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	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty	Naturland Germany · Tier 2 Trusted	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted
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.	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.	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).
Scope	Food	Food	Several categories	Cosmetics
Established	2002	2010	1982	2010
Inspection	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit + lab testing	Annual on-site by Naturland-accredited inspectors	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier
Residue testing	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	GMO testing only (not pesticide)	Required	Risk-based
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.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.	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.
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 — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.	Membership-based — only farms that join the Naturland association can use the mark.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.

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