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Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · Tier 3 Specialty
USDA Organic logo
USDA Organic
United States · Tier 1 Gold
Bio-Siegel (Germany) logo
Bio-Siegel (Germany)
Germany · 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.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.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.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established198920022001
InspectionOn-site + product review by national Ecolabel officeAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifierAnnual on-site by EU-accredited German control body
Residue testingRisk-based per categoryRequired on ≥5% of operations annuallyRisk-based
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.
  • 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.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited German certifier.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.
  • 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.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — not stricter.

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