About the Intertek Vegan Food Mark

The Vegan Food Mark shows that a product has been rigorously assessed and has been proven to adhere to strict vegan criteria.

Intertek understands that any use or exploitation of animals is unacceptable to vegans, and we appreciate that there may be genuine concerns about the visibility and traceability of ingredients and the verification of acceptable practices being used in vegan food production.

The Intertek Vegan Certification Program includes the following key stages

The Vegan Code of Conduct – a written commitment from the Food Business Operator to maintain the integrity of their vegan products
A review of all suppliers, materials and processes used in production for vegan suitability
A site inspection to verify all controls employed on the production site
An ongoing review of products and processes including an annual re-inspection

Display of the Intertek Vegan Mark allows consumers who have chosen a vegan lifestyle to be confident that this product is created in line with that ethical commitment.

See below for some examples of additives and ingredients we look for in our review, some of which may not be immediately obvious to consumers.

Ingredient, Additive, or Food Product	Uses
Cochineal- or Carminic acid Extracted from the Cochineal beetle. Better known as Carmine a natural red colour	Used as a natural food colourant
Lecithin Produced mainly from soya but can be extracted from eggs	Used as an emulsifier in chocolate, baked goods
Gycerol Mainly plant based but can be derived from animal fats	Glycerol serves as a humectant, solvent, and sweetener, and may help preserve foods. It is also used as a filler in low-fat foods (e.g. cookies), and as a thickening agent in liqueurs
Mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids Sometimes derived from animal fats	Crisps, bread, dairy-free spread
Bone Phosphate Extracted from ground animal bone	Used as an anticaking agent, an emulsifier, and a source of Phosphorus in food supplements
Disodium Inosinate Generally produced from meat and fish but can also be extracted from Tapioca Starch	Used as a Flavour enhancer in snack type foods
Beeswax	Glazing agent on confectionary products
Shellac from the Lac beetle	Glazing agent
L-Cysteine amino acid May be synthetically produced through fermentation but can also be derived from animal hair / feathers	Bread, biscuits, wraps
Polysorbates Potentially derived from animal fats	Emulsifiers used in desserts, ice cream, cakes
Pepsin Traditionally sourced from the lining of pigs stomachs	Can be used in the production of chewing gums, soy protein
Oleic acid An omega 9 fatty acid that can be sourced from animal oils as well as seeds and fruits such as sunflower, olives and avocados	In general use
Gelatin Comes from the skin, bones and connective tissues of cows and pigs	Thickening agent used in desserts, confectionery, ice cream
Isinglass This gelatin-like substance is derived from fish bladders	Often used in the making of beer or wine
Vitamin D3 Most vitamin D3 is generally derived from fish oil or the lanolin found in sheep’s wool. Vitamin D2 and D3 from lichen are vegan alternatives	In general use for fortified foods and supplements
Vitamin A Can come from fish liver oil (e.g., shark liver oil), egg yolk, butter, but there are alternative vegetable sources e.g.lemongrass, wheat germ oil, carotene in carrots, and synthetics	In general use for fortified foods and supplements
Vitamin B12 Can come from animal products or bacteria cultures	In general use for fortified foods and supplements
Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Vitamin B-Complex Factor, Provitamin B-5 Derived from animal or plant sources or synthetics	In general use for fortified foods and supplements

Vegan Food Product Testing

Our vegan food product testing capabilities are supported by our global food laboratory presence, including:

Meat speciation testing using PCR and ELISA techniques
Sugar analysis including Lactose
Qualitative tests to determine the presence of meat derived DNA
Presence of fish protein using ELISA techniques
The textile laboratory in Hong Kong can detect the presence of animal markers using LC MS/MS
Microscopy – to detect presence of animal fibres