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.
The short version
An AVA Certified Vegetarian product contains no animal-sourced ingredients where the animal is killed or harmed. That means no meat, fowl, fish, or insects, and no leather components.
What is allowed
Products may contain milk, eggs, honey, and wool — ingredients sourced from animals that are not killed or harmed in the process.
Why it matters
For consumers, the seal removes the burden of parsing every ingredient line. For brands, it communicates a verified standard at a glance.
About AVA certification
The American Vegetarian Association® has certified food and consumer products since 1996. Our five certifications — Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended — give shoppers a quick, reliable way to identify products that meet a clear, audited standard. Each certification has its own publicly documented ingredient and processing requirements. Brands choose the seal that matches their formulation and consumer story, and AVA reviews the product against the criteria for that seal.
AVA Certification review takes 5 to 7 business days after we receive payment, ingredient list, product label, and sample. Certifications are valid for one year and renewable. Any change in formulation, supplier, or processing must be reported so the product can be re-reviewed before the AVA Logo continues to appear on packaging. Reach out via the Contact page or begin an application on the Get Certified page.
Common questions from new applicants
Two questions come up on almost every Vegetarian application. First: do trace processing aids count? Yes — animal-derived processing aids (gelatin used as a clarifier, animal-derived enzymes) disqualify a product from Vegetarian Certification even when they do not appear on the consumer-facing ingredient panel. Second: does shared equipment matter? AVA reviews shared-equipment risk on a category-by-category basis and may request supplier statements when allergen-style cross-contact is plausible. The reviewer will guide you through both questions during the application.