Lena Tieu
- Apr 25, 2021
- 2 min read

CHANGE.ORG Petition: Clear Labeling for Drugs and Supplements

Hidden Animal-derived Ingredients in Drugs and Supplements

How many times have you picked up a medication bottle and thought to yourself, “I wish I knew what these ingredients were or where they came from.” If you sign this petition, we will fight for your wish with the FDA and the manufacturers. This is what we bring to you this Earth Day!

Why is this important?

Going vegan is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint on the environment, but it can be very tricky to discern which products have animal-derived ingredients. Nearly 3 out of 4 medications contain animal-derived ingredients. However, many consumers are not aware of this due to poor labeling standards. The lack of transparency for medications that contain animal-derived ingredients can be harmful to the plant-based community. Whether you are Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Swaminarayan or simply care about the well-being of animals, we are here to help you make the right decision for your medications and supplements.

Most people are not aware!

We believe that it is unreasonable to expect consumers to know the highly technical names for ingredients used in healthcare products. For example, a consumer should not be expected to know that icosapent ethyl is the same as fish oil. In a study of 100 patients, 84% reported not knowing that several medications contained ingredients derived from animal sources. Alternatives usually exist for these medications, be it a different product or through compounding, but these alternatives need to be widely known, labeled, and distributed.

Our Call to Action

Clearly label if ingredients used for drugs and supplements are Animal Free.
Replace animal-derived ingredients with plant-based/synthetic ingredients when alternatives exist.

When you sign this change.org petition, VeganMed will:

Send a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) demanding policies around clearer labeling
Send a letter to pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers to clearly label “animal-free” products and use non-animal derived ingredients when possible.

For more background information and details about the current regulatory status, you can click here.

Thank you for contributing to this movement. We encourage you to share this petition with your friends using the social link share buttons below.