Why Us Vegetarian certification
The V-Label logo is internationally recognized as a trustworthy ally for consumers who follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
Get Quote FAQ
V-Label is being used by a growing number of businesses worldwide, providing a competitive advantage among others. Are you still thinking about it?
Vegetarian certification What is it
Foods considered suitable for vegetarians are those that do not contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may contain ingredients of animal origin obtained without slaughter, such as milk, eggs, and honey.
- Recognition: V-Label is a highly recognizable certification body both locally and internationally. Certification from such an organization helps consumers choose this product among its alternatives, providing a competitive advantage on the shelf.
- Enhanced Transparency: Consumers increasingly seek products with clean labeling. Consumer research by V-Label reveals that 91% of consumers across 40 countries prefer products certified by an independent body that guarantees their nature, without the need to spend extra time reading the label. Similar findings observed in Greece, where 70% of consumers consider important for vegan or vegetarian products to bear a logo, such as the V-Label logo, according to HellasVeg’ s survey
- Expansion to New Target Groups: Plant-based products are a rising trend. V-Label certification is an easy way for businesses to increase the appeal of their products, attracting flexitarian consumers as well. Flexitarians are those who desire to reduce their consumption of animal meat.
- Increase Sales: Producers can benefit from the increased trust consumers show in the V-Label logo. According to a V-Label survey, consumers are more willing to pay more for a product with the V-Label logo compared to the same product without it.
Vegetarian certification The certifier
V-Label GmbH was founded in Switzerland in 1996, and its ownership belongs to the European Vegetarian Union (EVU).
V-Label is an internationally recognized and registered symbol for labeling vegan and vegetarian products and services. Worldwide, over 70,000 products from more than 4,800 licensees now bear the V-Label symbol.
Currently, V-Label has 50 local partners in various countries worldwide, speaking more than 30 different languages. Greekexports joined the effort to promote plant-based products in the food and cosmetics industries in 2020, becoming the 28th local partner of V-Label with exclusive responsibility for Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Egypt.
For more information, you can visit the official website of V-Label at https://www.v-label.com/ and submit a request for a quote.
The Greekexports team will be there for you whenever you need assistance.
GREEKEXPORTS SMPC Around the World
140 clients in 2025
Vegetarian certification What is it
The term "vegetarian" refers to the origin of the ingredients that make up a product or to the dietary profile of the consumers who choose it.
V-Label provides credibility to the products it certifies, as it is based on standard criteria developed by v-label, with conformity verified through independent external audits.
When you purchase a vegetarian product that bears the V-Label logo, you can be sure of the following:
- It does not contain meat.
- It does not contain processing aids obtained from animal tissues.
- Measures are taken to avoid cross-contamination of non-vegetarian materials during production.
- It does not contain or use GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).
- The production site has successfully passed an audit against the V-Label criteria conducted by an independent auditing body.
Significance Why is it Important
The market for vegan and vegetarian foods is constantly growing as more and more consumers are transitioning to plant-based choices. The market for plant-based products in Europe and the United Kingdom is projected to reach €7.2 billion by 2025, compared to the estimated €4.4 billion in 2019, according to ING Think.
Consumers seem to reduce certain animal-based products without following a vegan or vegetarian diet. According to Euromonitor's research in 2020, 42% of global consumers represented this trend (flexitarian diet), while vegans and vegetarians accounted for only 4% and 6%, respectively. In Greece, the percentage of flexitarians reached 25%. The reasons for this trend vary (ProVeg Market Data Compilation, 2019).
V-Label is a leader in the global market for plant-based products, offering:
- Transparency: Thanks to standardized criteria and specifications, consumers can easily identify vegan and vegetarian products among others.
- Guidance: With the help of specialized scientists and technologists in the plant-based field, V-Label serves as a "guide" for industry inquiries as well as everyday consumer shopping.
- Trust: Due to thorough inspections outlined by the standard, both the industry and the consumer can be confident that the certified product follows specific guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Europe, V-Label has been established mainly in the food sector, making it the best-known company in this sector for years, according to research. V-Label is currently making its entry into the cosmetics sector as well, followed by cleaning products and other non-food products.
In Greece, the product categories that have been certified vegetarian with V-Label to date are the following:
- Dairy Products
- Ready-to-eat foods
- Snacks
- Sweets
- Sauces & Dressings
- Cosmetics
The certification process consists of 6 simple steps:
- Registration of the expression of interest.
- Issuance of a personalized offer.
- Signing the offer and agreement.
- Initiation of the certification process and evaluation of product.
- Approval and issuance of the certificate.
- Audit by an independent body
From the acceptance of the offer and signing of the contract, the time frame until the certificate is issued ranges from 2 to 6 weeks.
The cost of certification is annual and includes product evaluation and the right to use the V-Label logo. The offer is issued per product code and is additionally determined based on the nature of each product. Additional cost is incurred for inspections.
V-Label certifies products not only based on their composition, but also throughout every stage of the production process. This comprehensive approach makes the V-Label a trusted symbol of reliability and confidence for consumers.
By simply reading the list of ingredients on the label, you cannot be sure whether the product is vegan or vegetarian. Some additives are listed using E-numbers (such as E441 for gelatin), whereas the listing of certain other ingredients on the label is optional.
Lastly, the origin of certain ingredients (e.g., additives) is not mandatory to be disclosed on labels, which does not provide a clear indication of whether they are of animal or plant origin.
V-Label does not certify the following products or products that contain the following ingredients:
- Meat products
- Fats from fish, parts of fish, or other marine animals
- Animal-derived fragrances (excluding dairy)
- Eggs (e.g., caviar), except for poultry eggs
- Dairy products using animal rennet.
- Royal jelly - Colorants from animal by-products (e.g., cochineal or carmine)
- Sugar processed with bone char powder.
- Animal-derived carriers for additives (e.g., flavors) and other compounds
- Clarifying agents of animal origin (e.g., gelatin, isinglass)
Rennet is an enzymatic preparation used in cheese production to coagulate milk. Traditional animal rennet is obtained from the stomachs of young ruminants, such as calves, lambs, and goats.
Today, alternative rennet products of plant or microbial origin are also available on the market. Plant-based rennet may be obtained, among other sources, from plants such as artichokes, while microbial rennet is produced using specific microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria. These alternative forms of rennet are used in the production of both traditional and alternative types of cheese.
A cheese can be certified as vegetarian according to V-Label criteria, provided that the rennet used is not of animal origin.