05.Best Food Endorsement Program
A range of endorsement programs and logos has been developed for consumers who want to choose healthier or more sustainable food - yet consumers don't always know the level of integrity underpinning these programs and which ones they can rely on to be confident of their choices.
This award identifies the best food endorsement programs and logos that consumers can trust to guide their healthy or sustainable food choices.
Award criteria
Shortlist
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Australian Certified Organic (ACO)
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Dolphin Safe
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Fair Trade
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Free Range Egg & Poultry Australia Ltd (FREPA)
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Glycemic Index Symbol
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Heart Foundation Tick
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NASAA Certified Organic
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OGA Certified Organic
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Rainforest
Alliance Certified
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RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme
Winner: Australian Certified Organic (ACO) 
When CHOICE assessed Australian Certified Organic, it was one of only two programs that met all our criteria.
Our member poll also determined that ACO's logo was more widely recognised and more influential than our runner up, the NASAA logo.
ACO conducts annual, onsite third-party verification of producers or companies endorsed by its program. It's transparent about standards, governance and how it's funded, and it ticked all the boxes for consumer friendliness, which we consider vital given it's consumers who are using the logos to buy products and ultimately support the programs. ACO has mechanisms in place to avoid and manage conflict of interest; standards are open to broad public and industry consultation; and the program is accessible to producers and companies of all sizes.
As the ACO's logo was more widely recognised and more influential than NASAA's, ACO is our overall winner.
Runner up: National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA) 
This program was the only other program assessed that met all of our award criteria. Both ACO and NASAA are accredited by several international regulatory groups and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) as organic certifying organisations.