Our Certifications

Five clear, audited standards. One trusted seal program for vegetarian-minded consumers and the brands serving them. Compare the standards below and select the AVA certification that best fits your product.

How to choose the right AVA seal

Each AVA certification corresponds to a specific consumer expectation. Vegetarian permits ingredients from animals not killed or harmed (milk, eggs, honey). Vegan disallows all animal-sourced inputs and animal-derived genes. Plant-Based requires majority plant-derived ingredients with no animal sourcing. Animal-Free disallows animal sourcing and processing while permitting ingredients derived from animal genes via fermentation. Recommended is an umbrella mark for product lines spanning multiple AVA standards.

The five AVA certifications

• AVA Certified Vegan - Free of any animal-sourced ingredients and processing. No animal-derived genes. Learn more at https://americanveg.org/certifications/vegan-certification/
• AVA Certified Vegetarian - Product contains NO animal-sourced ingredients where the animal is killed or slaughtered. Learn more at https://americanveg.org/certifications/vegetarian-certification/
• AVA Certified Plant-Based - At least 80% plant-based ingredients by weight, including water, with no animal-sourced ingredients and no animal-sourced processing aids. Learn more at https://americanveg.org/certifications/plant-based-certification/
• AVA Certified Animal-Free - Free of animal-sourced ingredients and processing. Ingredients may be derived from animal genes, but free of any animal production. Learn more at https://americanveg.org/certifications/animal-free-certification/
• AVA Recommended - Certifies a product meets Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, or Animal-Free standards. Learn more at https://americanveg.org/certifications/recommended-certification/

What every certification includes

Every AVA-approved product receives a Certificate plus the appropriate AVA Certification Logo files for use on packaging, marketing collateral, and shelf signage. Certifications are valid for one year and renewable. Any change in formulation, supplier, or processing must be reported to AVA so the product can be re-reviewed against the certified standard before the seal continues to appear on packaging.

Comparing the standards

The simplest way to choose: if your product contains dairy, eggs, or honey and you want a vegetarian-friendly seal, choose Vegetarian. If your product is fully animal-free in both ingredients and processing and uses no animal-derived genes, choose Vegan. If your product is plant-forward but you would rather lead with a Plant-Based shelf signal, choose Plant-Based. If your product uses precision-fermentation or other ingredients derived from animal genes but produced without animals, choose Animal-Free. For multi-SKU lines spanning multiple standards, the Recommended umbrella seal can sit alongside per-SKU seals.