# American Vegetarian Association

> The American Vegetarian Association® certifies food and consumer products under five marks - Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended - so shoppers can identify products that meet a clear, audited standard. Certifying since 1996.

AVA certifies Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended products. Trusted ingredient assurance for brands and consumers since 1996.

## Pages
- [About AVA - Trusted Ingredient Assurance Since 1996](https://americanveg.org/about/): The American Vegetarian Association® has certified vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and animal-free products since 1996. Learn our mission and history.
- [Contact AVA - 612-416-8550 - info@americanveg.org](https://americanveg.org/contact/): Reach the American Vegetarian Association. Call 612-416-8550, email info@americanveg.org, or visit our office at 60 S. 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN.
- [Get Your Product Certified by AVA - Apply Online](https://americanveg.org/get-certified/): Apply for AVA Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, or Recommended certification. Simple application, 5-7 business day review, annual renewal.
- [AVA Certification FAQ - Standards, Cost, Timeline](https://americanveg.org/faq/): Common questions about AVA Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended certifications: standards, cost, timeline, renewals, confidentiality.
- [AVA Certifications - Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based & More](https://americanveg.org/certifications/): Explore the five AVA Certifications: Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended. Compare standards and choose the right seal.
- [AVA Blog - Vegetarian, Vegan & Plant-Based Insights](https://americanveg.org/blog/): Standards explained, process walkthroughs, and certification news from the American Vegetarian Association. Insights for brands and consumers.
- [Home](https://americanveg.org/): AVA certifies Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, Animal-Free, and Recommended products. Trusted ingredient assurance for brands and consumers since 1996.

## Certifications
- [AVA Vegan Certification - American Vegetarian Association](https://americanveg.org/certifications/vegan-certification/): Get the AVA Certified Vegan logo for your products. Our strictest seal verifies no animal-sourced ingredients, no animal-derived genes, no animal-sourced pro…
- [AVA Vegetarian Certification - American Vegetarian Assn.](https://americanveg.org/certifications/vegetarian-certification/): AVA Certified Vegetarian: products free of animal-sourced ingredients where the animal is killed or harmed. Trusted ingredient assurance.
- [Plant-Based Certification & Label: AVA Certified Plant-Based](https://americanveg.org/certifications/plant-based-certification/): AVA Plant-Based Certification verifies the 80% or more by weight, including water standard for a certified plant-based label. A separate audited standard fro…
- [Animal-Free Certification for Precision Fermentation | AVA](https://americanveg.org/certifications/animal-free-certification/): AVA Animal-Free Certification (also written animal free) reviews precision-fermentation and recombinant-protein products: no animal-sourced ingredients, no a…
- [AVA Recommended Certification - American Vegetarian Assn.](https://americanveg.org/certifications/recommended-certification/): The AVA Recommended seal certifies a product meets Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based, or Animal-Free standards.
- [Vegan Symbol and Vegetarian Logo: AVA Seals Guide](https://americanveg.org/certifications/seals-and-symbols/): What each AVA seal means: the vegan symbol, vegetarian logo, plant-based, animal-free, and recommended marks. See all five AVA seals and what each one verifies.

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

## Optional
- [Sitemap (XML)](https://americanveg.org/sitemap.xml): Machine-readable index of every public page.