United Kingdom · CAP Code 3.7 · composition claims
Vegan and plant-based claims on UK landing pages — CAP composition literacy
Food, beauty and fashion pages use “100% vegan”, “plant-based formula”, and “no animal-derived ingredients” in heroes, filters and badges. Shoppers with dietary or ethical requirements often treat those lines as absolute composition statements. This guide helps UK marketers inventory vegan and plant-based claims against CAP substantiation literacy — especially absolute wording, certification marks, and cross-contamination qualifiers. Not ASA clearance and not food-law advice.
Absolute vs qualified composition
CAP Rule 3.7 expects objective claims to be substantiated. “Vegan” without qualification often reads as no animal ingredients anywhere in the product, not merely “mostly plants”. Pair absolute headlines with pack ingredients and manufacturing statements in your register — not just creative copy.
Distinguish from allergen-free claims (may overlap on “dairy-free”) and health claims on PDPs when “plant-based” implies nutrition benefits.
Common on-page patterns
| Pattern | Shopper read | Inventory prompt |
|---|---|---|
| 100% vegan | No animal inputs | Formulation, processing aids, cap colourants |
| Plant-based | Plants only; may allow minor additives | Define intended meaning; align pack |
| Vegan friendly | Softer — may still confuse | Qualify or tighten headline |
| Cruelty-free and vegan | Two claims bundled | Separate rows — testing vs composition |
| Vegan society logo | Third-party certified | Mark licence and product scope |
Category filters and collection pages
Shopify-style “Vegan” filters imply every listed SKU meets the same standard. One non-vegan variant breaks the collection promise — inventory filter labels and representative PDPs — claim register template.
Green and ethical cross-claims
Vegan heroes beside “sustainable” or “eco” subheads stack substantiation — green claims checklist, origin claims. Each line needs its own evidence column.
Comparative and superlative lines
“More vegan options than rivals” mixes comparative and composition claims — comparative claims, superlatives and best claims.
Pre-publish workflow
- Extract every vegan/plant line including badges and meta descriptions used in previews.
- Match pack ingredients and supplier declarations in the evidence column.
- Note shared lines if cross-contamination wording is required — material information literacy.
- Scan staging via free scan before media spend.
Questions
Is plant-based the same as vegan in CAP terms?
Shoppers may read both as no animal ingredients. Inventory the exact headline and hold formulation evidence for the meaning you intend — CAP 3.7 literacy only.
Do vegan logos need a register row?
Yes. Certification marks and self-declared vegan badges are visible claims on the landing page unless clearly identified as third-party scope.
Does CiteBefore certify vegan products?
No. CiteBefore inventories claim text and evidence columns. It does not audit factories or supply chains.
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