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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
OTC
OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
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.Launched April 2023 by the OEKO-TEX Association. A separate certificate from Standard 100 that combines the Standard 100 chemical-residue test with verified organic-cotton supply chain — addressing the long-standing confusion that Standard 100 alone is NOT an organic mark.Germany's largest organic farmers' association. Bioland-certified farms operate to a stricter private standard than the EU baseline.
ScopeSeveral categoriesTextilesFood
Established—20231971
InspectionNoneAnnual on-site by OEKO-TEX-accredited institute (Hohenstein et al.)Annual on-site by Bioland-accredited inspectors
Residue testingNoneRequired (Standard 100 panel + GMO/pesticide screening)Required
Guarantees
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • Two grades: 'Organic Cotton' (100% certified-organic cotton) and 'Organic Cotton Blended' (≥70% certified-organic cotton).
  • Full Standard 100 chemical residue test on the finished product.
  • Additional GMO test + pesticide residue test specific to organic farming.
  • Verified chain of custody from farm to finished product.
  • Annual re-certification with independent OEKO-TEX institute audits.
  • 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.
  • Doesn't certify the social/labour conditions across the supply chain in the way GOTS does (use OEKO-TEX STeP for that, or pair with GOTS).
  • Cotton-only — doesn't apply to other organic fibres (wool, hemp, linen).
  • Like Naturland, membership-based — only Bioland-association farms can use the mark.

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