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	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	EU Ecolabel (Flower) European Union · Tier 3 Specialty	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
What it means	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 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 European Commission's voluntary environmental label. Covers cleaning products, paper, textiles, electronics, accommodation services. NOT an organic mark.	The word 'natural' on packaging is a marketing term, not a certification. In most jurisdictions there's no legal definition, no standard, and no inspection. A product labelled 'natural' can contain synthetic ingredients, pesticides, GMOs, and artificial flavours.
Scope	Food	Cosmetics	Several categories	Several categories
Established	2001	2010	1992	—
Inspection	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual audit by national Ecolabel competent body	None
Residue testing	Required for high-risk operations	Risk-based	Per-category limits	None
Guarantees	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.	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.	Lifecycle-based environmental criteria per product category. Restrictions on hazardous chemicals. Annual licence renewal with audit.	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
Does NOT	Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Doesn't apply to food. Doesn't mean organic.	Doesn't mean organic. Doesn't mean pesticide-free. Doesn't mean GMO-free. Doesn't mean ethically produced. Some markets (e.g. the US FDA on food, EU on cosmetics) place very limited restrictions on the word, but enforcement is weak.

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