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USDA Organic logo
USDA Organic
United States · Tier 1 Gold
Korea Organic logo
Korea Organic
South Korea · Tier 1 Gold
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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
What it meansThe 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.South Korea's national organic mark under MAFRA (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs). Required on any food sold as 유기농 in Korea.The word 'natural' on packaging is a marketing term, not a certification. In most jurisdictions there's no legal definition, no standard, and no inspection. A product labelled 'natural' can contain synthetic ingredients, pesticides, GMOs, and artificial flavours.
ScopeFoodFoodSeveral categories
Established20022001—
InspectionAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifierAnnual on-site by MAFRA-accredited certifierNone
Residue testingRequired on ≥5% of operations annuallyRequiredNone
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 GMOs.
  • Annual on-site inspection by a MAFRA-accredited certifier.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
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.
  • Cosmetics and textiles are covered under separate Korean schemes, not this mark.
  • Doesn't mean organic. Doesn't mean pesticide-free. Doesn't mean GMO-free. Doesn't mean ethically produced.
  • Some markets (e.g. the US FDA on food, EU on cosmetics) place very limited restrictions on the word, but enforcement is weak.

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