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	Soil Association Organic United Kingdom · Tier 2 Trusted	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud) Switzerland · Tier 2 Trusted	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty
What it means	The UK's largest organic certifier. Standards are stricter than the UK government's baseline (which still mirrors EU 2018/848 post-Brexit). Recognised by the EU and USA under equivalence.	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).	The Swiss organic farmers' federation mark. The Knospe (Bud) is the dominant organic mark in Swiss supermarkets and operates to standards stricter than the Swiss federal organic ordinance.	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.
Scope	Several categories	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	1946	2010	1981	2010
Inspection	Annual on-site, UKAS-accredited	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual on-site, bio.inspecta accredited	Annual third-party audit + lab testing
Residue testing	Risk-based	Risk-based	Required	GMO testing only (not pesticide)
Guarantees	Stricter-than-baseline organic standards across food, textiles, cosmetics, and farming. Annual on-site inspection. Animal welfare standards (outdoor access, lower stocking density).	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.	Whole-farm conversion. Lower nitrogen inputs than the Swiss federal organic baseline. Strong animal welfare requirements. Annual on-site inspection.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.
Does NOT	Logo is trademarked — not a free-licence mark.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Switzerland is outside the EU — the Knospe is recognised by the EU under the Switzerland-EU equivalence agreement, but not by USDA without further certification.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.

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