USDA Organic seal
What it looks like
A circle divided with USDA across the top and the word organic below, in green and white or black and white.
What it means
The wording elsewhere on the pack changes the claim: "100% organic" means every ingredient, the seal itself means at least 95%, "made with organic ingredients" means at least 70% and may not carry the seal, and below that organic ingredients can only be named in the ingredient list. Certification covers the farming and handling — no prohibited pesticides, no synthetic fertilisers, no genetic engineering, with a three-year transition period for land — and is verified by accredited certifiers with annual inspections. It is not a nutrition or food safety claim.
Defined by US National Organic Program, 7 CFR Part 205. 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. |
| GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) | Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance. |
| 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. |
| 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 usda organic seal symbol mean?
- At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program.
- What does it look like?
- A circle divided with USDA across the top and the word organic below, in green and white or black and white.
Related pages
- EU organic leaf At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules.
- Fairtrade Mark The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation.
- 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.
- GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance.
- 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.
- EU organic leaf At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules.
Sources
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place