Original article (in Bosnian) was published on 16/5/2025; Author: Amar Karađuz
It is falsely claimed on social media that the logo with a green frog, which symbolizes the Rainforest Alliance certification, indicates products that are genetically modified and contain toxic additives.
A photo of a banana with a sticker was posted on Facebook on April 12, 2025 along with a caption claiming that the logo with a green frog on the sticker indicates that the product has been treated according to GMO standards, with the addition of toxic additives.
It seems that the Montenegrin megamarket Voli has decided to take revenge on citizens for the recent boycott!
Namely, on the shelves of this megamarket, one can find products with green frog logos, which supposedly show that the products have been treated according to GMO standards plus the addition of toxic additives.
The logo can be found on bananas, cookie packages, dates, pineapples, chocolates, etc.
At the time of writing this analysis, the post had over 100 interactions on Facebook, including comments from other Facebook users, which reflect a widespread belief that stickers on fruit indicate unhealthy products.
What are the Facts?
The photo from the analyzed post features a banana with a sticker from the brand Kika Holland BV. Next to the brand name, there is also a seal with a frog, but it is not a label for a genetically modified product or the presence of toxic additives, as claimed in the post.
Several photos showing this sticker, as well as the frog seal on it, have been published on the Instagram profile of Kika Holland BV.
This is a seal that represents the certification of the Rainforest Alliance organization. It is an international nonprofit organization that works on “creating a sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities”.
The certified seal with the green frog symbol (“Rainforest Alliance People and Nature”), shown in the photo, is placed on products that meet the standards of this organization.
When you see our frog on your favorite foods and drinks, you can be sure that these products contribute to a better world. Our reliable verification system, which includes checks by independent auditors, ensures that farms and companies meet the strict certification requirements designed to improve farmers’ incomes and well-being, while also protecting the land.
In order for a product to carry the Rainforest Alliance seal, the company involved in the food supply chain or the farm where the food is produced must undergo a certification program (The Sustainable Agriculture Standard).
As for the claims that this organization’s seal represents a genetically modified product, they are completely unfounded. In fact, the Sustainable Agriculture Standard prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms on farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance.
In a previous analysis by Raskrinkavanje, we addressed the false claims that the Rainforest Alliance logo on products symbolizes toxic food. The Rainforest Alliance is currently in the process of gradually phasing out the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides by 2028 as part of its certification program. Although the organization generally does not allow such pesticides, there is a specific Exceptional Use Policy that permits the temporary use of certain banned substances in cases where no practical alternatives exist, particularly in monocultures such as bananas.
In addition to the aforementioned false claims, the Rainforest Alliance logo has also previously been linked to the presence of the herbicide atrazine in products carrying their label. These claims are also false, as we explained in this analysis.
Therefore, we consider the claim that stickers with a green frog indicate a GMO product to be fake news. The claim that they indicate products with toxic additives is classified as the distribution of fake news.
