What’s on your label?

When should your brand say vegan? The latest blog from the Vegan Trademark is here with the lowdown. 

In a market flooded with buzzwords, clear labelling can make or break a product's success. Terms like ‘vegan,’ ‘plant-based’ and ‘cruelty-free’ are increasingly used in conjunction with each other, but their meanings and implications vary significantly. For businesses, understanding and leveraging these distinctions is key to building trust with shoppers and creating loyal customers.  

With various certifications and logos used on packaging and point of sale, customer confusion is a real challenge. How can you ensure your product’s vegan credentials are instantly recognised and trusted? 

De-coding the terminology  

Knowing the differences between common labels helps your business make informed decisions. So, to make it easier for you we've put together a clear breakdown of the common terminology used in the vegan industry.  

Vegetarian 

Vegetarian products exclude ingredients made from animal body parts but may include other animal-derived substances like eggs, cheese, milk or honey.  

Plant-Based 

While the term 'plant-based' is often used synonymously with the words 'vegan' and/or 'vegetarian', it is inherently vague and ambiguous. The British Standards Institution (BSI) defines plant-based foods as those primarily made from plants but allows up to 5% animal-derived ingredients such as milk or eggs. 

• This inconsistency around the use of the word 'plant-based' creates confusion for shoppers looking for vegan products. At the Vegan Trademark we have also found the label 'plant-based' used as an alternative to vegan labelling when the product, or its development and manufacture, has not met our standards. It's becoming a precarious sidestep for businesses who want to capture the market but are wary of making misleading vegan claims. We have seen this in food services, arguably one of the most critical industries for clear product labelling which, again, demonstrates the importance of third-party verification and allowing consumers to make clear and informed choices about what they purchase.  

Cruelty-Free 

Mostly used for cosmetics, but increasingly being adopted by other industries including homeware, fashion and food, cruelty-free means a product is not tested on animals. However, it does not exclude animal products from the ingredients list and many  products labelled as 'cruelty-free' still include animal derived ingredients and by-products such as: 

• Collagen: Found in many face creams, derived from animal bones and tissues. 

• Keratin: Extracted from animal hair or horns, used in hair products. 

• Guanine: Sourced from fish scales for shimmer in makeup. 

• Tallow: Made from animal fat, used in soaps and foundations. 

A Fixed Cut-Off Date (FCOD) is a date after which a company will no longer test a product (and sometimes its ingredients) on animals and has been used in the UK and EU as a way for brands to comply with new regulations and enforce their new internal policies. Some certifications allow companies to certify their products as long as they observe FCOD. However, the Vegan Trademark does not consider using a fixed cut-off date as suitable as meeting its criteria. If animal testing has been conducted at the request or on behalf of the Vegan Trademark holder, or by parties over whom they have effective control, the product would not be eligible for the Vegan Trademark.   

Vegan 

Vegan-labelled products meet the highest ethical standards and exclude the use of animals throughout the development and production of the product. This means: 

• No animal-derived ingredients. 

• No animal-derived by-products 

• No animal testing. 

The term ‘vegan’ is a clear descriptor that a product has been made without the use of animals at any stage of production. For businesses looking to stand out in the growing vegan market, clear labelling isn’t just good practice—it’s a strategic advantage. Use the word ’vegan’ with confidence and back it up with trusted certification to: 

• Build credibility. 

• Establish ethical leadership. 

• Connect with the increasing number of consumers seeking genuinely vegan products. 

• Avoid misleading claims.

What are consumers looking for? 

If you want shoppers to find your products, ensure vegan is on the label. Why? Because that's the word they are searching for. There's an assumption by some in the industry that putting the word 'vegan' on products deters customers and that 'plant-based' is the more accessible option, but there is no data to back this up. What there is clear evidence for is people actively searching for 'vegan' at dramatically higher levels than 'plant-based'.   

Vegan Food and Living's Big Vegan Survey 2024 posed the question: “How do you prefer your food to be labelled?”- a resounding 74% of participants said they preferred the term vegan.  

Google Trends shows the searches for 'vegan' were almost 14 times higher than searches for 'plant-based' over the past five years -  

Social media also proves that consumers are showing a higher interest in the word vegan, with #vegan being followed more times than #plantbased on both Instagram and TikTok.  

Brands that operate internationally or plan to capture the expanding global market must carefully consider how their terminology translates across different languages and cultures. The term 'vegan' is widely recognised worldwide, even in areas where veganism is uncommon, and many languages have adopted it directly (e.g., vegano in Spanish, vegan in German). In contrast, 'plant-based' lacks the same clarity and impact internationally. Many languages do not have a direct equivalent and translations can sometimes fail to capture its intended meaning. 

So, if you want to ensure your products make the most of their vegan credentials be sure to say vegan! 

Why The Vegan Trademark? 

To achieve The Vegan Trademark, businesses must meet rigorous standards. Unlike other organisations, we only have one set of standards, so there is no confusion for businesses or shoppers. When a consumer sees the Vegan Trademark on a product, they know exactly what it means.  

The Vegan Trademark standards mean: 

• No animal ingredients: Products must exclude any substances derived from animals, directly or indirectly. 

• No 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.

• No GMOs with animal genes: Animal-derived substances cannot be used in the development of genetically modified organisms. 

• Minimised cross-contamination: Businesses must implement practical measures to prevent contamination from non-vegan substances during production and handling. 

These standards not only ensure consumer trust but also demonstrate your brand’s commitment to ethical practices. As consumer demand for ethical products continues to rise, businesses have an opportunity to lead with transparency and authenticity. By choosing clear, trusted labelling and embracing certifications like The Vegan Trademark, your brand can cut through the noise, meet customer expectations and thrive in a competitive, values-driven marketplace. 

In the world of ethical business, clear labelling isn’t just a tick-box exercise—it’s your reputation on the line.