Certifications

USA

USDA Organic NOP (National Organic Program)

Non-GMO Project Verified 

Greenstar 

AVA, American Vegetarian Association

CGMPs Current Good Manufacturing Practices, laid out by the FDA;

COOL, Country of Origin Labeling (or mCOOL, mandatory COOL), was first legislated as part of the 2002 Farm Bill; its coverage was expanded in 2008 and 2013.

EPA Green Power Partnership

Fair Trade USA  – spinoff from Fairtrade International

NMSDC, National Minority Supplier Development Council

Certified Grass-Fed Organic Dairy and Certified Grass-Fed Organic Meat – marks administered by Organic Plus Trust Inc.

HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) – meat HACCP systems are regulated by the USDA; seafood and juice by the FDA; voluntary in other segments of the food industry.

Green-e® certification  – not specific to the USA?

Green America

Regenerative Organic Certified

COOC California Olive Oil Council – EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Autism Hope Alliance

Canada

Organic Crop Improvement Association of Canada, OCIA

Europe

Ecocert 

Japan

“pla” mark for bioplastics

International

Fairtrade International (FLO) 

B Corporation 

Rainforest Alliance 

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)

Global Aquaculture Alliance

Aquaculture Stewardship Council

COO (Country of Origin) regulations vary from country to country.

QAI – Quality Assurance International; organic certifier based in San Diego

Religious

Kosher

A ‘D’ to the right of the Kosher symbol means ‘dairy ingredients’.  Other associated designations include: Meat, Pareve, Passover, Yoshon, Pas Yisroel, and Cholov Yisroel.  Kosher and vegetarian certifications have only partial overlap.  There is some unhappiness about the costs of Kosher certification.

Common Kosher symbols in North America:

“the OU” – Orthodox Union –

“the Kof-K” –

Star-K – Organic and Kosher

“the OK” – Organized Kashrut Laboratories

KSA – Kosher Supervision of America – Western US

Halal

Literally dozens of Halal certifications – at least 12 in the US.  See the Halal-Certfication site for a pretty complete list of certificates by country.  The marks that do not specifically include the word ‘Halal’ typically at least include the letter ‘H’.