Skip to content
Organic.is
All certifications
Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

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

 
USDA Organic logo
USDA Organic
United States · Tier 1 Gold
Tún (Iceland) logo
Tún (Iceland)
Iceland · Tier 1 Gold
?
'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.Vottunarstofan Tún is Iceland's only accredited organic certifier. Accredited by MAST (Matvælastofnun) under the EU 2018/848-equivalent Icelandic standard, so a Tún-certified product is also recognised as EU-organic.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
Established20021994—
InspectionAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifierAnnual on-site, MAST-accreditedNone
Residue testingRequired on ≥5% of operations annuallyRequired for at-risk operationsNone
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 per EU rules.
  • No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs.
  • Annual on-site inspection.
  • Animal welfare standards (outdoor / pasture access, geothermally-warmed greenhouse compatibility for vegetables).
  • 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.
  • There aren't many Tún-certified operations (~120–160) — coverage in the Icelandic market is narrower than in the EU mainland.
  • 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.

Choose up to 4 (3 chosen)

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