Certified Vegan Application

Submit online today:

FOR FOODS, DRINKS, SUPPLEMENTS, PERSONAL CARE AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS :

- Vegan Certification NEW Application

- Vegan Certification PRODUCT ADDITIONS Application

- Vegan Certification PRODUCT UPDATES/CHANGES Application

Application Documents

FOR TEXTILES AND CONSUMER GOODS

- Vegan Certification NEW Application

- Vegan Certification NEW PRODUCTS Application

- Vegan Certification PRODUCT UPDATES/CHANGES Application

Application Documents

Who we accept applications from:

- Companies, brand owners, and manufacturers located in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and U.S. territories.

  • - Parent companies, however we do require an application, agreement, and annual licensing fee for each brand under a parent company.
  •  
  • We do not permit the Certified Vegan Logo to be used on products sold to or distributed to China if it is a product that requires animal testing.  

Who we DO NOT accept applications from:

  • - Distributors
  • - Suppliers
  • - Co-packers
  • - Consultants

What is the cost for applying for certification?

There is a $100 non-refundable application fee to apply.  If your application is finalized and approved, the fee will be applied to your first annual licensing fee payment. 

What is the turn around time for certification?

It is different for every application dependent on the number of products being submitted and the number of ingredients per product. We cannot give an exact answer but we aim for 4 - 6 weeks. We politely ask that you do not inquire by phone or email as we will notify applicants of the turn around time once we have received the application.

How Do We Define Animal Testing?

Animal Testing is defined by Vegan Action as the use of animals (live or deceased) for any type of research purposes whatsoever to include environmental safety, feed or nutrition trials, toxicity testing, or animal tests or trials "as required by law" including third-party testing or being tested by another company or independent contractor.

Protocol for Submitting an Application for Certified Vegan Status:

We have TWO different applications to make it easier to submit your application based on what type of product you are submitting as described below:

We have an application for FOODS, DRINKS, SUPPLEMENTS, PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS, AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS such as energy drinks, pasta, granola, deodorant, toothpaste, and laundry detergent.  We require both source and no animal testing documents for all ingredients as well as additions, processing aids ,and finishing agents not claimed on the label.  In addition we require shared machinery information 

We have an application for TEXTILES AND CONSUMER GOODS such as towels, shoes and clothing, electronics, paper products, jewelry, sports equipment, and arts and crafts materials.  We require source documentation on all materials.  We require no animal testing documentation on all materials, adhesives, implements, and pieces however there are exceptions in not requiring documentation for materials such as wood, metal, and stone for example.

If you are unsure which application to use, please feel free to email us at contact@vegan.org.

We require a No Animal Testing document from the manufacturer of every ingredient being submitted. This means that for every ingredient, you will need to submit two documents - one proving the source of the ingredient (plant, mineral, fungal, bacterial, or synthetic) and another on letterhead showing that the manufacturer has not tested THAT specific ingredient on animals (nor paid another organization to do so) since the year 2009. In addition, we are requiring more detailed information on ingredients that may be clarified, defoamed, filtered, or contain fillers or excipients. For this reason, we are requesting documentation showing all sweeteners, juices, vinegars, beer, wine, alcohol, cultures, vitamins, and enzymes have not been processed with any animal products. To make this easier for you, we provide an Ingredient Information Form for each ingredient detailing exactly what is needed.

While we do not require information or documentation on external or internal product packaging for Certified Vegan products, please note we DO NOT permit animal products or by-products permitted inside packaging that would come in contact with the product such as animal derived biopolymers for food packaging applications (also known as bio-composite film).

