Vegetarian Certification

Vegetarian Certification for Food and Supplement Products

Independent verification that your product contains no meat, fish or slaughter by-products, with the lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo variant verified and stated on the certificate.

The verified variant is stated on your certificate
Gelatin and animal rennet excluded; ambiguous-origin inputs checked at the source
Free quote, scoped to your products

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Certification: Vegetarian

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What do you make?

The quote is free and carries no obligation. Nothing is payable until you approve it in writing.

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Vegetarian is for products made with dairy or eggs. If your formulation qualifies for vegan, that is the stronger claim, and we will say so. See who this is for

500+ facilities certified by our team across its programs since 2016

What a vegetarian certificate does for your product

Vegetarian certification states exactly which claim was verified, so your label and your certificate say the same thing.

A claim that says what was checked

A bare “vegetarian” claim means different things in different markets. A certificate that names its variant ends the guessing for your buyer.

For products that cannot claim vegan

Vegetarian permits dairy and eggs; vegan excludes every animal-derived ingredient. The vegetarian mark is the dedicated claim for formulations made with dairy or eggs.

The ambiguous middle, checked

Nobody ships a vegetarian product with visible meat in it. The hard part is inputs whose animal origin is invisible on the finished label: rennet in a cheese powder, the source of an enzyme, fish-derived omega-3. The review asks the actual producer for a declaration.

Label wording matched to the certificate

The label must carry the certified variant exactly. A right formulation described with the wrong words is a nonconformity, and the easiest one to prevent.

How the vegetarian review is controlled

The variant is verified, then printed

Lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo: which variant your product qualifies for is settled in the review, and the certificate states it.

Requirements set out before you start

The requirements for this mark are set out on this page, so you see what the review will ask for before you send a document.

A named contact, a committee decision

A named contact at V-Cert handles your file end to end. The certification decision is made by a certification committee.

A certificate anyone can check

Every certificate carries its own number and a QR code. Your buyer can check it on the V-Cert verification portal with no account, and the check returns the certificate's current status.

Plain about accreditation

V-Cert is an independent certification body and is not ISO/IEC 17065 accredited. What each mark requires and the rules for granting, suspending and withdrawing certificates are published, and every certificate is verifiable by QR code.

NDA on request

We sign an NDA on request, before you send documents.

Track record — clients certified by our team across its programs since 2016

Vegetarian certification requirements

What the reviewer checks before a certificate is issued.

No meat, fish, shellfish or slaughter by-products, including gelatin and animal rennet
Variant definition — lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo — stated on the certificate face
Supplier declarations for ambiguous-origin ingredients: enzymes, glycerin, omega-3s, vitamin D3
Label wording must match the certified variant exactly
Mark used only on certified products within the stated scope

Core documents to prepare

Formulations
Ingredient specifications
Supplier declarations for ambiguous-origin ingredients: enzymes, glycerin, omega-3s, vitamin D3
For supplements: origin declarations for shells, actives and excipients

Your reviewer confirms the full list for your scope.

The three variants

Lacto-vegetarian permits dairy
Ovo-vegetarian permits eggs
Lacto-ovo vegetarian permits both
All three exclude meat, fish and slaughter by-products

The vegetarian certification process

Request and approve your quote
Tell us what you make. No documents at this stage. Your quote comes back scoped to your products, with its payment terms, and nothing is payable until you approve it in writing.
Send your documents
Once you approve the quote, you send the file: formulations, supplier declarations and the evidence listed in the requirements above.
Desk review
A reviewer reads every document against the requirements for the mark. Gaps pause the clock, they do not end the review — you get the name of the missing document, not a rejection.
Decision and certificate
The certification decision is made by a certification committee. A pass issues your certificate and the mark artwork in four formats. A shortfall is written up with exactly what is missing, and your file stays open.
Verify and renew
Your certificate carries its own number and a QR code that anyone can check, with no account. Certificates run for 12 months and are renewed annually.

Typical timeline: digital certificate within 7 business days of a complete application and documentation, for standard scopes. If your scope needs physical verification, it gets its own written timeline up front. Business days are Monday to Friday.

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Adding another mark to the same review

Non-GMO can be added to the same review; much of the origin paperwork overlaps. If your formulation is one supplier swap from vegan, your reviewer says so during the review. Marks reviewed together are quoted as one annual fee. Mention it under the optional details in the form.

