AVA Certified Vegetarian
Product contains NO animal-sourced ingredients where the animal is killed or slaughtered.
A vegetarian product contains no ingredient that requires an animal to be killed or harmed. It may still contain dairy, eggs, and honey, because those come from animals that are not killed or harmed. That single line is the whole vegetarian definition for a food product, and it is the line AVA Vegetarian Certification audits against.
The AVA Certified Vegetarian seal gives a shopper a quick, reliable way to read that claim on the shelf, and it gives a brand a standard that an independent body has reviewed rather than a word the brand printed about its own product. We have audited the same vegetarian standard since AVA began certifying products in 1996.
What does vegetarian mean for a food product?
Vegetarian means a product contains no ingredient that comes from an animal that was killed or harmed. Meat, fowl, and fish are out, because the animal has to be killed to produce them. Ingredients from a living animal stay in, because the animal is not killed or harmed to produce them. That is the dividing line, and it is the same line whether the product is a snack, a supplement, a drink, or a personal-care item. The everyday definition of a vegetarian diet works the same way: no meat, poultry, or fish, while dairy and eggs are commonly eaten. AVA Vegetarian Certification takes that idea and applies it to a finished product, checking the full ingredient list against the standard rather than relying on the word "vegetarian" a brand prints on the front of pack. A certified vegetarian product is one an independent body has reviewed against this definition.
What's not allowed: ingredients that disqualify a product
AVA Certified Vegetarian products contain NO meat, fowl, fish, or insects, and NO leather. Any ingredient that requires the animal to be killed or harmed is excluded from certified products. The disqualifying ingredients brands miss most often are the ones that do not read like "meat" on a label. We watch for gelatin and collagen (made from animal skin and bone), rennet from animal stomach lining, isinglass and other fish-derived clarifiers, carmine and cochineal (red colorings made from insects), shellac and confectioner's glaze (an insect resin), and meat-, poultry-, or fish-derived broths, fats, enzymes, and flavors. Each of these traces back to an animal that was killed or harmed, so each one keeps a product from earning the AVA Certified Vegetarian seal. We review the full ingredient list, the product label, and a sample against the standard before any seal is issued.
What's allowed
Products may contain animal-sourced ingredients where the animal is neither killed nor harmed. This includes milk and other dairy, eggs, honey, and wool. This is the part of the vegetarian definition people most often get wrong: vegetarian does not mean "no animal products." It means no ingredient from an animal that was killed or harmed. Dairy, eggs, and honey come from animals that are not killed or harmed, so they are permitted under the Vegetarian standard. A brand that needs a seal with no animal-sourced ingredients of any kind, including dairy, eggs, and honey, should look at AVA Vegan Certification instead.
The AVA Certified Vegetarian logo and symbol
The AVA Certified Vegetarian logo is the round seal a brand displays on packaging, websites, and marketing once a product passes review. It carries the "AVA Certified Vegetarian" wordmark and tells a shopper, at a glance, that an independent body has verified the product against the Vegetarian standard rather than the brand simply writing "vegetarian" on the label. The logo and symbol may only be used on products we have approved, and only for as long as the certification is current. We issue the artwork together with your Certificate after review, so a brand cannot place the seal on a product before approval. Certifications are reviewed annually and renewable, provided there is no formula or ingredient change. If you reformulate, the product is reviewed again before the logo can continue.
What does vegetarian certified mean
Vegetarian certified does not mean "no animal products." That is the point people most often get wrong. AVA Certified Vegetarian means an independent body, the American Vegetarian Association, has reviewed a product and confirmed it contains no ingredient sourced from an animal that is killed or harmed. The test we apply is one line: where the animal is killed or harmed. If an ingredient requires the animal to be killed or slaughtered, it is excluded. If the ingredient comes from an animal that is neither killed nor harmed, it is permitted. That single rule is why the vegetarian standard and the vegan standard are not the same seal. Permitted by-products, because the animal is not killed or harmed: • Milk and dairy • Eggs • Honey and other bee by-products • Wool Excluded, because the animal is killed or harmed: • Meat and poultry • Fish and shellfish • Insects and insect-derived ingredients such as carmine • Gelatin and other slaughter by-products • Rennet from animal stomach lining, and isinglass • Leather A vegetarian label carries this meaning only when it has been checked against an audited standard rather than written by the brand about its own product. That is what the AVA Certified Vegetarian seal verifies on the package.
