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OEKO-TEX Standard 100 logo
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
NATRUE logo
NATRUE
European Union · Tier 2 Trusted
OTC
OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
Bio-Siegel (Germany) logo
Bio-Siegel (Germany)
Germany · Tier 1 Gold
What it meansTests finished textiles for harmful substances. Important: OEKO-TEX 100 is NOT an organic certification — it certifies that the finished item is free of certain chemicals, regardless of how the fibre was grown.An EU-based natural-and-organic cosmetics certification. Three grades: Natural, Natural with Organic portion, and Organic.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 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.
ScopeTextilesCosmeticsTextilesFood
Established1992200720232001
InspectionAnnual on-site + lab testing of finished productsAnnual third-party auditAnnual on-site by OEKO-TEX-accredited institute (Hohenstein et al.)Annual on-site by EU-accredited German control body
Residue testingRequired (this is the entire point)Risk-basedRequired (Standard 100 panel + GMO/pesticide screening)Risk-based
Guarantees
  • Finished textile tested against the OEKO-TEX harmful-substance limit list.
  • Limits on heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticide residue, banned amines, allergenic dyes.
  • Restricted ingredient list (no synthetic fragrances, no silicones, no PEGs).
  • Tiered organic content: Natural with Organic portion ≥70% certified organic; Organic ≥95%.
  • Annual third-party verification.
  • 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.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited German certifier.
Does NOT
  • Does NOT mean organic. Does NOT cover farming, dyeing chemistry beyond the limit list, or social/labour standards. A 100% conventional cotton t-shirt can be OEKO-TEX 100 certified.
  • Mark is trademark-protected.
  • 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).
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — not stricter.

Choose up to 4 (4 chosen)

That's four — remove one to add another.

  • ACO
  • Bio-Siegel
  • BioGro
  • Canada Organic
  • China Organic
  • EU Leaf
  • India Organic
  • JAS
  • Korea Organic
  • Ø-mærket
  • Orgánico Argentina
  • Orgánico SAGARPA
  • SisOrg
  • Tún
  • USDA Organic
  • AB France
  • Bio Suisse
  • Bioland
  • COSMOS
  • Debio
  • Demeter
  • Ecocert
  • Fair for Life
  • GOTS
  • IBD
  • IFOAM
  • Kilimohai
  • KRAV
  • Luomu
  • NASAA
  • NATRUE
  • Naturland
  • OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
  • ROC
  • Soil Association
  • EU Ecolabel
  • Fairtrade
  • Non-GMO Project
  • Nordic Swan
  • OEKO-TEX 100
  • Rainforest Alliance
  • 'Natural'

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Compare certifications · Organic.is