by Kate McKee

Created on: December 07, 2009

What is a vegan friendly product? The simple answer is that it is a product which has been produced with absolutely no animal involvement. This means that the product contains no animal derived ingredients, but it goes further than that. A vegan product must not contain anything that has been derived in any way from animals: so leather is out, and wool is out. Cashmere and angora are out. Honey and beeswax are out. Ivory and silk are out. And a whole range of additives are out: the Vegan Society provides a list of over fifty commonly used additives that are animal derived, or that may be animal derived.

The definition of a vegan product goes even further than the ingredients list. A vegan product must not have been tested on animals, and it must not contain an ingredient that has been tested on animals.

When people hear the word 'vegan' they usually think of food products, and correctly presume that these products are made entirely from plant- based or synthetic ingredients. But, as can be seen from the opening lines of this article, true veganism involves more than just a quick look at an ingredients list when you are racing through the grocery store. It involves vigilance, awareness and information seeking. It involves looking at the clothes you are wearing, the personal care products you are using, and the household cleaning agents in your kitchen and bathroom cupboards. It involves actively seeking out manufacturers that are certified vegan producers.

Manufacturers who want to produce vegan products look for alternatives. The vegan shoemaker will use natural materials such as hemp, recycled rubber or a synthetic leather alternative, instead of leather. The vegan clothing manufacturer will use plant- based fabrics or synthetics, instead of wool or silk. The manufacturer who produces vegan toiletries and make-up will use natural or synthetic alternatives to the more commonly used animal- based ingredients such as lanolin, keratin and beeswax. Vegan producers of home- care products such as paint will use alternatives to shellac, an ingredient made from crushed insects. Producers of garden fertilizers will make plant- derived fertilizers instead of ones that contain blood and bone meal.

The other main criterion for manufacturing a vegan product, be it food, clothing, make- up, toiletries, cleaning or garden products, is that the product is not tested on animals, either by the manufacturers themselves, or by any other company working for the manufacturer.

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