How to identify a vegan supplement?

Question

If I am considering supplements to balance my dietary intake, how do I identify if they are vegan?

To clarify, if I have altered my diet to eliminate eating animals, how can I be sure that my supplements are not from animal sources?

Answer 1

If you're just buying at the supermarket, you really can't know. There are lots of hidden animal products, especially in supplements.

My advice would be to purchase them online from an all vegan website. That way you'll know they're vegan. Otherwise make sure the supplement specifically says vegan on it.

Answer 2

The answer to the question would be largely the same as for identifying vegan anything.

First, look for the vegan label on the package. Usually this is either a nice green V, even nicer animal picture or, as Zanna suggested, this logo. Make sure this does not mean Suitable for vegetarians as this still may (and probably will) not be vegan.

If you could not find the label anywhere, your Spidey-sense should start tingling and you should read the packaging carefully. Have a look at the contents - is there anything highlighted in bold? Are there mentioned obscure things that you do not know what they are and they are not why you are buying the product? Is the description mentioning that the product is suitable for vegetarians? If any of this is true, do not buy, do your thorough research, check online to see what others say, generally make sure.

If after all this you did not reach a definite conclusion, write to the company that sells the product.

Somewhere along the way, you should find out whether what you are buying is vegan.