Using the organic symbol

Using the Soil Association organic symbol

The Soil Association organic symbol is the most widely recognised in the UK and appears on over 70 percent of all organic food & drink products on sale in the UK. A “shortcut” to reassurance and trust within a crowded market, the symbol demonstrates your commitment to working with nature, not against it, for the benefit of wildlife, people and planet. We believe that organic certification is something to celebrate, and a key benefit of certification is being able to display the symbol with pride on-pack and across your wider marketing activities to show your brand values and to tell your own organic story.

The symbol is a registered certification mark (®) of Soil Association Limited. You may only use the symbol on your products if you hold a valid certificate of registration from us. It can only be used for organic products identified on your trading schedule.

Use of our symbol is controlled through specific guidelines provided in chapter two of our organic standards and you will find a comprehensive summary of these below. All usage of the symbol must be approved by your Certification Officer. The Soil Association organic symbol is a registered trademark - unauthorised use may result in legal action.

Download the symbol 

1. Where to use the symbol

   You may use the symbol on company stationery, promotional literature and websites if we certify your entire product range, otherwise you must only use the symbol if you state clearly which products, lines or ranges it applies to.

   You must use our symbol on the final consumer packaging of the products we certify, except where we agree there's a good reason for not doing so.

   Examples of exceptions we might agree are: 

   • On temporary or off-the-shelf labels or packaging
   • Where the label is so small that it would jeopardise other information required by law
   • Where the supply of ingredients complying with our standards is variable so
   • The product cannot always carry the symbol
2. What the symbol should look like

   You must reproduce the symbol from original artwork (download copies of the symbol above)
   
   The symbol must appear: 

   • Complete and upright
   • In proportion to the product description
   • At least 10mm in diameter 
   • In black or white
   • (you must ask us if you wish to use the symbol at a smaller size than 10mm in diameter or in a colour other than black and white)
   • Clearly visible
   • Clear and legible over the whole of a background, for example if used over a photograph
   • No less prominent than the EU logo

    

    The symbol should be: 

   • On the main face of the label or packaging
   • In proportion to the product description (but it works best if it is at least 12mm in diameter)
   • Placed on a clear background that extends 30% beyond the area of the symbol (for example: 3mm around a symbol 10mm in diameter)

    

    The symbol must not appear: 

   • Against a background that affects the legibility of the symbol
   • Incomplete
   • At an angle
   • Within an extra circle either of an outline or solid colour
   • In more than one colour
   • With a different font or typeface
3. Other language versions

   A version of the Soil Association Organic symbol is available in Welsh and Gaelic.

    
4. The approved product symbol

   You may use the approved product symbol on non-organic products, such as salt and agricultural inputs certified under our approved products scheme. You may not use the Soil Association organic symbol on these products. Contact us for for further information on this scheme.