Process

1. Vegan Action will review the application to be sure that all information is filled out and signed.

2. Vegan Action confirm application fee has been submitted and all required paperwork is included:

The following documents must be submitted with the online application in order to be reviewed:
a. A list with each product and its ingredients submitted in EXCEL format, including those not required by labeling laws (fillers, excipients, processing aids, and carriers). In addition, EVERY ingredient must have a source document from the MANUFACTURER showing the origin as plant, mineral, algal, bacterial, or synthetic for ALL ingredients. A statement saying it is vegan WILL NOT be accepted.
b. Copies of each label of each product being submitted.
c. A signed Shared Machinery Statement as well as information regarding processing methods that may contain animal products or possible trace amounts of animal ingredients due to use of shared machinery must be explained. Provide clear cleaning methods for shared machinery, a SOP for example, (if applicable). Use of shared machinery does not disqualify your products.
d. A signed No Animal Testing Statement from a representative of your company that there has been no animal testing on the finished product after the year 2009.
e. Signed statements for each product ingredient from the manufacturer that they have not conducted any animal testing or contracted animal testing on their behalf after the year 2009 for each ingredient must be included in the application.  We do make an exception for our No Animal Testing document requirement for plant parts/vegetables (fruits, stem, leaves , flowers, seeds, nuts) that are purchased from a farmer's market or independent grocery store. 
f. A signed No Animal By-Products statement from a representative of your company that there are no animal by-products in the processing of or the finished product.
g. Products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) are acceptable as long as they have not involved animal genes or animal-derived substances in the development or production and must be labeled as such (if applicable). Products containing animal-derived GMOs do not qualify for Vegan Certification.
h. Products containing sweeteners will need verification from the supplier that it has not been filtered through bone char or finished with animal products before being approved. Please include this verification with your application (if applicable). Ex. agave, maple syrup, corn syrup, sugar, etc.
i. If you are applying for or product that is or contains beer, wine, vinegar or fruit juice, you must include a statement showing that no animal by-products are used as a clarifying agent is required.
j. Products containing pre/pro biotics, cultures, vitamins, oral minerals, bacterial strains, and enzymes must include an Ingredient Information Form completed or acceptable documentation submitted to show those ingredients are not processed with animal by-products including the growth medium.

Information submitted will be kept in total confidentiality.

3. Ingredient documents are reviewed and confirmed to not be animal-derived. If any ingredients are questionable, we will request additional documentation to show it is not animal-derived (it may be plant-derived, mineral, fungal, bacterial or synthetic). We will often ask the applicant to contact the manufacturer directly to request more detailed information.

4. Once we have determined that all ingredients and processes are acceptable for Vegan Certification, Vegan Action will send a Licensing Agreement to the company with a list of the products approved for use of the Certified Vegan Logo mark as well as the Guidelines for Use of the Certified Vegan Logo mark in Print.

5.  Upon receiving the signed agreement and the remainder of the annual licensing fee, Vegan Action will send a signed copy of the annual agreement, the digital logos, and a certificate of approval. We will add the company to our List of Companies with Certified Vegan products on www.vegan.org and share on our social media.

Protocol for Adding Additional Product(s) for Certified Vegan Status (after the application has been approved):

1. Vegan Action will confirm that company is up to date with renewals and contact information.

2. Vegan Action will confirm product addition fee has been submitted and all required paperwork is included:

The following documents must be submitted in order to be reviewed:
a. A list with each product and its ingredients submitted in EXCEL format, including those not required by labeling laws (fillers, excipients, processing aids, and carriers). In addition, EVERY ingredient must have a source document from the MANUFACTURER showing the origin as plant, mineral, algal, bacterial, or synthetic for ALL ingredients. A statement saying it is vegan WILL NOT be accepted.
b. Copies of each label of each product being submitted.
c. A signed Shared Machinery Statement as well as information regarding processing methods that may contain animal products or possible trace amounts of animal ingredients due to use of shared machinery must be explained. Provide clear cleaning methods for shared machinery, a SOP for example, (if applicable). Use of shared machinery
does not disqualify your products.
d. A signed No Animal Testing Statement from a representative of your company that there has been no animal testing on the finished product after the year 2009.
e. Signed No Animal Testing statements for each product ingredient from each manufacturer that they have not conducted any animal testing or contracted animal testing on their behalf after the year 2009 for each ingredient must be included in the application. We do make an exception for our No Animal Testing document requirement for plant parts/vegetables (fruits, stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, nuts) that are only mechanically processed (primary food processing) that are purchased from a farmer's market or independent grocery store.
f. A signed No Animal By-Products statement from a representative of your company that there are no animal by-products in the processing of or the finished product.
g. Products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) are acceptable as long as they have not involved animal genes or animal-derived substances in the development or production and must be labeled as such (if applicable). Products containing animal-derived GMOs do not qualify for Vegan Certification.
h. Products containing sweeteners will need verification from the supplier that it has not been filtered through bone char or finished with animal products before being approved. Please include this verification with your application (if applicable). Ex. agave, maple syrup, corn syrup, sugar, etc.
i. If you are applying for or product that is or contains beer, wine, vinegar or fruit juice, you must include a statement showing that no animal by-products are used as a clarifying agent is required.
j. Products containing pre/pro biotics, cultures, vitamins, oral minerals, bacterial strains, and enzymes must include an Ingredient Information Form completed or acceptable documentation submitted to show those ingredients are not processed with animal by-products including the growth medium.

