China Vegan Society unveils first recipients of the China Vegan Food Certification
中文版 | On March 31, 2023, the China Vegan Society and China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) held an online conference to introduce the first recipients of the China Vegan Food Standard Certification, China’s first domestic vegan certification. Nearly 20,000 viewers tuned in to watch the conference on the China Vegan Society and CBCGDF's livestream channels.
A milestone in China's vegan movement
As China's first domestic vegan food certification program, the China Vegan Food Certification aims to standardize vegan claims within the Chinese market, increase transparency and consumer trust for vegan products, and aid in nudging consumers and food producers toward animal-free choices. The China Vegan Food Certification is also the first vegan certification to include a subcategory for vegan foods that do not contain garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and asafetida (the "five pungent plants"), which up to half¹ of Chinese vegans and vegetarians avoid for religious and health reasons.
The China Vegan Society began developing the China Vegan Food Standard (T/CGDF 00030-2023) and certification program in 2021 in collaboration with the CBCGDF Biological and Scientific Ethics Committee, the Beijing Soybean Foods Association, and representatives from a dozen Chinese and international food brands.
CBCGDF Deputy Secretary General Ma Yong opened the conference with a speech outlining the benefits of a certification system supporting plant-based diets: better-served consumers, more sustainable vegan product offerings, increased food biodiversity, transition toward healthier food consumption and production patterns, and a better-regulated and more transparent vegan food industry. Ma also emphasized the historic importance of plant-based diets in China's traditional culture and their crucial role in supporting China's sustainable future growth.
Next, China Vegan Society Certification Officer Tony Yip introduced the China Vegan Food Certification's first recipients—ten companies covering diverse food categories across the full food industry chain, from agriculture to R&D to manufacturing to retail. Representatives from each organization introduced their brands and shared their perspectives on how the China Vegan Food Certification will advance veganism in China in the short term, by enhancing consumers' confidence in vegan products and making it easier for consumers to make vegan choices, and in the long term by establishing vegan industry standards, laying an essential foundation for future development.
The recording of the conference can be viewed (in Chinese only) on CBCGDF’s Baidu Live channel. Click here to watch.
Meet the companies behind China’s first vegan certification
Certified companies
Veggie Ark operates an organic farm, vegan restaurant, vegan bakery, organic vegan grocery store, and vegan community complex in Dali, Yunnan. In 2021, they were named one of the UN "50 Best Small Businesses Providing Good Food for All".
With the mission "Make Change Happen, Make Green Common", Green Monday is a pioneer in promoting plant-based and flexitarian eating in Asia. In 2021, Green Monday ranked eighth on Fortune's 20 Most Socially Influential Startups in China list and was selected as one of the "Best Practices For Carbon Neutrality" in the China Green Economy Summit 2021.
Ecobuyer is one of China's leading plant-based and cruelty-free ecommerce platforms. Offering everything from vegan cosmetics to snacks and health foods, Ecobuyer is committed to guiding consumers toward healthy, ethical, and sustainable diets and lifestyles.
Operated by Tasly Group, Deepure focuses on innovating healthy instant tea beverages using Yunnanese large-leaf pu-erh tea. Their tea extract holds 37 national patents, is rich in phytonutrients, and contains no sugar, fat, additives, pesticide residues, heavy metals, or animal products.
Yeyo is the flagship brand of alt dairy startup Marvelous Foods. Offering a line of sugar- and additive-free coconut yogurts, as well as its new coconut gelato, Yeyo's mission is to nourish and delight the world's biggest market with plant-based dairy alternatives that are good for our bodies, great for our tastesbuds, and better for our planet.
Seleglu is a dedicated vegan OEM which can help vegan and non-vegan brands to manufacture certified vegan seasonings, sauces, fillings, ready-to-eat and semi-finished products, and more.
Founded in 2021, GENBEN is a health food brand focusing on using nutrient-rich snow fungus to develop functional beverages. GENBEN operates a farm where it grows its own snow fungus and creates additive-free plant-based products that make the benefits of healthy and sustainable plant-based nutrition convenient and attractive to consumers.
Founded in 2012 in southeastern China's Ningbo city, Su Man Xiang is one of China's largest vegan buffet restaurant chains with nearly 100 branches across the country.
Liu Wei Zhi Ji is the flagship brand of Tong You Life Health Technology Co. The company's team of Chinese medicine experts is dedicated to researching the science of Chinese medicine and medicinal foods and developing science-backed, TCM-based health food products.
Shu Jia Niang Food is a food supplier integrating R&D, manufacturing, sales, and service. With a large number of quality and standard certifications, the company serves more than 1000 restaurant brands across China and exports food products around the world.
Certification Development Committee
VegRadar is a vegan information service platform offering a fully WeChat-enabled restaurant locator app and multi-channel media platform. VegRadar is dedicated to promoting vegan lifestyles and empowering vegan businesses and consumers.
Dao Foods is an impact-oriented incubator and investment firm that invests in plant-based and alternative protein companies based in mainland China and focused on the Chinese market, as well as non-Chinese companies that have some strategic value to China. Since its founding in 2018, Dao Foods has helped many entrepreneurs develop exciting alternative protein products with the aim of reducing Chinese consumers' reliance on animal agriculture.
Ecobuyer is one of China's leading plant-based and cruelty-free ecommerce platforms. Offering everything from vegan cosmetics to snacks and health foods, Ecobuyer is committed to guiding consumers toward healthy, ethical, and sustainable diets and lifestyles.
The industry award-winning Beijing Soybean Food Association includes more than 70 companies engaged in all links of the soybean food production chain, from farms cultivating soybeans and auxiliary materials to factories, packaging suppliers, professional machinery manufacturers, scientific research institutes, and more.
Founded in 2017, One Vegan World is one of China's most well-known vegan lifestyle media platforms. Through diverse content themes and channels, as well as online communities and challenges, One Vegan World showcases the joy of a vegan lifestyle and strives to inspire more people to enjoy a vegan lifestyle.
Lever China is an early stage investment and advisory firm focused on the alternative protein sector, backing companies creating plant-based meat, egg or dairy products, those creating real animal protein from cell cultivation, fermentation or crop modification, and related products and technologies. Since 2020, Lever has incubated and invested in several alternative protein startups in China and provided advisory services for companies seeking to add alternative protein to their business portfolios.
Founded in London in 2005, Impact Hub is one of the world’s largest networks focused on building entrepreneurial communities for impact at scale, working toward achieving the UN's SDGs by offering sustainability-themed incubation programs and events, connecting members in their co-working spaces, and investing in enterprising and sustainable businesses. Impact Hub Shanghai launched in 2017.
¹ Mao et. al. (2015). “Prevalence of vegetarians and vegetarian's health dietary behavior survey in Shanghai”. March 2015. Journal of Hygiene Research 44(2):237-41
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