Non-GMOVegan

Is V-Cert vegetarian certification right for you?

V-Cert may be a fit if…

Your products contain dairy or eggs and cannot honestly claim vegan
You make supplements with vegetarian but not vegan formulations
You make food for vegetarian consumers who check for a mark
You export, and need the certificate to name the verified variant, because a bare “vegetarian” claim means different things in different markets

V-Cert is not the right fit if…

You need FSSAI compliance. India's veg/non-veg marking is a legal requirement this mark does not replace
Your buyer requires a specific vegetarian trademark by name
Your contract requires an on-site audit scheme. The standard V-Cert review is remote
You need a menu symbol or icon for a restaurant. V-Cert certifies products for manufacturers and brands

Not sure which side you are on? Add a line under the optional details in the form. A V-Cert certificate does not guarantee acceptance by any retailer. If your buyer requires a specific program by name, or an on-site audit scheme, we tell you before you pay anything.

Questions about vegetarian certification

What do lacto, ovo and lacto-ovo permit?

Lacto permits dairy; ovo permits eggs; lacto-ovo permits both. All three exclude meat, fish and slaughter by-products. Which variant your product qualifies for is settled in the review, and the certificate states it.

How is vegetarian certification different from vegan certification?

Vegetarian permits dairy and eggs; vegan excludes every animal-derived ingredient. If your formulation qualifies for vegan, that is the stronger claim. V-Cert issues the vegan mark too, and we will tell you.

Does the V-Cert mark replace India's FSSAI veg logo?

No. FSSAI veg/non-veg marking is a legal requirement for products sold in India, and the V-Cert mark does not replace it. A third-party mark adds independent verification on top of it. One caution for ovo and lacto-ovo products: in India, egg-containing food is legally non-vegetarian.

Are gelatin capsules vegetarian?

No. Gelatin is a slaughter by-product, so gelatin shells fail. HPMC and pullulan shells pass this check; the rest of the formulation is still reviewed ingredient by ingredient.

What documents do we need for vegetarian certification?

Formulations, ingredient specifications, and supplier declarations for ambiguous-origin ingredients such as enzymes, glycerin, omega-3s and vitamin D3. Supplement files add origin declarations for shells, actives and excipients. Your reviewer confirms the full list for your scope.

Will our buyer accept a V-Cert vegetarian certificate?

That depends on your buyer. If a buyer or retailer requires a specific vegetarian trademark by name, that requirement decides. A V-Cert certificate does not guarantee acceptance by any retailer, and if yours mandates a specific scheme, we tell you before you pay anything.

How do we get vegetarian certified?

Request a quote, approve it, and send your documents. A reviewer works through the file remotely, a certification committee makes the decision, and a pass issues a numbered certificate. The steps are set out in the process section above.

What does vegetarian certification cost?

There is no public price list. Your quote is one annual fee, scoped to the marks you choose, what you make, and the number of products and production sites. Requesting a quote costs nothing and carries no obligation. Nothing is payable until you approve the quote in writing, and the payment terms are set out in the quote. Quotes are issued in US dollars.

How long does vegetarian certification take?

Typical timeline: digital certificate within 7 business days of a complete application and documentation, for standard scopes. The clock starts when your application and documents are complete. If something is missing, the reviewer names it and the clock pauses until it arrives. If your scope needs physical verification, it gets its own written timeline up front.

Is the review remote, or do you visit our site?

The standard review is remote: a reviewer reads your documents, formulations and supplier declarations. There is no on-site audit unless your quote states one. If your buyer's contract requires an on-site audit scheme, V-Cert is not the right fit, and we tell you at the quote stage, before you pay anything.

Does requesting a quote mean we are certified?

No. A quote request is not a certification. Certification is granted only after your complete file has been reviewed and the certification decision has been made. If the file falls short, you get a written list of exactly what is missing.

How long is the certificate valid?

Certificates run for 12 months and are renewed annually. Renewal is the same annual fee stated in your quote, re-confirmed each year for the same scope.

Is V-Cert accredited?

Where is V-Cert based, and which countries do you work with?

Headquartered in New York. Certifying manufacturers worldwide — remote desk review in any time zone.

Get a vegetarian certification quote for your products

Tell us what you make. You get a free quote for a vegetarian review, scoped to your products, and if vegan turns out to be the right mark for your formulation, we tell you before you pay anything.