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	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold	IFM IFOAM — Organics International Global · Tier 2 Trusted	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted
What it means	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.	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 international umbrella body for the organic movement. Not a product label — IFOAM accredits other certifiers worldwide via the IFOAM Family of Standards. If a cert is 'IFOAM-accredited' it has been benchmarked to a globally consistent baseline.	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).
Scope	Several categories	Food	Several categories	Cosmetics
Established	—	2001	1972	2010
Inspection	None	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier	Periodic review of accredited certifier bodies	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier
Residue testing	None	Required for high-risk operations	Delegated to accredited certifiers	Risk-based
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.	Accredited certifiers meet the IFOAM Norms and the IFOAM Family of Standards. Independent peer review of certifier governance, inspection rigor, and conflict-of-interest controls.	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.
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.	Does NOT certify products directly — only certifiers. Look for the underlying national / private mark on the package.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.

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