Criteria for the V-label

For the V-label-Products

The following products are excluded from the use of the V-Label:

1. Animal flesh (meat, fowl, fish, seafood).
2. Ingredients derived from meat or bone-products (in soups, sauces or other preparations)
3. Animal fats (except milk fat), frying fat or margarine containing fish-oil or similar products in cakes, pies, pasta, for frying or baking, for greasing baking-traws, tins, or any other manipulation.
4. Gelatine, aspic, gelling agents of animal origin.
5. Royal Jelly.
6. Other products containing ingredients originating from slaughterhouse by-products.
7. Battery eggs.

Specific ingredients:

Cheese

Is usually manufactured with traditional rennet made with enzymes from calves’ stomaches and is therefore not acceptable, whereas vegetarian cheeses manufactured with enzymes of vegetable origin or micro-organisms are acceptable.

Fats & Oils

need to be of vegetable origin. Margarine needs to be checked. It may contain ingredients which may be derived from animal fat, vitamins A and E which may be stabilised with gelatine, or vitamin D, which may come from lanolin of slaughtered sheep – these ingredients are not acceptable.

Honey

Is acceptable. But not acceptable for vegan products.

Fruit Juices, Alcoholic beverages, vinegar

Need to be chequed. They may have been clarified with gelatine, egg-white (usually battery), isinglass (swim-bladders of sturgeon fish) or chitin (crushed lobster or crab shells) – not acceptable.

Whey

Should only be used if derived from a vegetarian cheese making process which included microbial or plantbased rennet.

Worcestershire Sauce

Often contains anchovies, needs to be checked.

Additives

Need to be checked with regard to their possible animal origin.

And products with genetically modified ingredients are prohibited, too.

In the Catering Trade:

For the ingredient of menus, which are certified by the label, the same guidelines apply.

Furthermore each particular restaurant must offer at least one label menu, which is to be changed as often as the one altered most frequently (thus usually another vegetarian menu per day). Besides two further vegetarian dishes must be offered.

The restaurants are controlled regularly regarding adherence to these guidelines.