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/
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.
Topics we cover
The AVA blog focuses on three recurring topic areas: standards explainers (what each AVA seal does and does not allow), process walkthroughs (what to expect from application through approval and renewal), and industry updates (changes in ingredient supply chains, retailer programs, and adjacent certifications worth knowing about). New posts are added periodically; subscribe to AVA updates by reaching out via the Contact page and asking to be added to the brand newsletter.