Why Us Vegetarian certification
The V-Label logo is internationally recognized as a trustworthy ally for consumers who follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
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V-Label is being used by a growing number of businesses worldwide, providing a competitive advantage among others. Are you still thinking about it?
Vegetarian certification What is it
Foods and other products that are considered suitable for vegetarians are those that do not contain animals or their parts. However, their production may involve the use of living animals or their by-products. Therefore, meat and fish are not vegetarian, but on the contrary, milk, honey, eggs, and dairy products under circumstances, could be.
- Recognition: V-Label is a highly recognizable certification body both locally and internationally. Certification from such an organization helps consumers choose this product among its alternatives, providing a competitive advantage on the shelf.
- Enhanced Transparency: Consumers increasingly seek products with clean labeling. Consumer research by V-Label reveals that 91% of consumers across 40 countries prefer products certified by an independent body that guarantees their nature, without the need to spend extra time reading the label. Similar findings observed in Greece, where 70% of consumers consider important for vegan or vegetarian products to bear a logo, such as the V-Label logo, according to HellasVeg’ s survey
- Expansion to New Target Groups: Plant-based products are a rising trend. V-Label certification is an easy way for businesses to increase the appeal of their products, attracting flexitarian consumers as well. Flexitarians are those who desire to reduce their consumption of animal meat.
- Increase Sales: Producers can benefit from the increased trust consumers show in the V-Label logo. According to a V-Label survey, consumers are more willing to pay more for a product with the V-Label logo compared to the same product without it.
Vegetarian certification The certifier
V-Label was founded in Switzerland in 1996, and its ownership belongs to the European Vegetarian Union (EVU).
V-Label is an internationally recognized and registered symbol for labeling vegan and vegetarian products and services. Worldwide, over 50,000 products from more than 4,300 licensees now bear the V-Label symbol.
Currently, V-Label has 29 local partners in various countries worldwide, speaking more than 20 different languages. Greekexports joined the effort to promote plant-based products in the food and cosmetics industries in 2020, becoming the 28th local partner of V-Label with exclusive responsibility for Greece, Cyprus, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Egypt.
For more information, you can visit the official website of V-Label at the following link: https://www.v-label.eu/ and submit a request for a quote.
The Greekexports team will be there for you whenever you need assistance.
GREEKEXPORTS SMPC Around the World
Vegetarian certification What is it
The terms "vegan" and "vegetarian" are related to individual and social ideals, representing a way of life that seeks to exclude, as much as possible, all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty in the fields of food and beverages, personal care products, households, etc.
However, when it comes to labeling vegan and vegetarian products, it is not clear what exactly these terms mean because there are no official definitions either at the European level or at national levels. Therefore, V-Label provides credibility to the products it certifies as it is based on criteria developed by vegetarian organizations throughout Europe.
When you purchase a vegetarian product that bears the V-Label logo, you can be sure of the following:
- It does not contain any parts of the animal's body.
- It may have been produced with the use of live animals and animal-derived products (cruelty-free).
- Only free-range eggs are used.
- No animal testing has been conducted.
- It does not contain or use GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).
- Measures are taken to avoid cross-contamination of non-vegetarian materials during production.
Significance Why is it Important
The market for vegan and vegetarian foods is constantly growing as more and more consumers are transitioning to plant-based choices. The market for plant-based products in Europe and the United Kingdom is projected to reach €7.2 billion by 2025, compared to the estimated €4.4 billion in 2019, according to ING Think.
Consumers seem to reduce certain animal-based products without following a vegan or vegetarian diet. According to Euromonitor's research in 2020, 42% of global consumers represented this trend (flexitarian diet), while vegans and vegetarians accounted for only 4% and 6%, respectively. In Greece, the percentage of flexitarians reached 25%. The reasons for this trend vary (ProVeg Market Data Compilation, 2019).
V-Label is a leader in the global market for plant-based products, offering:
- Transparency: Thanks to standardized criteria and specifications, consumers can easily identify vegan and vegetarian products among others.
- Guidance: With the help of specialized scientists and technologists in the plant-based field, V-Label serves as a "guide" for industry inquiries as well as everyday consumer shopping.
- Trust: Due to thorough inspections outlined by the standard, both the industry and the consumer can be confident that the certified product follows specific guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Europe, V-Label has been established mainly in the food sector, making it the best-known company in this sector for years, according to research. V-Label is currently making its entry into the cosmetics sector as well, followed by cleaning products and other non-food products.
In Greece, the product categories that have been certified vegetarian with V-Label to date are the following:
- Dairy Products
- Ready-to-eat foods
- Snacks
- Sweets
- Sauces & Dressings
- Cosmetics
- Personal hygiene products
The certification process consists of 5 simple steps:
- Registration of the expression of interest.
- Issuance of a personalized offer.
- Signing the offer and agreement.
- Initiation of the certification process and evaluation of product.
- Approval and issuance of the certificate.
From the acceptance of the Offer and signing of the Contract, the time frame until the certificate is issued ranges from 2 to 4 weeks.
The cost of certification is annual and includes product evaluation and the right to use the V-Label logo. The offer is issued per product code and is additionally determined based on the nature of each product. Additional cost is incurred for inspections.
V-Label certified products are not only checked for their composition but also at every stage of their production process. Therefore, V-Label can be considered a symbol of reliability for consumers.
By simply reading the list of ingredients, you cannot be sure whether a product is vegan or vegetarian, even if you are a food technologist! Some additives are indicated by E numbers (such as E441 is gelatin), while other ingredients are not even mandatory to be listed on the label.
Lastly, the origin of certain ingredients (e.g., additives) is not mandatory to be disclosed on labels, which does not provide a clear indication of whether they are of animal or plant origin.
V-Label does not certify the following products or products that contain the following ingredients:
- Meat products
- Fats from fish, parts of fish, or other marine animals
- Animal-derived fragrances (excluding dairy)
- Eggs (e.g., caviar), except for free-range poultry eggs
- Dairy products using animal rennet.
- Royal jelly -Colorants from animal by-products (e.g., cochineal or carmine)
- Sugar processed with bone char powder.
- Animal-derived carriers for additives (e.g., flavors) and other compounds
- Clarifying agents of animal origin (e.g., gelatin, isinglass)
Yes, there is a limitation. The V-Label standard does not certify products that contain eggs from caged hens (including enriched cage systems and rearing in small groups). Only free-range eggs are accepted.
Rennet, also known as chymosin, is an enzyme used in cheese production to coagulate milk. Traditional rennet naturally occurs in the stomachs of young ruminant animals (calves, lambs, goats). However, in recent years, due to either dietary reasons (vegan or vegetarian diet) or religious beliefs, the need for alternative types of rennet has occur.
Today, there are alternative rennet products available in the market, either of plant origin (artichoke) or microbial origin (fungi or bacteria), to produce traditional or alternative cheeses. A cheese can be certified as vegetarian according to V-Label, strictly on the case that the rennet used is not of animal origin.
By filling the application form found here, you will receive the corresponding quote.