All certifications

Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

Up to four certifications, side by side. Choose which ones

	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	Naturland Germany · Tier 2 Trusted	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.	A German farmers' association whose private organic standard is stricter than the EU baseline. Covers food, aquaculture, textiles, and cosmetics. Recognised globally.	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	Several categories	Cosmetics	Food
Established	2002	1982	2010	2010
Inspection	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by Naturland-accredited inspectors	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit + lab testing
Residue testing	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	Required	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.	Stricter than EU 2018/848 (lower nitrogen inputs, full-farm conversion, social standards). Annual on-site inspection. Fair-pricing requirements for member farmers.	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.	Membership-based — only farms that join the Naturland association can use the mark.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.

Choose up to 4 (4 chosen)

That's four — remove one to add another.

Stay in the loop

Get notified when we publish new articles, updates, and organic guides. No spam, just honest content, straight to your inbox.

Compare certifications · Organic.is