Following the agreement between ICEA and the Italian Vegetarian Association (AVI), the processing companies who produce vegetarian food could ask to be certified by ICEA, both if the food is organic or not.
In the first case, if the vegetarian food is also organic, this will be specified under the trademark: in this way the company will obtain, in fact, a double certification. While, in case of vegan food, the word "VEGAN" will be added inside the trademark.
"Vegetarian food" excludes, in any step of its own production, the use of animal products obtained by slaughtering  and/or abusing of animals, and "vegan food" excludes any use of product coming from animals (excepting microbial species). Sometimes are taken for “vegetarian” also products that are not, because often we don’t know that many types of bread contains animal fat (lard), or that most of the rennet used for cheese is from animal origin (comes from calf stomach); or that in sugar processing, in mineral water bottling or in wine producing are used technological aids that are from animal origin.
Until today the AVI trademark, that has been issued from AVI according to its own guide lines, it identifies 153 restaurants where vegetarian dishes are served and its already visible on more than 170 products (of big companies as well, such as Autogrill, Biorigin, Conbio, Noberasco, Nuova Terra, Soster).
It is a trade mark that almost 6 millions of Italian vegetarians have already began to know.
Following AVI guidelines, ICEA has developed a product/process certification scheme that complies with UNI EN 45011 rule, in order to be extended gradually to all operators involved. According to a check plan arranged with AVI, ICEA will carry out the audit, that will be then evaluated by a specific technical committee (CoCerVeg), and will also take care of the following certification activity and the use of trademark that will be reproducible on the label or on the advertising of the product.
The agreement with AVI confirms ICEAs commitment for a sustainable environmental growth that safeguards also the animal wellness, and it is strongly related to another activity recently started in collaboration with LAV, the Anti Vivisection League: the certification of Cruelty Free Cosmetics, not tested on animals.