We are often asked if our supplements are vegan-friendly. On our website, we indicate that some of our products, including our flagship micronutrient formulation, Daily Essential Nutrients, are vegetarian-friendly. What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian-friendly? The definitions below should help answer the question and explain where Hardy Nutritionals products fall between the two categories.

What is vegetarianism?

According to the Vegetarian Society, vegetarians are people who do not eat the products or byproducts of animal slaughter.

Vegetarians do not consume:

• meat, such as beef, pork, and game
• poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck
• fish and shellfish
• insects
• rennet, gelatin, and other types of animal protein
• stock or fats that derive from animal slaughter
  
  

However, many vegetarians do consume byproducts that do not involve the slaughter of animals. These include:

• eggs
• dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
• honey
  
  

Vegetarians typically consume a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and pulses, as well as “meat substitutes” such as tofu that derive from these food types.

Vegetarianism is generally less strict than veganism, so there are several well-known variations of the vegetarian diet. These include:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: People who follow this diet avoid all types of meat and fish but do consume dairy products and eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarian: People on this diet do not eat any meat, fish, or eggs but do consume dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarian: Individuals following this diet do not eat any meat, fish, or dairy products but do consume eggs.
• Pescatarian: Those who follow this diet avoid all meats except fish and other types of seafood. However, this does not meet the traditional definition of vegetarianism, and many people refer to the pescatarian diet as being semi-vegetarian or flexitarian.

What is veganism?

Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism. Vegans avoid consuming or using any animal products or byproducts. The Vegan Society defines veganism as “a way of living, which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.”

Vegans strictly avoid consuming any foods or beverages that contain:

• meat
• poultry
• fish and shellfish
• eggs
• dairy products
• honey
• insects
• rennet, gelatin, and other types of animal protein
• stock or fats that derive from animals

Strict vegans also extend these principles beyond their diet and will try, where possible, to avoid any product that directly or indirectly involves the human use of animals. These products can include:

• leather goods
• wool
• silk
• beeswax
• soaps, candles, and other products that contain animal fats, such as tallow
• latex products that contain casein, which comes from milk proteins
• cosmetics or other products that manufacturers test on animals

Many vegetarians also apply some of these principles to their lifestyle, for example, by avoiding leather goods and products that involve animal testing.

At Hardy Nutritionals, many of our products are marked as "vegetarian friendly". The reasons our products are not marked as vegan are as follows:

• The vitamin D we source is derived from lanolin as part of the wool collection process
• The royal jelly in Optimal Balance for Women is collected from bees

These specific examples make our micronutrients vegetarian-friendly but not vegan.

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325478#health-benefits

About Hardy Nutritionals®

Hardy Nutritionals® multivitamin-mineral products are powered by our proprietary NutraTek™ mineral delivery technology, which combines each mineral with specialized organic molecules—just like nature—to optimize absorption and distribution to body cells. Our flagship supplement, Daily Essential Nutrients, is widely considered to be the most research-backed micronutrient treatment.