Information submitted will be kept in total confidentiality.

3. Ingredient documents are reviewed and sources are confirmed to not be animal-derived. If any ingredients are questionable, we will request additional documentation to show it is not animal-derived (it may be plant-derived, mineral, fungal, bacterial or synthetic). We will often ask the applicant to contact the manufacturer directly to request more detailed information.

4. Once we have determined that all ingredients and processes are acceptable for Vegan Certification, Vegan Action will approve the product(s) as Certified Vegan and will add those to the current Agreement.  *If company is due for annual renewal, that will be required to be completed before the approved products are added to the Agreement.

Document Restrictions and Examples

What is a SOP or cleaning procedures statement?

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a written document of procedures or programs used to maintain equipment and the environment in a sanitary condition for food processing. It is a step-by-step description of cleaning and sanitizing procedures and specifies.  It reduces food safety risks and eliminates cross-contamination as much as possible.  It will detail:

  • - what is to be cleaned,
  • - how it is to be cleaned,
  • - how often it is to be cleaned, and
  • - what records are used to monitor the procedures.

For Shared Machinery Statements on packaging, Acceptable language is:

"May contain traces of dairy due to shared machinery."

"Made in a facility/on machinery that also produces dairy products."

For Shared Machinery Statements on packaging, (exceptions to this may apply to products sold in Canada) Unacceptable language is:

"May contain dairy"*

"Contains traces of eggs"*

Examples of Acceptable No Animal Ingredients Support Statement:

"The following Ingredient is derived and processed only from plant and non-animal sources."

"The following ingredient does not contain any animal or animal derived materials."

"This product is solely produced from synthetic raw materials."

"There are no animal ingredients or animal derivatives involved in the production of this ingredient/product."

"Our products do not contain any ingredients derived from animal or animal byproducts."

"All of the products listed below are plant derived and contain no animal-derived ingredients or by-products."

"We certify that the ingredient ________ contains no animal products or by-products."

Examples of NOT Acceptable No Animal Ingredient Support Statements:

"Suitable for Vegans/Vegetarians."

"We certify that our products comply with a vegan/vegetarian diet."

"The above ingredient is not derived from any and/or does not contain any bovine products."

"We certify to the best of our knowledge that this product is plant derived."

Examples of Acceptable No Animal Testing Statements:

"The above/following ingredient has not been tested on animals by our company or contracted by another company to be tested on animals."

"Company has never and will never test our products or their individual ingredients/raw materials on animals."

"Company has not and does not test our ingredients or products on animals and is against animal testing."

"Company confirms that none of our products/ingredients have been tested on animals. The materials used to make our products have not been tested on animals."

"None of our products are or have been tested on animals."

Examples of NOT Acceptable No Animal Testing Statement:

"Our company does not test our products, raw materials or ingredients on animals unless required by law, regulation or a governmental authority."

"Company does not test our products, raw materials or ingredients on live animals unless no alternative method is available to ensure human safety prior to product use. In the rare cases where no alternative to live animal testing is available, we strive to minimize or avoid use of live animals. However, if such testing is unavoidable, we adhere to the strictest ethical and legal standards."

