AVA Recommended

Certifies a product meets Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, or Animal-Free standards.

The Recommended seal is a flexible umbrella mark for brands whose product line spans multiple AVA certifications.

When to use Recommended

Use Recommended when you want a single trust mark across a product line that meets one or more AVA standards, while reserving the specific seal (Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free) for SKU-level packaging.

Apply for AVA Recommended Certification

Ready to certify your product? Complete the AVA application and a reviewer will respond with a quote, documentation requirements, and the next steps. AVA Recommended reviews take 5 to 7 business days from the moment we receive your payment, ingredient list, label, and product sample. Approved products receive a Certificate and the AVA Certification Logo for packaging, marketing, and shelf use. Certifications are valid for one year with a simple renewal path. Visit the Get Certified page to begin, or compare alternatives on the Certifications hub.

When Recommended makes sense

Recommended is built for product lines where SKUs sit across multiple AVA standards - for example, a brand whose snack line includes some Vegetarian SKUs and some Vegan SKUs. The Recommended seal can appear on brand-level marketing, retailer slicks, and category pages while the per-SKU packaging continues to carry the specific Vegetarian or Vegan seal it has earned.

How Recommended works alongside the specific seals

The Recommended umbrella does not replace the per-SKU certification. Each underlying product still has to be reviewed and approved against its specific AVA standard. Recommended is best understood as a brand-level trust signal that says 'every product in this line meets one of the AVA seal standards', leaving the per-SKU seal to communicate exactly which standard.

Application notes

Brands typically apply for Recommended after they have at least one SKU certified under a specific AVA standard. The Recommended review confirms that every SKU in the named line is - or will be - certified under one of the AVA standards, and that brand-level marketing using the Recommended seal accurately reflects the certified scope.

Renewal

Recommended is renewed annually alongside the per-SKU certifications it relies on. Adding a new SKU to a Recommended line requires that SKU to also be certified under a specific AVA standard before it can claim coverage under the Recommended umbrella.