Why does the EVE VEGAN® certification bring security?
The security of third party certification
The EVE VEGAN® certification standard protects, secures and enhances the use of the vegan allegarion in trade. In the absence of regulation, it is essential to understand that behind the word "vegan" there are many problems of perception. Too little public awareness of the subject is the reason for this. But by the way, what does the term Vegan mean?
There is a consensus of criteria validated by the main vegan associations in the world. However, public opinion tends to diverge from this, or to simplify it, thus harming the consumers who trust it. Let's look at this in detail...
Why is vegan certification essential?
Until now, in the absence of an obligatory context for companies, the use of the Vegan claim is mostly used in the form of self-declaration. This means that companies are free to choose to use the claim without third party control. However, the interpretation made by the marketing teams or quality managers of companies is not always adequate, too often vague, incomplete or even misleading.
What are the major flaws?
- > The company does not specify the scope of this claim: what exactly does it cover?
- > The company does not know everything about its ingredients: has it obtained certificates from its suppliers? What criteria do they commit to?
- > Companies, depending on their industrial field, still have legal obligations to test on live animals, including in Europe. Compliance with this criterion (not tested on live animals) is often forgotten.
- > Companies will not focus on controlling cross-contamination or monitoring compliance over time without external obligations.
Define a guarantee field
A certification guarantees to retailers and consumers that the certified product meets well-defined criteria. And that all products meet the same criteria. And that the verification of the criteria has been carried out by an independent third party.
Enabling legal recourse
The self-declaration does not allow the consumer or the administration to seek redress from a company that abuses the claim. A certification mark allows for legal action if non-conformities are found.
The loopholes of self-declaration
The following is a summary of the shortcomings of self-declaration when the vegan claim is not monitored by an independent body.
Certification bias
The content of the attestations and certificates used do not cover all the necessary criteria.
Duration of validity
The compliance of raw materials changes over time: they remain without regular monitoring by companies.
Quality system
No analysis of production risks guaranteed: cross-contamination, change of supplier, staff training, etc.
The product labelled as "vegan" is not vegan
Would you be satisfied with buying a product because it is advertised as vegan, and then realising that in reality it is not. Worse, it is less compliant than one that does not indicate whether it is vegan? What happened to your choice?
CONSUMER RISK : The act of buying based on the claim has no impact or a negative impact.
BUSINESS RISK : Misleading advertising, consumer loss, bad buzz, fraud reporting.
MANUFACTURER & SUPPLIER RISK : Loss of customers, loss of orders, claims for compensation.
EVE VEGAN® Certification = Security + Opportunity
Call on our expertise: Use your EVE VEGAN® certificate to successfully reach a customer base that is committed to new consumption patterns while helping to secure the supply chain. Our third party certification is a benchmark and a guarantee of quality for consumers. Find out more about our certification program.
Learn more about our certification body.
The EVE VEGAN® certification mark is a certification program mastered by Expertise Vegan Europe (EVE) whose objective is to evaluate the conformity of products and processes according to the criteria established in the EVE VEGAN® standard of conformity. The objective of the standard is to guarantee compliance with the minimum requirements for the use of the vegan claim on products or services. By signing up with the EVE VEGAN® certification mark, you agree to comply with the certification procedure and the criteria of the standard throughout the duration of the certification.
The rules of manufacturing and good industrial practices relating to vegan products are detailed in the compliance referential and are subject to control procedures by Expertise Vegan Europe, an independent organization developed in accordance with the international standards of the certification bodies. The duration of the certification of the products is 18 months, renewable, and all the verification operations are repeated at the end of each certification cycle. For more information please refer to our documentation.