Simple + Efficient Process
Complete the application. We receive your payment, ingredient list, product label, and sample. AVA Certification review takes 5 to 7 business days after receiving all requirements. We then issue your Certificate and the AVA Certified Vegetarian logo and symbol for use on your vegetarian certified foods and products.
Apply for AVA Vegetarian Certification
Ready to certify your product? Complete the AVA application and a reviewer will respond with a quote, documentation requirements, and the next steps. AVA Certified Vegetarian reviews take 5 to 7 business days from the moment we receive your payment, ingredient list, label, and product sample. Approved products receive a Certificate and the AVA Certification Logo for packaging, marketing, and shelf use. Certifications are valid for one year with a simple renewal path. Visit the Get Certified page to begin, or compare alternatives on the Certifications hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the definition of vegetarian for a food product?
Vegetarian means a product contains no ingredient from an animal that was killed or harmed. Meat, fowl, fish, insects, gelatin, rennet, and other slaughter-derived ingredients are excluded. Ingredients from animals that are not killed or harmed, such as milk, eggs, and honey, are permitted. AVA Certified Vegetarian applies that definition to a finished product, reviewing the full ingredient list against the standard before any seal is issued.
What ingredients disqualify a product from Vegetarian Certification?
Any ingredient sourced from an animal that was killed or harmed disqualifies a product. That includes meat, fowl, fish, and insects, plus the less obvious ones such as gelatin and collagen, rennet, isinglass and other fish-derived clarifiers, carmine and cochineal, shellac, and meat-, poultry-, or fish-derived broths, fats, enzymes, and flavors. Leather products are excluded as well.
Can a Vegetarian-certified product contain dairy or eggs?
Yes. Products may contain milk and other dairy, eggs, honey, and wool because these ingredients come from animals that are not killed or harmed. Vegetarian does not mean "no animal products"; it means no ingredient from an animal that was killed or harmed.
Is honey vegetarian?
Yes. Honey is permitted under the AVA Vegetarian standard because the bees that produce it are not killed or harmed. Honey is excluded from AVA Vegan Certification, which allows no animal-sourced ingredients of any kind, but it qualifies as vegetarian.
Is cheese vegetarian, and what about gelatin?
Dairy cheese itself is vegetarian because milk comes from an animal that is not killed or harmed. The ingredient to check is the rennet used to set the cheese: rennet from animal stomach lining is slaughter-derived and disqualifies a product, while microbial or vegetable rennet keeps it vegetarian. Gelatin is never vegetarian, because it is made from animal skin and bone. We review the full ingredient list, so a product with animal rennet or gelatin would not earn the AVA Certified Vegetarian seal.
How is Vegetarian different from Vegan?
AVA Certified Vegetarian permits ingredients from animals that are not killed or harmed, such as milk, eggs, and honey, while excluding anything from an animal that was killed or harmed. AVA Certified Vegan is stricter: it allows no animal-sourced ingredients of any kind, no animal-derived genes, and no animal-sourced processing. They are separate standards reviewed against different criteria, so a brand picks the seal its formula actually meets.
How long does Vegetarian Certification take?
AVA Certification review takes 5 to 7 business days after we receive a complete submission: your application, payment, ingredient list, product label, and a sample. If the product meets the standard, we issue your Certificate and the AVA Certified Vegetarian logo and symbol. The logo may only be used after approval, and certifications are reviewed annually and renewable as long as the formula and ingredients do not change.
Is honey vegetarian?
Yes. Honey is permitted in an AVA Certified Vegetarian product because it is a by-product that does not require the animal to be killed or harmed. The vegetarian standard turns on that one line, where the animal is killed or harmed, so honey and other bee by-products are allowed. Honey is not permitted under our stricter Vegan or Plant-Based standards, which exclude all animal-sourced ingredients including bee products.
Is honey dairy?
No. Honey is not a dairy product. Dairy is milk and the ingredients made from it, while honey is a by-product made by bees. Both are permitted in an AVA Certified Vegetarian product for the same reason: neither requires the animal to be killed or harmed. They are separate ingredient categories, and a product can contain one, both, or neither and still meet the vegetarian standard.
Are eggs vegetarian?
Yes. Eggs are permitted in an AVA Certified Vegetarian product because a hen is not killed or harmed to produce them. Like milk, honey, and wool, eggs are an animal by-product rather than a slaughter product, so they meet the vegetarian standard. Eggs are excluded only under our stricter Vegan, Plant-Based, and Animal-Free seals.