OCS 100
95% to 100% certified organic fiber. The rest has to be a different material, so 95% organic cotton with 5% recycled polyester qualifies, and 95% organic cotton with 5% conventional cotton doesn't.
What Is the Organic Content Standard?
The Organic Content Standard (OCS) verifies how much certified organic fiber is in a product and tracks that fiber from the first processor to the brand. Every site in between is audited once a year. OCS confirms the organic content claim. It sets no rules for dyes, finishes or factory conditions.
What OCS checks
- Organic fiber from a farm certified to a recognized organic standard, like USDA NOP or the EU organic regulation
- The share of organic fiber in the product, from 5% up to 100%
- Chain of custody at every site from the first processor, like the cotton gin, up to and including the brand
- A transaction certificate for each shipment of certified material
- GMO testing for organic cotton, and non-mulesed wool for organic wool
- A yearly audit by an independent certification body
What OCS doesn’t cover
- Dyes, finishes and processing chemicals. OCS has no restricted chemical list and no residue testing.
- Wastewater, energy and working conditions in the factories
- The farm itself, which is certified separately under its organic farming standard
- Product quality
- Anything under 5% organic fiber
The two OCS labels
Every OCS label shows one of two logos and the percentage of organic fiber, counted across the whole product minus trims.
OCS Blended
From 5% to under 95% certified organic fiber. The rest can be the same fiber grown conventionally, like 5% organic cotton and 95% conventional cotton.
Staying as is
Textile Exchange is moving several standards into its new Materials Matter Standard from December 31, 2026. OCS stays outside it and keeps running under its own rules.
How to check a OCS certificate
An OCS claim has to show four things: the OCS 100 or OCS Blended logo, the license number or TE-ID of the company making the claim, its certification body, and the percentage of organic fiber.
- Find the number. Look for a license number or a TE-ID next to the logo. A TE-ID reads TE- followed by eight digits. Only one number can appear, and it has to belong to the company making the claim.
- Search it. Enter the number or the company name in Textile Exchange's Find a Certified Company tool, and filter by standard to OCS.
- Check the status. A certificate can be valid, suspended, withdrawn or expired. Textile Exchange notes that certification bodies keep this data, so if something looks off, the certifier named on the label can confirm it.
OCS questions
Is OCS the same as GOTS?
No. OCS verifies organic content and tracks it through the supply chain. GOTS starts with certified organic fiber too, then adds rules for processing chemicals, wastewater and working conditions. Textile Exchange accepts GOTS material as an input into OCS supply chains.
Which is stricter, OCS or GOTS?
On organic content, OCS 100 and GOTS "organic" both need at least 95%. OCS Blended starts at 5%, and GOTS "made with organic" starts at 70%. On processing, GOTS covers more, since OCS has no chemical, environmental or labor rules. Neither issuer ranks the two.
Does OCS mean non-toxic?
OCS doesn't test for chemicals or restrict them. It verifies that the claimed fiber came from certified organic farms and was tracked to the brand. For residue testing on the finished item, look for a label like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100.
Can an OCS product contain conventional cotton?
Yes, under OCS Blended. A product can be as little as 5% organic cotton with the rest conventional. OCS 100 doesn't allow organic and conventional versions of the same fiber in one product.
Does OCS allow in-conversion cotton?
In-conversion fiber, from farms moving to organic, can count toward OCS if the farm's organic standard allows it. A product made only from in-conversion fiber can be certified but can't carry an OCS label.
Is OCS going away?
No. Textile Exchange says OCS will stay outside its new Materials Matter Standard and keep running in parallel. The current version is OCS 3.0, in effect since March 1, 2020.