Combined organic + bio-based certification

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: EU Reg (EU) 2018/848 / ASTM D6866 | OECD: Bioeconomy policy & governance | Regulator: FDA (USA), EFSA (EU), MOA (China)]

Combined organic + bio-based certification is a third-party assurance service that, in a single engagement, verifies that a product is both organically produced and made partly or wholly from renewable biological feedstock. The organic claim is audited against regulations such as EU Regulation 2018/848, the USDA National Organic Program and China’s GB/T 19630, while the bio-based share is measured quantitatively by radiocarbon analysis under ASTM D6866, a method first published in 2004 and refined to the D6866-24 revision. Bodies accredited to ISO 17065 run the certification, and laboratories accredited to ISO 17025 perform the C-14 testing, so that a final label, such as Ecocert, OK biobased or ISCC PLUS, ties a documented bio-based carbon percentage to a verified organic chain of custody. The service matters because regulators and retailers increasingly refuse unverified natural or bio-based marketing: a 2026 brand needs an ISO 16128 natural-index calculation, an audited organic chain of custody, and a radiocarbon-measured bio-based number to defend claims from the EU Green Claims directive to the US FTC.

The key directions of combined organic + bio-based certification are:

1. Organic chain-of-custody certification (Organic audit): annual inspection of farms and processors against EU 2018/848, USDA NOP, GOTS or GB/T 19630, with full input and transaction traceability.
2. Bio-based content measurement (Radiocarbon testing): ASTM D6866 C-14 analysis that quantifies the share of bio-based carbon, underpinning USDA BioPreferred listings and the OK biobased scheme.
3. Natural-cosmetic index verification (Formulation audit): ISO 16128 calculation of natural and bio-based origin indices for cosmetic ingredients and finished formulas.
4. Sustainability mass-balance certification (Chain of custody): ISCC PLUS or NTA 8080 mass-balance and book-and-claim chains that allocate bio-based feedstock across shared production assets.

Sectoral value chain

[Application & scope definition] ──> [Organic + input audit] ──> [Chain-of-custody verification] ──> [Bio-based content testing]
                                              │
                                    (Mass balance & C-14)
                                              │
                                              ▼
[Annual surveillance] <─── [Label grant & certificate] <─────┘

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• ASTM D6866 radiocarbon analysis: accelerator mass spectrometry that distinguishes biogenic from fossil carbon by measuring C-14, expressing bio-based content as a percentage of total carbon.
• ISO 17065 accreditation: the conformity-assessment standard that makes a certification body’s decision legally credible and recognised across jurisdictions.
• Mass-balance and book-and-claim: chain-of-custody models (ISCC, NTA 8080) that attribute bio-based feedstock to products where physical segregation is impractical.

02US

The United States anchors the bio-based measurement layer through the USDA BioPreferred programme and the radiocarbon laboratories that quantify bio-based content.

USDA BioPreferred, radiocarbon testing, ISO 16128 cosmetics

• Bio-based measurement leader: Beta Analytic (founded 1979, Miami) performs the ASTM D6866 radiocarbon analysis that underpins USDA BioPreferred biobased content claims and OK biobased testing worldwide.
• BioPreferred listings: the USDA BioPreferred programme sets minimum bio-based percentages per product category and requires ASTM D6866 evidence for its certified label.
• Natural cosmetic claims: US and global cosmetic brands rely on ISO 16128 natural-index verification services, increasingly paired with organic certification for clean-beauty positioning.

03CN

China runs a parallel organic certification regime under the National Organic Standard GB/T 19630, administered through accredited domestic certification bodies.

GB/T 19630 organic regime, domestic certification bodies, biobased uptake

• National certification body: CQC (China Quality Certification Centre, founded 2002) is among the accredited bodies issuing organic product certification certificates under GB/T 19630.
• Organic standard: GB/T 19630 governs Chinese organic production, processing and labelling, with certification required for any domestic organic claim.
• Biobased uptake: as Chinese bio-based plastics and biochemical capacity grows, domestic certification and testing services are extending from organic into bio-based content verification.

04EU

Europe is the global centre of combined organic + bio-based certification, hosting the leading eco-labels, the OK biobased scheme and the most active multi-standard certifiers.

OK biobased scheme, multi-standard certifiers, Green Claims pressure

• OK biobased scheme: TÜV Austria runs the OK biobased certification and logo scheme from its OK Certification Center in Rotselaar, Belgium, with an updated logo scheme reflecting current sustainability expectations.
• Multi-standard certifiers: Control Union (founded 1920, the Netherlands) certifies across OCS 100, GOTS, USDA Organic, Regenagri, biomass and biofuels standards, making it a one-stop combined organic + bio-based partner.
• European eco-label leadership: Ecocert (founded 1991, France) issues organic certifications and ISO 16128 natural cosmetic verification, and the tightening EU Green Claims framework is pushing brands to combine audited organic origin with measured bio-based percentages.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

The certification stack is built on accredited testing and chain-of-custody accounting that turns a brand’s natural-origin story into a defensible, quantified claim.

1. ASTM D6866 radiocarbon (C-14) analysis:
   • Accelerator mass spectrometry measures the ratio of carbon-14 to total carbon, distinguishing recently fixed biogenic carbon from fossil carbon and reporting bio-based content as a percentage of total organic carbon.
   • The D6866-24 revision is the current method version, required for USDA BioPreferred biobased content and accepted by OK biobased and similar schemes.
2. ISO 17065 accredited certification:
   • The international standard for bodies certifying products, processes and services; a certifier’s ISO 17065 accreditation is what makes an organic or bio-based certificate mutually recognised.
   • Accreditation is granted by national accreditation bodies and re-assessed regularly, underpinning the legal credibility of every label.
3. Mass-balance and book-and-claim chains of custody:
   • Models such as ISCC PLUS and NTA 8080 allocate bio-based feedstock across shared chemical and plastic assets where physical segregation is impossible, supporting certified bio-based content in complex value chains.
   • Increasingly paired with organic certification to deliver a single combined natural-origin and renewable-content claim.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline of a combined certification engagement (ISO 17065 / ISO 17025)

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Application & scoping  │ ───> │ 2. Organic + input audit  │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                  │
                                                  ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. ASTM D6866 testing     │ <─── │ 3. Chain-of-custody check │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Label grant & licence  │ ───> │ 6. Annual surveillance    │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Application and scoping

The applicant defines the product scope, the claim level sought and the standards to combine, such as EU 2018/848 or USDA NOP organic plus ASTM D6866 bio-based, producing a certification plan and quote.

Stage 2: Organic and input audit

An accredited auditor inspects the agricultural and processing operations, reviewing inputs, conversion histories and process records against the chosen organic regulation.

Stage 3: Chain-of-custody check

The certifier traces material identity and quantity through every transfer from farm to finished product, reconciling mass balance under either physical segregation or a mass-balance model.

Stage 4: ASTM D6866 testing

Samples of the finished product are sent to an ISO 17025 laboratory for radiocarbon analysis, which returns the bio-based carbon percentage that supports the bio-based share of the claim.

Stage 5: Label grant and licence

With audit and test evidence complete, the accredited body issues the combined certificate and grants a licence to use the organic and bio-based labels on the qualifying SKU.

Stage 6: Annual surveillance

The certification is maintained through recurring audits and re-testing, and renewed each year so that the organic origin and bio-based percentage remain current across the product lifecycle.