If you think that all the fruits you buy at the supermarket are Vegan, think again! Recently a customer at Tesco found herself shocked when she saw that the oranges, mandarins and satsumas were labeled non-vegan. The fruit itself is obviously inherently Vegan, but what about the chemicals added to make it shiny on shelves? That’s insect juice….
In some cases, pesticides like Imazalil and E904 are used to protect the fruit, and make it grow and look better. However, the wax on this chemical is made from shellac, a resin derived from the lac bug. In the EU, this chemical is banned, but outside of that it is not always applicable. That means you need to think carefully when ordering that shiny lemon to drop in your water, or that pretty apple to bite into!
While most fruits are safe to buy and inherently Vegan, the consumer is quite unaware of these unnecessary additives, and they have the right to know about them. In general, there is limited governmental regulation for Vegan labeling, which easily misleads and tricks the consumer. While there is regulation for consumer protection laws to prevent misleading information on labels, the scope of those laws fall short at Vegan protection. Basically, any brand owner can self-certify themselves with a Vegan trademark, causing label credibility and true verification concerns.
One of the ways to be completely reassured is by choosing brands with a trustworthy Vegan label – like BeVeg. BeVeg, is the world’s leading Vegan certification standard, and the only one with international accreditation through ISO 17065 and recognized in accordance with 17067. BeVeg Vegan Certified means the product is Vegan, and keeps the supply chain accountable, requiring full transparency or process, audits, testing, and ingredient disclosure.
BeVeg is on a mission to protect the consumer and make life of the plant-based consumer easier, honest, and stress-free. While the Tesco incident is a rare one, and though the consumer need not obsess over shiny fruit and the origin of its shine, it does highlight the problem around Vegan labeling laws and teaches us not to make an assumption that anything is Vegan without the proper certified Vegan trademark.
If you’d like to make your Vegan label claim official, check out BeVeg, the world’s leading and only accredited Vegan trademark standard.
