photograph from iStock
by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Whereas some corporations use “plant-based” as a synonym for vegan, others could use it to explain a product whose primary elements are crops however that would additionally comprise animal-derived elements. We had been interested by how corporations had been figuring out their merchandise. Had been they saying they had been vegan? Plant-based? Plant-based and vegan?
As part of a bigger undertaking plant milks, we checked web sites to see if merchandise had been recognized as “vegan,” “plant-based,” or one thing else. We checked out 51 manufacturers whose merchandise included soymilks, grain-based milks, pea protein-based milks, nut milks, seed milks, and coconut milks. Since some merchandise are solely obtainable in a restricted a part of the USA, we relied on web site info and didn’t take a look at bundle labels except an image of the bundle was included on the corporate’s web site.
Data was collected in 2024 and verified in early 2025. Some web sites had been straight-forward, and it was straightforward to see in the event that they described their merchandise as vegan. In different instances, we searched areas included “About Us” and “FAQs” to see if merchandise had been described as vegan.
General, we discovered that 32 of the 51 manufacturers (63%) that we examined stated their plant milks had been vegan and one stated their plant milks had been vegan-friendly. Of the remaining 19 manufacturers, 13 described merchandise as plant-based however didn’t particularly say they had been vegan (25% of all manufacturers). In lots of instances, merchandise gave the impression to be vegan with brief lists of elements, none of which might be animal-derived. 4 manufacturers (8%) didn’t say they had been vegan or plant-based however indicated that they had been dairy-free or non-dairy. Certainly one of these manufacturers contained honey. One model didn’t point out that it was vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, or non-dairy.
Out of 51 manufacturers:
- 33 recognized their plant milks as vegan or vegan-friendly
- 28 recognized their plant milks as plant-based
- 36 recognized their plant milks as non-dairy or dairy-free
- 1 didn’t determine their plant milks as vegan, vegan-friendly, plant-based, non-dairy, or dairy-free
There was some overlap of classes with some manufacturers utilizing a couple of time period to determine their plant milks.
We don’t know why corporations select to determine or not determine a product as “vegan.” If you’re interested by a selected product, and whether or not it’s vegan, contact the corporate.
Thanks to VRG interns Aashay Mody, Ren Patel, and Neha Vivek and VRG volunteer Mae Y. Quickly who collected info for this text.
We regularly rely on product and ingredient info from firm statements. It’s unimaginable to be 100% positive a few assertion, information can change, folks have totally different views, and errors could be made. Please use your finest judgment about whether or not a product is appropriate for you. To make sure, do additional analysis or affirmation by yourself.
To learn extra in regards to the phrase “plant-based” see:
What Does Plant-based Truly Imply?
What Does Plant-based Imply to the Public?
For details about plant milks see: Milk Options
