Organic labels and food labels

In short: Labels show that a product meets certain criteria. The EU organic logo (a leaf made of stars) is the legally regulated mark for organic production.

In more detail: Organic foods must meet the EU organic regulation: no chemical-synthetic pesticides, no genetic engineering, more species-appropriate animal keeping, fewer approved additives. Associations such as Bioland, Naturland or Demeter have stricter rules.

In Depth

• EU organic logo: mandatory on pre-packaged organic products, with the code of the control body (for example DE-ÖKO-001).
• German organic seal: hexagon with “Bio”, voluntary.
• Fairtrade, MSC, ASC: fair trade, sustainable fishing, sustainable aquaculture.
• Animal welfare: the retail “Haltungsform” label (levels 1 to 4), egg code (0 = organic, 1 = free range, 2 = barn, 3 = cage).
• Caution: Private-label logos and invented seals are not checked by the state. Freely usable words such as “natural” or “regional” have no uniform definition.
• Cost: Organic is often more expensive because production needs more land and labour.

See also: E numbers (food additives), Palm oil