Do you accept products that are manufactured on shared machinery?
We allow companies to use shared machinery for products, provided they follow strict cleaning protocols and document them. This means that while the equipment is thoroughly sanitized between non-vegan and vegan batches, there may still be trace amounts of animal products present, such as eggs or dairy. For this reason, a product with our Certified Vegan logo may not be suitable for individuals with food allergies.
The Certified Vegan logo is not a label for food allergies or dietary purity. It’s a symbol of our core mission: to reduce animal suffering and cruelty. We understand that many people choose a plant-based diet for health, religious, or allergy reasons, but the Certified Vegan logo is specifically designed to help consumers use their purchasing power to support cruelty-free products.
Most vegan companies, especially small ones, can’t afford their own dedicated machinery and often lease non-vegan kitchens or equipment. If we were to require separate equipment, many of these companies wouldn’t be able to exist, and there would be far fewer vegan options on the market.
When we developed our certification, we had to decide what “vegan” would mean for our label. We concluded that it was more beneficial to allow for the possibility of trace cross-contamination rather than exclude a wide range of products that are otherwise animal-free. We believe that this approach, which is shared by other prominent vegan organizations, is an effective way to grow the availability of vegan products.
Our goal is to make veganism more accessible and appealing to everyone. By showing the food and cosmetic industries that there is a strong market for vegan products, we can encourage more companies to create them.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Certified Vegan products are dairy-free/non-dairy, egg-free, and vegan. However, for those with food allergies, please check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Many companies that make vegan products are using shared machinery.
