Exporting organic products to Denmark

Denmark is the only EU member state where organic control is entirely state-run — there are no private control bodies, and only two control codes in the whole country.

The EU framework that applies

Organic production, labelling and imports across the EU are governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/848, applicable since 1 January 2022. National authorities administer and enforce it; they do not set their own organic standard.

Processed food may be labelled organic only where at least 95% of its agricultural ingredients by weight are organic. Every pre-packaged organic product produced in the EU must carry the EU organic logo, the control body code directly beneath it, and an agricultural origin statement — EU Agriculture, non-EU Agriculture or EU/non-EU Agriculture.

Every organic consignment entering the EU needs an electronic Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued and endorsed in TRACES NT, in the country of export, before the goods leave. Third-country operators are certified against EU rules by control bodies the Commission has recognised under Article 46.

A deadline worth watching. Recognition of the eleven remaining equivalent third countries — Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Tunisia and the United States — is set to expire on 31 December 2026. The Commission has tabled a proposal to extend it, but as at the review date of this page it had not been adopted.

1) Mandatory organic standards and labels

Regulation (EU) 2018/848 applies directly. Control is entirely state-run, and has been since 1987. Responsibility is split: the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) covers processing, packing, labelling, wholesale, retail, catering and imports; primary production sits with the agency responsible for agricultural land management.

There are only two Danish control codes, and both are state bodies: DK-ØKO-050 for primary production and DK-ØKO-100 for food businesses. No private control body operates in Denmark. If you see a different Danish code, check it.

The Ø-mærke

The red Ø mark, with the words Statskontrolleret økologisk (state-controlled organic), is owned by the state, administered by Fødevarestyrelsen, and voluntary. It is one of the most trusted food marks in Europe.

The rule that matters for imported goods. The Ø may only be applied in Denmark, by a business under Danish organic control — it signals that the last processing, packing or labelling step happened in Denmark.

So foreign organic goods can carry it, but only if they are repacked or labelled in Denmark by a certified Danish operator. Product shipped in finished retail packaging cannot.

Separately, the Økologisk Spisemærke grades catering operations by the organic share of purchases — bronze, silver and gold — and is used by several thousand Danish canteens, restaurants and institutions.

2) Important voluntary standards and labels

Demeter — biodynamic; Denmark has an established biodynamic sector.
Fairtrade Danmark — social and trade-terms criteria, independent of organic and commonly dual-certified.
Retailer organic lines — Coop's Änglamark and Salling Group's ranges are the practical gatekeepers for listing.

Organic accounts for roughly 11 to 12% of Danish grocery retail value, among the highest shares anywhere. Denmark runs a net organic trade deficit — it imports more organic product by value than it exports — which makes it a genuine destination market rather than only a source.

3) Approved certification and control bodies

There is nothing to choose between: Danish operators are certified by the relevant state agency according to whether they are a farm or a food business.

A non-EU exporter is certified by a control body recognised by the Commission under Article 46 for its country and product category. The Danish state agencies certify your Danish counterparty, not you.

Fødevarestyrelsen, organic section — foedevarestyrelsen.dk
List of certified food businesses and certified farms — published on the same site

Danish agency names changed more than once during 2026, and official pages still mix the old and new forms. The control codes did not change.

4) Import requirements

Certification precedes trading. A Danish business must notify the authority and have an organic report and organic certificate issued before it trades. For importers, the approved import procedures are written into that organic report. Small retail operations are exempt where they only sell pre-packed organic, or loose product below a low annual threshold.

Every third-country consignment needs two things: pre-notification to Fødevarestyrelsen, and an electronic COI in TRACES issued before dispatch. Switzerland is exempt from the COI. Missing the pre-notification delays the consignment even where the certificate is in order.

Farms file an annual organic scheme form whose deadline moves year to year, with a daily percentage penalty for late filing. That is a domestic obligation rather than an exporter's, but it affects your Danish supplier's certificate status.

5) Further information

Fødevarestyrelsen — organicThe competent authority for processing, labelling, retail and imports; guidance and the certified-business list.
Organic primary productionFarm-level organic control, the annual scheme form and the list of certified farms.
Regulation (EU) 2018/848The base act governing organic production, labelling and imports across the EU.
European Commission — organic farmingPolicy hub, legislation index and guidance on the import regime.
TRACES NTWhere the electronic Certificate of Inspection for every organic consignment is issued and endorsed.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-06