Methodology

How we check if a product is vegan

Every verdict on Vegan Radar is built from real ingredient data and sources you can open and read yourself. We never guess, and we never round up to “vegan” when the label says otherwise. Here’s exactly how it works.

The check, step by step

1. 1. Read the ingredients

   We pull the ingredient list from public food databases (Open Food Facts and USDA FoodData Central) and scan it against a curated lexicon of animal-derived ingredients and additives, including E-numbers like carmine (E120) and shellac (E904). Plant ingredients that merely sound animal (coconut milk, peanut butter, cocoa butter) are explicitly excluded so they never trip a false flag.

2. 2. Check for certifications

   Recognized vegan certifications and labels (Vegan Society, Certified Vegan, and others) are the strongest positive signal and are weighted accordingly.

3. 3. Research the web

   For each product we research the brand’s own official statements and certifier listings, then record the exact quotes, source URLs, and dates we relied on. Those citations are shown on the page so you can verify them, not just trust us.

4. 4. Merge conservatively

   We combine the label and the web evidence with a safety-first rule: a specific animal-derived ingredient on the label always overrides a marketing claim. A brand saying “vegan” never outranks a clear “contains milk” in the ingredients.

What each verdict means

• Confirmed VeganA vegan certification or an authoritative source (usually the brand itself) confirms it, with no contradicting ingredient.
• Likely VeganThe full ingredient list checks out with no animal-derived items, but there's no formal certification.
• UncertainAn ambiguous ingredient (one that can be plant- or animal-derived) is present, or we couldn't read enough of the label to be sure.
• Not VeganA known animal-derived ingredient is on the label, or an authoritative source says it isn't vegan. This always wins over a marketing claim.
• UnknownWe couldn't find enough information to give a confident answer. These pages aren't published to search.

Every verdict also carries a confidence level (confirmed vegan, and the rest) and the list of sources we checked, with the date each was last verified.

Where the data comes from

Ingredients: Open Food Facts and USDA FoodData Central. Vegan status: the brand’s own website and statements, recognized vegan certifiers, and retailer listings. We prefer a brand’s official sources over third-party claims, and we show you which tier each source belongs to.

Honesty and limits

Formulations and suppliers change, regional versions of a product can differ, and “may contain” cross-contamination is a personal call. Vegan Radar is guidance, not a guarantee, and it is not medical or allergen advice. Always check the physical label, especially if you have an allergy.

Found a mistake?

We’d rather be corrected than wrong. Email daniel@happiiapps.com with the product and what you found, and we’ll re-check it.

More about who builds this on the about page.