"Company does carry out minimal safety of individual flavor substances (whether distinct chemical entities or complex substances such as natural or processed flavors). This program has multiple elements of national legislation that may require toxicological testing in animals."

Guidelines for Use of the Certified Vegan Logo in Print

Companies with a signed Agreement and permission to use the Certified Vegan Logo ("Mark"):

General Guidelines and Restrictions for Use of the Certified Vegan Logo in Print and Social Media Purposes:

  • The Mark may not be displayed to represent a company or website, it may only represent the individual products that have been approved for use of the Mark. Companies using the Mark pursuant to these guidelines must also display in the primary and more prominent position, their own logo(s), business name, product names, or other branding.
  • The Mark may not be displayed on business cards or other marketing materials whereby the public may be misled into believing an entire company is certified or endorsed by Vegan Action.
  • The Mark may not be displayed on websites or marketing materials whereby the public may be misled into believing the company is a certifying body for the Certified Vegan Logo.
  • The Mark may not be displayed on websites or marketing materials whereby the public may be misled into believing that all products are “Certified Vegan” unless they are all confirmed and listed in Exhibit C.
  • The Mark may not be imitated or used as a design feature in any manner.
  • The Mark may not be used in a manner that would disparage Vegan Action or our programs.
  • Neither the Mark nor the Vegan Action name may be used by any other company name, product name, service name, domain name, website title, publication title, or the like without written permission. Use only the approved graphics provided by Vegan Action.
  • The Mark must be used as provided by Vegan Action with no changes, including but not limited to proportion, or design, or removal of any words or artwork. The Mark may not be animated, morphed, or otherwise distorted in perspective or appearance.
  • The symbol may not be separated from the logotype. The words “Certified Vegan” and “org” must be included in the Mark and may not be removed.
  • The Mark is not accompanied by the registered trademark symbol (®) although it is a registered trademark.

Mark Placement:

  • The Mark may be printed on packaging of approved products, advertisements, and websites (including social media posts) as long as it is clear that the business is not being promoted by Vegan Action nor that all of the business’ products are Certified Vegan (unless indeed all products produced by said company are Certified Vegan). Only the Approved Products can be indicated as Certified Vegan.
  • The Mark may be placed anywhere on the product packaging. There are no specific guidelines for Mark location on individual packaging.

Mark Size:

  • The Mark may be sized as needed on the product packaging. There are no specific guidelines for Mark size on individual packaging or websites (including social media posts).

Mark Color:

  • The Mark may be colored as needed on the product packaging as long as the symbol and words/logotype are visible. There are no specific guidelines for Mark color on individual packaging or websites (including social media posts).

The Certified Vegan Logo trademark is the property of the Vegan Awareness Foundation/Vegan Action and may be revoked under the following circumstance:

  1. Failure to conform to the certification Agreement.
  2. Non-payment of the licensing fee.
  3. Misuse of Certification Mark trademark on products not certified vegan. If at any time a Certified Product fails in more that an immaterial degree to conform to the standards and specifications that were the bases for the Certification, the Company is expected to immediately cease all use of the Certification Mark on it's undistributed Certified Product units and immediately destroy all nonconforming materials in their possession containing the Certification Mark if Vegan Action requests that they do so.  Company shall immediately notify all distributors, advertisers and customers who may have noncompliant Certified Product units and advertising therefore bearing the Certification Mark.   Additionally, Vegan Action will post a consumer notification on their website regarding the error. Misuse of the Certified Vegan Logo mark could result in a void contract and loss of Vegan Certification and the use of the Certification Mark.

The Vegan Awareness Foundation reserves the right to assess a penalty fee to any company that is found in violation of the merchant agreement by misuse of the trademark or by providing false or misleading information regarding ingredients and processing of product.  Vegan Action's services and the rights of the Certification Mark are unique in character and value such that the loss thereof could not be reasonably compensable in damages in an action at law.

Vegan Action does not permit companies to use language that implies that we recommend a product- “Certified (Vegan) by Vegan Action” is acceptable wording.

Please email contact@vegan.org in you have any questions regarding the above information.

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