The short answer
A green badge on this site means one thing: a brand uploaded a certificate, we checked its number against the issuing body's public register, it covered the category you are looking at, and it had not expired on the date we checked. The badge carries that date. Nothing else — not a rating, not a lab result, not our opinion — turns a badge green.
The four steps
What each colour means
Green: verified and in scope. Amber: a real certificate that is either within 60 days of expiry or a PGS-Green (in-conversion) certificate — a real document that means not organic yet. Grey: no certificate on file, lapsed, rejected, under review, out of scope for this category, or a transaction certificate that covers one consignment and never a catalogue. Grey is never hidden.
What we never do
We do not issue certificates, we do not charge for verification, and no advertising product can change a badge or its position in organic results. A lapsed certificate goes grey the day after its validity ends — no exceptions, no paid reinstatement. If a badge looks wrong, report it and we re-check the register.
Two systems, one law
FSSAI's Organic Food Regulations recognise exactly two Indian systems — NPOP (third-party) and PGS-India (peer guarantee). Everything we badge is one of those, or a foreign scheme (USDA NOP, EU) checked through its accredited body.
Questions people actually ask
Does a green badge mean you tested the product?
No. It means the certificate number matched the issuing body's register on the date shown. Testing is the certification body's job during its inspection; ours is to check that the certificate is real, current and covers the category.
Why is a PGS-Green badge amber and not green?
PGS-Green is issued during conversion — the land is being farmed organically but has not completed the conversion period. It is a real certificate that means "not organic yet", so we show it in amber with the words "under conversion".
Can a brand pay to keep a badge green after it expires?
No. Verification is never for sale. The badge turns amber 60 days before expiry so the brand can renew; the day after expiry it is grey until a renewed certificate is uploaded and checked.
This route carries no paid inventory of any kind.