AUSTRALIA | As the market becomes more crowded, shoppers are looking for simple, recognisable signals they can trust.
Research by the UK Vegan Society found that more than 95 percent of people shopping for vegan food and drink actively look for vegan verification logos, while another UK survey found that 34 percent of all shoppers look for an on-pack symbol when trying to determine whether a product is animal-free.
In Australia, there has been strong interest across the market, especially in ready-to-eat products, snacks, pantry items, beverages, wine and products that sit in mainstream supermarket categories rather than specialist vegan sections.
Personal care and household products were also important areas because animal ingredients and animal testing remain key concerns.
“Certification helps people shop with confidence without needing to examine complex ingredient lists or contact manufacturers constantly,” said Greg McFarlane, managing director, Vegan Australia.
Today, Vegan Australia has certified over 3,800 products, as businesses have increasingly observed certification as a practical way to make products more visible and trusted in supermarkets.
Additionally, the demand for certified vegan products has continued to grow, not only from vegans but also from a much wider group of shoppers seeking clear, reliable information.
Terms such as "plant-based" can be vague and may focus only on ingredients, whereas vegan certification also considers whether animal products have been used in manufacturing or testing processes.
The biggest confusion, McFarlane said, was around hidden or unclear animal-derived ingredients and processing aids. Many shoppers assume that if a product looks plant-based, it must be vegan, but ingredients, additives, flavourings, fining agents or manufacturing processes may still involve animal products.
“Certification helps address that lack of transparency.”
Another challenge McFarlane mentioned was traceability. He said that manufacturers need to understand not just their own finished product, but every ingredient, processing aid, and manufacturing step. This can require cooperation from suppliers and contract manufacturers, who may need to provide detailed documentation.
In some cases, manufacturers or suppliers may state that ingredients are vegan but have no evidence to support the claim. During certification, documentation must be provided when there is doubt about an ingredient's origin or processing.
As vegan products become more mainstream, certification will become more important, not less.
“The more common vegan claims become, the greater the need for clear standards, independent verification and accurate labelling”, he added.
“Certification will also help retailers integrate vegan products more confidently across ordinary supermarket categories, making vegan living easier and more visible.”
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