A Vegetarian Resource Group member wrote that she purchased a hair product in a rush, saw the “cruelty-free” bunny, and assumed it was vegan. “Get home and read the ingredients and it has silk protein in it. Don’t be fooled by the little bunny… it doesn’t mean it’s vegan.”
According to Leaping Bunny FAQs, “To assist shoppers looking for vegetarian or vegan cruelty-free products, we ask our brands to let us know if they have some products which qualify and have included a refined search option on our website.” So though these products don’t involve experimentation on animals, they are not necessarily vegetarian or vegan.
PETA at
https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/beauty-without-bunnies/
says about their Bunnies logos
Companies may be certified by PETA under one of two designations:
- Global animal test–free recognizes companies and brands that have verified that they and their suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow any tests on animals for their ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world and that they will never do so in the future.
- Global animal test–free and vegan recognizes companies and brands that meet the same requirements and whose entire product line is free of animal-derived ingredients. These companies are truly cruelty-free.
And a company can put their own bunny on a label. So always make sure to read ingredients.
This list of food ingredients from The Vegetarian Resource Group may also be of interest: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.