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	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty
What it means	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.	Japan's national organic standard under the Japanese Agricultural Standard system. The mark must appear on any food sold as 'organic' (有機 or オーガニック) in Japan.	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).	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.
Scope	Food	Food	Cosmetics	Food
Established	2002	2001	2010	2010
Inspection	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit + lab testing
Residue testing	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	Required for high-risk operations	Risk-based	GMO testing only (not pesticide)
Guarantees	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.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.	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.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.
Does NOT	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.	Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.

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