Get out of the seal jungle!

Do you also have the feeling of losing track of the existing confusion of seals, symbols and labels? Which seal is good now, which is not and where are the differences? We have taken on the seal jungle and analyzed the best-known and most important food quality seals for you.

© Biocyclic Vegan Farming

Biocyclic vegan farming

This seal considers the environment as well as animals and people. It distinguishes entire companies and not just individual products. In addition, no livestock or animals for slaughter or their products may be used. Only the use of excipients of plant origin is permitted.

 

© EU organic label

EU organic label

Surely everyone knows the EU organic seal. But not everyone knows what is behind it. All products with this seal are free from chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, the animals get organically grown feed, no antibiotics and only 15.5% of the 316 conventionally approved additives. A product with this seal must meet 95% of the criteria.

© Demeter

demeter

The criteria for this seal are primarily concerned with soil health. Because a healthy soil is the basis for healthy food. The soil is enriched with humus using the farm's own fertilizer and plant material and is gently cultivated. The animals are given the opportunity to run around. Cruel practices (e.g. dehorning of cattle) are prohibited.

© Bioland

organic land

The guidelines at Bioland are based on the EU organic regulation. In some respects, however, they go beyond that. 100% of the ingredients in a product must come from organic farming. Also, almost half fewer additives are allowed in processed food than in the EU organic regulation. And there are also stricter regulations for the length of animal transport and minimum standards in relation to exercise and stable space. Half of the feed must come from your own farm.

© Naturland

natural land

Naturland's guidelines are also based on the EU organic regulation. There are also even higher standards for this seal. The regulations include more sustainable water use and the supply of nutrients to the soil and a limit on the total amount of fertilizer. In addition, the outlet regulations for the animals are more stringent than in the EU organic regulation.

© V Label

V label

The V-Label comes in two different versions: vegetarian and vegan. The label with the addition "vegetarian" is on food that is not produced from animals or animal parts. Only the processing of animal products from live animals is permitted. Also, no cage eggs are used. The vegan variant of the label contains no animal components at all. The ban on genetically modified ingredients applies to all V-Label products. However, these rules only apply to food. Packaging and fertilizers are not checked to see whether they are vegan or vegetarian.

© Vegan flower

vegan flower

All products marked with the vegan flower are vegan, i.e. free of animal components, animal products and animal testing.

 

 

© Fairtrade

fair trade

The Fairtrade seal identifies goods that come from fair trade and comply with certain social, ecological and economic criteria. All ingredients come from 100% Fairtrade conditions and are physically traceable, such as coffee and bananas. If it is a mixed product (e.g. biscuits, chocolate), then the seal is also marked with an arrow that refers to further information on the back.

Our conclusion:

We think it's worth paying attention to seals of approval. They can provide information about which foods are vegan, organic or fair trade. Especially with products from the Global South (coffee, cocoa, bananas, etc.), organic seals and quality marks for fair trade can give you a good feeling. For the most sustainable shopping possible, we recommend paying attention to seasonality, regionality and low or environmentally friendly packaging material.

We hope you find your way around the Seal Jungle a little better now. :-)

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