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Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · Tier 3 Specialty
Bio-Siegel (Germany) logo
Bio-Siegel (Germany)
Germany · Tier 1 Gold
USDA Organic logo
USDA Organic
United States · Tier 1 Gold
What it meansThe official environmental label of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland). Covers ~60 product categories from cleaning products to hotels — NOT specifically an organic standard.Germany's national organic mark, owned by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Sits alongside the EU Leaf on most German organic packaging since 2001. Same standard as the EU Leaf — Bio-Siegel is the brand consumers recognise.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.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established198920012002
InspectionOn-site + product review by national Ecolabel officeAnnual on-site by EU-accredited German control bodyAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier
Residue testingRisk-based per categoryRisk-basedRequired on ≥5% of operations annually
Guarantees
  • Lifecycle-based environmental criteria for the product category.
  • Restrictions on hazardous chemicals.
  • Recyclability and packaging requirements.
  • Audited every 3-5 years against an updated standard.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited German certifier.
  • 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 certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — not stricter.
  • 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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