ICEA Vegetarian/Vegan DTR 03

ICEA’s Vegetarian/Vegan certification certifies that the products and activities stated in the scope of the certificate comply with the DTR 03 specification – the technical reference document ICEA has developed for the certification of products for vegetarian and vegan consumers. It is not a legally imposed mandatory standard: it is a voluntary third-party standard that transforms a self-declaration into a verified and publicly available commitment.

Unlike organic certification-which is based on a mandatory European regulation and state – assigned identification codes – vegan certification does not yet have a unified regulatory framework in Europe. The term “vegan” on the label is not reserved for certified products: anyone can use it. Third-party certification is the tool that allows the brand owner to distinguish a verified positioning from a simple statement, and the buyer to qualify the supplier on a documentable basis.

The DTR 03 specification and ICEA marks.

ICEA’s DTR 03 specification defines criteria for classifying vegetarian and vegan products, procedures for verifying ingredients – including production support ingredients not present in the finished product-and requirements for managing the risk of cross – contamination in production lines. Certification is based on documentary checks and periodic on-site inspections, according to ICEA’s Rules for Voluntary Certification (RC. VOL.).

The term Vegan may be used in ICEA labels only for products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. The term Vegetarian applies to products that exclude meat and fish but may contain animal derivatives such as milk, eggs and honey. The two marks are distinct and not interchangeable: the classification of each product is specified in the annex to the certificate.

The certifying Institute: ICEA

ICEA – Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification – is active in voluntary certification of vegetarian and vegan products as well as organic certification under EU Reg. 2018/848. The validity of the certificate can be verified on the official ICEA website at icea.info, where the updated register of certified operators is available.

In the nutraceutical context, ICEA vegan certification naturally complements the plant-based orientation that characterizes the selection of functional ingredients: plant extracts, Botanicals and natural sources free of animal components. For those developing a product with this approach, certification can be incorporated into the design right from the formulation stage – verifying in advance that each ingredient and excipient conforms to the DTR 03 specification.

Purpose of certification

Certification is granted for the San Prospero (MO) operating unit for the following activity:

Vegan food and supplement packaging.

Request copy of certification