Vegan and vegetarian diets are two different diets that differ from each other on the basis of the food products consumed. This differentiation in dietary habits is based on various understandings of people such as health, ethics, environmentalism, and religion. It has been established that the vegetarian diet has actually existed since 700 BC. The vegan diet is a fairly new trend, but it has been getting so much in demand in recent years.

The vegan diet has very strict criteria for the vegetarian diet. People who try to apply this diet try to exclude all kinds of animal exploitation and cruelty to animals as much as possible. For this purpose, vegans not only do not eat the meat of animals, but also avoid consuming eggs, dairy products and any food of animal origin. These foods include honey, gelatin, pepsin, carmine, shellac, albumin, casein, whey, and even some types of vitamin D3.

Both vegans and vegetarians agree on avoiding eating animal products. However, vegetarians do not only eat the meat of the animals, but also consume eggs, milk and dairy products and other food products obtained from animals. This means that both vegans and vegetarians eliminate meat from their diet for health or environmental reasons. However, vegans choose to avoid all animal by-products because they believe it has a tremendous impact on their health and the environment.

Vegetarians are ethically opposed to killing animals for food. However, as long as animals are kept in appropriate conditions, they are willing to consume animal by-products such as milk and eggs. In turn, vegans also oppose the use of animals for science, clothing, or recreation. Therefore, they reject all animal by-products, regardless of the conditions in which the animals are raised or housed.

In short, vegans and vegetarians differ in their way of thinking and accepting the use of animals by humans.

What is a Vegan Certificate?

As mentioned above, the vegan diet concept first emerged in the 1970s and is a fairly new understanding. The control and labeling of vegan products was also first made in 1970. This movement has started to develop mainly in European countries, the United States of America, Canada and Japan. Certification studies have also been developed by impartial and independent accreditation bodies operating in these countries.

There is no legal regulation for vegan products yet. Therefore, the only organizations that set the criteria and limitations are vegans or animal rights organizations. These organizations maintain and defend the vegan claim. The term vegan is used on products that meet the criteria set by these organizations. Official and independent testing and certification bodies recognized and accepted by these organizations decide whether animal products are vegan products and their suitability.

Vegan certification and vegan labels place a higher value on these products beyond current information. During the certification studies, detailed tests and controls are carried out in order to verify the acceptability of the vegan claim in accordance with the relevant specifications and the product contents are verified. A label like this is always stronger than a simple vegan claim.

What is a Vegetarian Certificate?

Although traces of the vegetarian diet have been found in ancient times, this movement first started in England in the 1840s. The first vegetarians refused animal foods and started using foods derived entirely from plants. The world's first vegetarian organization was established in England in 1847. This organization defines vegetarianism with or without eggs or dairy products. Today, this view continues in western countries. The first vegetarian community in North America was established in 1974. By the twenty-first century, the International Vegetarian Association promotes a vegetarian diet without eggs and dairy products.

Vegetarian certification is carried out by impartial, independent and accredited organizations for vegetarian individuals, that is, for those who refrain from consuming only the meat of the animals, after the tests for compliance with vegetarian criteria.

TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc., accredited by national and international organizations, closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and has a strong staff that constantly improves itself. It also uses modern test equipment and applies test methods accepted all over the world. TÜRCERT also offers vegan and vegetarian certification services within the scope of testing and certification services it provides to companies from all sectors with this strong infrastructure.