Vegan

Definition

Vegan — Contains no animal-derived ingredients and no animal byproducts.

A product labeled vegan contains no ingredients sourced from animals — no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, beeswax, lanolin, carmine, gelatin, silk, or other animal-derived substances.

In personal care and cosmetics, "vegan" is distinct from "cruelty-free": a vegan product may still have been tested on animals unless it also carries a cruelty-free certification, and a cruelty-free product may still contain animal byproducts.

Reliable third-party vegan certifications include The Vegan Society's trademark, Vegan Action's Certified Vegan logo, and PETA's Vegan mark.

See Vegan products

Browse top-ranked Vegan-certified products across categories.

Beauty & Personal CareFood & NutritionHome & CleaningKitchen & DiningFurniture & DecorFashion & Apparel

Related terms

Cruelty-Free
Neither the finished product nor its ingredients were tested on animals.
B Corp
A for-profit company independently verified to meet high social and environmental standards.
USDA Organic
U.S. federal certification for food and farming free from synthetic pesticides, GMOs, and irradiation.
Fair Trade
Producers in developing countries are paid a fair minimum price plus a community premium.

Using Vegan without overreading the claim

Contains no animal-derived ingredients and no animal byproducts.

This term is not, by itself, proof of a certified product. Its meaning may depend on a technical definition, local rules or the boundaries of a particular claim.

Separate the question the term addresses from questions it does not answer. Material sourcing, labour conditions, chemical safety and disposal need different evidence. Catalogue labels are a starting point for checking that evidence, not a substitute for it.

Vegan: verification guide

CheckActionLimitation
DefinitionAsk what the term means in this claimTechnical concepts and marketing promises are different
BoundaryIdentify materials, locations and stages coveredA claim about one component cannot describe the whole lifecycle
EvidenceRequest methods, assumptions and dated supporting documentsA claim can need evidence without having a dedicated certifier

Before relying on Vegan

  • DefinitionAsk what the term means in this claim
  • BoundaryIdentify materials, locations and stages covered
  • EvidenceRequest methods, assumptions and dated supporting documents

Frequently asked

What does Vegan mean?+

Contains no animal-derived ingredients and no animal byproducts.

How can I check a Vegan claim?+

Ask what the term means in this claim. Identify materials, locations and stages covered. Request methods, assumptions and dated supporting documents.