The Vegan Trademark is the authentic international vegan standard that was created by The Vegan Society; the charity that coined the term 'vegan' back in 1944. Our dedicated and experienced vegan team check each product application against the below criteria, working with manufacturers and suppliers across a range of fields to ensure that each product meets the highest vegan standards. The Vegan Trademark is renewed on a yearly basis to ensure we have the most up to date information on all the products we certify.
Animals
The Vegan Society understands the word 'animal' to refer to the entire animal kingdom. That is all vertebrates and all multicellular invertebrates. 'Animal' can refer to a species or an individual; and is used as a noun or an adjective, as required. Unless otherwise stated, it usually means non-human animals.
Animal ingredients
The manufacture and/or development of the product, and its ingredients, must not involve or have involved, the use of any animal product, by-product or derivative.
Animal testing
The development and/or manufacture of the product, and its ingredients, must not involve or have involved, testing of any sort on animals conducted at the initiative of the company or on its behalf, or by parties over whom the company has effective control.
Cross-contamination
The Vegan Trademark standards require brands to minimise cross-contamination as far as is reasonably practicable and possible. Brands should be able to confirm that their company strives diligently to minimise cross contamination from animal* substances used in other (non-vegan) products.
Restaurants and Catering Establishments: As a minimum, surfaces and utensils must be thoroughly cleaned down prior to being used for preparing, cooking and serving vegan products. Brands must be aware of the risk of cross-contamination from non-vegan sources in the storage and production areas and take all reasonable, practical steps to eliminate this. If producing non-vegan dishes, we strongly recommend preparing/cooking the vegan dishes first.
Manufacturing Facilities: Companies must be aware of the risk from ingredients of animal* origin (including derivatives) in the production area and take all reasonable, practical steps to eliminate this. Potential methods of cross-contamination prevention to consider include: sufficient segregation measures, effective hygiene and good management practices. As a minimum, production lines must be thoroughly cleaned down (and flushed, if necessary, with a vegan-suitable material) prior to being used for a vegan production line. If producing non-vegan lines at the same facilities, we strongly recommend running the vegan line first.
*The Vegan Society understands the word “animal” to refer to the entire Animal Kingdom, that is all vertebrates and multi-cellular invertebrates.”
FAQs
Registration
We offer a unique product checking service for both products and ingredients. As the charity that coined the term vegan and with decades of experience we are the experts in this field.
Our Vegan Trademark holders benefit in a multitude of ways. From credible brand awareness, market insights and expert guidance, alongside access to the vegan community to social media promotion, competitions and product exposure at events. You can find out more about the benefits of getting the Vegan Trademark on our homepage.
All you need is a traceable supply chain for your product or ingredient. We certify products from a wide range of companies and manufacturers and aim to make the Vegan Trademark accessible to everyone whose products fit our specific vegan requirements. Your supply chain must not contain animal ingredients, by-products or animal testing by the company or on its behalf. If you are struggling to veganise your supply chain, we can help.
Our experienced officers will guide you through the four-step process of certifying your products with the Vegan Trademark.
Apply now to get started or fill in our simple enquiry form to talk to a member of our team.
Please allow between 30 and 60 working days. This is dependent on the complexity of your application and the efficiency of communication channels.
If you have any deadlines, please let us know and we will always do our best to work with you to meet them. We are happy to work directly with your suppliers on the certification.
As many as you want! There's no limit.
Yes, we know how helpful it is to have menu items clearly labelled when customers are looking for something to eat or drink. That's why we register individual menu items and dishes to demonstrate that they are suitable for vegans.
To register your dishes, you must have a stable and traceable supply chain for your ingredients. If this is likely to change regularly or you are unable to contact the suppliers of your ingredients, The Vegan Society’s trademark would not be suitable.
We also consider cross contamination as an integral part of menu item certification. Here is a short video about our cross contamination minimisation standards.
We have two different ways of working with supermarkets – either directly through yourselves or through your suppliers. Please get in touch to find out more!
The Vegan Trademark certification scheme has been around since 1990. It’s a trusted vegan label recognised globally, with over 70,000 products certified and is the gold standard in vegan third-party certification. It was created in 1990 by The Vegan Society (the charity that coined the term ‘vegan’ in 1944) to improve product labelling and has been setting the standard ever since.
Any product that meets our vegan standards can be certified, from food and drink to fashion, packaging, household items, musical instruments, book materials, car interiors, restaurant/catering menu items, raw materials and more.
Our team of experts checks each product and all ingredients to make sure our stringent standards are met. This is what makes the Vegan Trademark one of the most trusted vegan certifications internationally.
As part of a charity, the Vegan Trademark is committed to being accessible to everyone whose products meet our specific standards, from large companies to small businesses. All profits generated through our certification scheme go back into operating The Vegan Society and its charity work, including education, policy campaigning, supplying grants, nutritional support and more.
From the beginning of the certification process, each client receives an account manager who will guide them through certification of products and beyond, answering any specific questions and even supporting them in finding alternative vegan ingredients and processes where needed.
Once certification is complete, Vegan Trademark holders receive a marketing toolkit, which will guide them through how to utilise their certification in their own marketing as well as exclusive partner opportunities. Vegan Trademark holders can also benefit from promotional opportunities on The Vegan Society and Vegan Trademark channels by featuring in campaigns, blog posts, social media posts, our podcast, events, vegan publications, verified vendor lists and more. All promotional opportunities are subject to availability, audiences and scheduling restrictions.
The Vegan Trademark Licence
Yes. You must apply for a Licence Agreement to use the Vegan Trademark. You can find out more about the benefits of getting the Vegan Trademark on our homepage.
We allow the use of the Trademark without a licence for educational publication purposes only.
Any use, including imagery or copy, must be approved by The Vegan Society. Please fill in our business enquiry form.
We offer the options of 12-, 24- or 36-month licences.
Supermarket licences are usually set at 12 months to support the high turnover of products.
At the end of your license you will get the opportunity to renew. You can add additional products at any time during your licence terms. If the production or formulation of a certified product changes, this will need to be reviewed to ensure that it still meets our certification standards. Appointed account managers will be available for advice and support throughout and will advise Vegan Trademark holders when it is time for their licence renewal.
Apply for the Vegan Trademark
Ensure your product meets the highest international vegan standards. Certification helps build trust with conscious consumers and strengthens your brand in the growing vegan market.
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