Certified
organic refers to an agricultural product or food that has been produced, handled, and, where applicable, processed according to the requirements of a recognized organic certification standard and has been verified by an authorized certification or control body.
Certification provides assurance that the producer or processor has followed the applicable organic rules, including requirements concerning permitted and prohibited substances, production practices, record-keeping, handling, and prevention of contamination or mixing with non-organic products. The specific requirements and certification systems vary by country or jurisdiction.
Certified organic does not mean chemical-free or necessarily pesticide-free. Organic standards permit certain substances and practices while restricting or prohibiting others.
For example, in the United States, products represented as USDA organic must comply with the USDA National Organic Program requirements, and certified operations are overseen by USDA-accredited certifying agents. Other countries and regions have their own organic standards and certification systems.
Certified Organic is therefore a regulated claim, whereas
naturally organic is a Fruit-based Life term describing a preferred approach to growing food.