A green dot on the packet is not the full story. Synthetic vinegar, insect-based food colours, gelatin capsules, animal-rennet cheese — they hide in everyday “vegetarian” shopping. TrulyVeg is the world’s independent guide to products that are genuinely vegetarian and genuinely natural — with a pure, natural alternative for everything that isn’t.
We read the ingredient list, the E-codes, the process and the sourcing — so a family that has chosen vegetarian living never eats something else by accident.
Regulatory veg marks don’t cover everything — processing aids, capsule shells, clarifying agents and “natural flavours” can still be animal-derived. We check what the dot doesn’t.
For every synthetic or doubtful product we show a pure, natural alternative — synthetic vinegar → naturally fermented vinegar, gelatin → agar-agar, and 40+ more.
Every listing tells you exactly where to find it: major online marketplaces, brand stores, organic shops and local mandis — with typical price ranges so you’re never overcharged.
From the Vedas’ teaching of ahimsa to modern nutrition research — we explain why vegetarian living matters, in both languages: shastra and study.
Synthetic vinegar is diluted industrial acetic acid — not food fermented from food. Carmine (E120) red is made from crushed insects; the bright azo dyes are born from petroleum; and on loose sweets, illegal industrial colours hide with no label at all. E920 in bread can come from feathers. “Veg” and “natural” are not the same word — and neither is guaranteed by a green dot. Read the full Hidden Non-Veg List →
Start with these three — the most common synthetic or hidden non-veg items in Indian and global kitchens.
Most cheap “white vinegar” is industrial acetic acid diluted with water — it was never food. Naturally fermented vinegar (sugarcane, apple cider, coconut, jamun) is made from real produce, slowly, the way it has been for centuries.
Full comparison →Gelatin is boiled-down animal skin, bones and connective tissue — and it hides in jelly, marshmallows, gummy vitamins and capsule shells. Agar-agar (from seaweed) and pectin (from fruit) set desserts beautifully and are 100% plant.
Full comparison →Traditional rennet is an enzyme taken from the stomach lining of slaughtered calves — used in many imported parmesan, cheddar and gouda. Microbial-rennet cheese and fresh paneer give you the same joy, truly veg.
Full comparison →अहिंसा परमो धर्मः “Non-violence is the highest dharma.”Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 115.23
Real families, chefs and nutritionists on how they use TrulyVeg to shop truly veg.
Soon you won’t just read about truly-veg products — you’ll buy them here. Every item triple-verified: ingredients, process, and sourcing. Join the waitlist for early access and launch-day pricing.