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	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty	EU Ecolabel (Flower) European Union · 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.	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.	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.	The European Commission's voluntary environmental label. Covers cleaning products, paper, textiles, electronics, accommodation services. NOT an organic mark.
Scope	Food	Several categories	Food	Several categories
Established	2002	—	2010	1992
Inspection	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	None	Annual third-party audit + lab testing	Annual audit by national Ecolabel competent body
Residue testing	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	None	GMO testing only (not pesticide)	Per-category limits
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.	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.	Lifecycle-based environmental criteria per product category. Restrictions on hazardous chemicals. Annual licence renewal with audit.
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.	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.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.	Doesn't apply to food. Doesn't mean organic.

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