Vegan Food Labeling

What are the Labeling Requirements for Vegan Food Products?

Consumer demand for vegan alternatives continues to grow year on year as we adopt a plant-based lifestyle. Increasing demand has led to increased production of 'vegan' and 'plant-based' food products. People who follow vegan diets generally do not consume animals, animal products, by-products or animal derivatives for ethical and environmental reasons.

Those with allergies, such as milk and egg allergies, may think vegan products do not contain allergens, but this is not always the case. The labeling requirements for 'vegan' products, the difference between vegan and plant-based products, and how vegan labeling requirements affect allergy sufferers is one of the curious topics.

What are the Vegan Product Labeling Requirements?

There is no legal definition of what vegan foods can and cannot contain. Since vegans typically do not consume foods containing animal products such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs, milk and honey, it is assumed that vegan products should also be free of animal products.

This lack of definition causes food manufacturers to produce vegan products on the same line as a non-vegan product, and cross-contamination can occur. For example, the phrase 'may contain milk and eggs' on vegan food labels can be used to indicate to consumers that there is potential cross-contact from the manufacturing process.

Vegan products should not be allowed to contain cross-contact with non-vegan ingredients. To reduce confusion and the expectation that vegan products will be free from animal product cross-contact, some producers have opted to use the term 'plant-based'. The plant-based, apparently, suggests to the consumer that the product contains mostly or entirely phytonutrients without sacrificing the term vegan or the expectations of those following the vegan diet.

For this reason, the steps that vegan product manufacturers should take in general are as follows:

- It should be produced and stored separately from non-vegan foods.
- All reasonable and practical steps must be taken to eliminate the risk of cross contamination.
- Training of all food processors and relevant employees on best practices for processing vegan products is also an important step.

People who are allergic to products such as milk and eggs prefer vegan products because they do not contain these foods. In case of cross contamination, it is important to indicate on the label even if the product is vegan.

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