From the AVA

Standards explained, process walkthroughs, and certification news for brands and consumers. Browse our latest articles on AVA Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended certifications.

Latest articles

• What Does 'AVA Certified Vegetarian' Actually Mean? - A plain-English breakdown of what is - and isn't - allowed in a product carrying the AVA Vegetarian seal. Read more at https://americanveg.org/blog/what-does-ava-certified-vegetarian-mean/
• Vegan vs. Plant-Based vs. Animal-Free: The Differences - These three certifications sound similar but mean very different things. Here's how to choose the right one for your product. Read more at https://americanveg.org/blog/vegan-vs-plant-based-vs-animal-free/
• The AVA Certification Process: From Application to Seal - What to expect when you apply for AVA Certification - from initial paperwork to receiving your logo files. Read more at https://americanveg.org/blog/the-ava-certification-process/
• Is Honey Vegan? Where It Lands Across Four Standards. - Honey gets a different answer under every label. Here is exactly where honey, eggs, and dairy sit across the four AVA Certification standards, in plain English. Read more at https://americanveg.org/blog/is-honey-vegan/
• Is Mustard Vegan and Vegetarian? Everyday Ingredients Across the AVA Standards. - Mustard, agave, shellac, and balsamic each get a different answer depending on the seal. See where these ambiguous ingredients land across the AVA standards. Read more at https://americanveg.org/blog/is-mustard-vegan/

Why we publish

AVA's certification standards are public, but the day-to-day questions brands ask - what counts as animal-sourced processing, how Plant-Based differs from Vegan, what to do when a supplier changes - deserve longer answers. The AVA blog is where we publish those plain-English explanations alongside walkthroughs of our certification process and updates on industry standards. Articles are written by members of the AVA team who actually run product reviews.

If there is a topic you wish AVA covered, reach out via the Contact page. We prioritize topics that help shoppers understand seals on shelves and help brands make confident, accurate ingredient claims.