The new ISO 23662 standard to define vegan and vegetarian products, which gives consumers confidence in their purchasing choices.
(ISO) 17/05/2021 – During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not all been bad news. Sustainable purchasing has increased, and meat consumption has decreased. In 2020 consumers have become more aware of their own health, the environment and the real impact their consumption choices can have.
The benefits attributed to being vegetarian (not eating meat) or vegan (abstaining completely from the consumption of animal products and by-products) are many: from being kinder to animals, to taking greater care of cardiovascular health and the environment, to saying that a plant-based diet has less environmental impact.
In recent years, the number of goods designed to meet the demand for vegetarian and vegan products has increased rapidly, with new brand names for meat and dairy substitutes popping up everywhere, such as vegan cheese and ice cream, meatless meatballs and more.
Because of this, just as ISO 9001 exists for quality management, in 2021 the International Organization for Standardization has published ISO 23662: “Technical definitions and criteria for foods and food ingredients suitable for vegetarians or vegans and for labelling and claims”.
This new standard is intended by the Organisation to provide a reliable and internationally agreed reference for the food and beverage industry to use when marketing their products.
Dominique Taeymans, project leader of the expert panel that developed the standard, said compliance with ISO 23662 provides the necessary criteria to ensure integrity and consistency in product communications.
“Today’s consumers expect clear, consistent and honest messages related to the food products they choose to buy, particularly those with specific diets such as vegetarian or vegan.
Compliance with this document helps ensure that everyone follows the same rules and definitions, providing clarity and reassurance to the consumer and facilitating local and international trade,’ he said.
OAK provides specialised consultancy services to the agri-food sector. We have a technical department specialised in implementing regulations: ISO 22000 for food safety management, IFS International Featured Standard, BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety, FSSC 22000 Food Safety, Hazard analysis and Critical Control Points HACCP.
We also help you with other standards: quality management ISO 9001, environmental management according to ISO 14001, occupational health and safety management sistems ISO 45001.
After the audit process, the companies have the corresponding certificates issued by the selected certification body: AENOR, Bureau Veritas, Applus, SGS, Oca Cert, Lloyds Register…