in the producing member state. Mandatory display of the certifier's code and origin (e.g. 'EU Agriculture' / 'Non-EU Agriculture').	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.	Whole-farm conversion. Lower nitrogen inputs than the Swiss federal organic baseline. Strong animal welfare requirements. Annual on-site inspection.	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 ban the natural pesticides allowed under the regulation (copper sulphate, spinosad). Doesn't certify processed-food additives beyond the EU's permitted list.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Switzerland is outside the EU — the Knospe is recognised by the EU under the Switzerland-EU equivalence agreement, but not by USDA without further certification.	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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