GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit)

Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance.

What it looks like

The letters GS in a rounded square, with the name of the testing body beneath.

What it means

Voluntary but widely required by German retailers, and it does what many people wrongly assume CE does: an accredited body tests the product type and inspects the factory periodically. It is a national mark rather than an EU one and it can only be issued by bodies approved under German law, which is why a GS mark on a product is a stronger signal than a CE mark alone.

Defined by German Product Safety Act (ProdSG). Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

Other certification marks symbols

Symbol	Means
Energy Star	The product meets US Environmental Protection Agency efficiency criteria for its category.
Fairtrade Mark	The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100	Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed.
Woolmark	The product is made from pure new wool and meets the Woolmark performance specifications.
NSF certification	Tested and certified by NSF against a public health or food equipment standard.
BSI Kitemark	BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it.
Kosher certification (OU and others)	A certifying agency attests that the product is kosher, often with a letter alongside for the category.
Halal certification	A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules.
USDA Organic seal	At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program.
EU organic leaf	At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules.
Crossed grain (certified gluten free)	Independently certified to contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten.
Vegan Society sunflower	Registered with the Vegan Society: no animal ingredients and no animal testing at any stage.
Leaping Bunny	Certified cruelty free: no animal testing by the company, its suppliers or third parties after a fixed cut-off date.

Common questions

What does the gs mark (geprüfte sicherheit) symbol mean?: Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance.
What does it look like?: The letters GS in a rounded square, with the name of the testing body beneath.

CE mark The manufacturer declares the product meets the EU rules that apply to it.
BSI Kitemark BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it.
UL Listed A complete product tested by Underwriters Laboratories against its safety standard.
Energy Star The product meets US Environmental Protection Agency efficiency criteria for its category.
Fairtrade Mark The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed.
Woolmark The product is made from pure new wool and meets the Woolmark performance specifications.
NSF certification Tested and certified by NSF against a public health or food equipment standard.
BSI Kitemark BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it.
Kosher certification (OU and others) A certifying agency attests that the product is kosher, often with a letter alongside for the category.
Halal certification A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules.
USDA Organic seal At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program.
EU organic leaf At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules.

Sources

Official vendor product documentation — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked