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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
JAS Organic logo
JAS Organic
Japan · Tier 1 Gold
Bioland logo
Bioland
Germany · Tier 2 Trusted
What it meansThe 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.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.Germany's largest organic farmers' association. Bioland-certified farms operate to a stricter private standard than the EU baseline.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established—20011971
InspectionNoneAnnual on-site by MAFF-registered certifierAnnual on-site by Bioland-accredited inspectors
Residue testingNoneRequired for high-risk operationsRequired
Guarantees
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • ≥95% organic ingredients.
  • No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs.
  • Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.
  • Whole-farm conversion (no parallel conventional production).
  • Lower permitted nitrogen inputs than EU baseline.
  • Animal welfare standards stricter than EU baseline.
  • Annual on-site inspection.
Does NOT
  • 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.
  • Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.
  • Like Naturland, membership-based — only Bioland-association farms can use the mark.

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