A baked product contains egg but no animal milk.
It is therefore not vegan, but it may still be nelatarian.
A new category for food
No intentionally
used
animal milk.
Clearly defined.
Nelatarian means that no animal milk or substances derived from animal milk are intentionally used in the production process.
Not the same as lactose-free. Not necessarily vegan.
Animal milk
not intentionally used
Substances derived from animal milk
not intentionally used
Eggs & other animal-derived ingredients
may be possible
Vegan
not required
The consumer definition
What does
“nelatarian” mean?
Nelatarian describes foods produced without the intentional use of animal milk or substances derived from animal milk.
A lactose-free yoghurt is made from cow's milk.
It is lactose-free, but not nelatarian.
A plant-based product contains no intentionally used animal milk.
It may therefore be compatible with the NELATAR definition.
Precise language for food
Dairy-free, lactose-free, vegan and nelatarian are not the same.
Dairy-free
A familiar absence claim.
Dairy-free is a familiar term for products presented as being without dairy. NELATAR takes a different approach: it defines whether animal milk or substances derived from animal milk were intentionally used in production, while potential unintended cross-contact is considered separately.
Lactose-free
Animal milk may still be present.
Lactose-free describes the lactose content of a food. A product can therefore be lactose-free while still being made from animal milk.
Vegan
No intentionally used animal-derived ingredients.
Vegan goes beyond animal milk and excludes other intentionally used ingredients of animal origin as well.
Nelatarian
Focused on animal milk.
Nelatarian asks a different question: Were animal milk or substances derived from animal milk intentionally used in production?
Potential unintended cross-contact is considered separately.
Why NELATAR?
Why does this need a new word?
Terms such as vegan and lactose-free are already familiar when shopping for food. But they do not answer the same question.
What if someone specifically wants to avoid animal milk without necessarily following a fully vegan diet?
Everyday language is not always unambiguous either: “no milk” may be understood as no liquid milk, even though butter, cream or other milk-derived ingredients were used.
That is the gap NELATAR is being created to address.
One word.
One clear question.
Was animal milk intentionally used?
A brand in development
The idea behind NELATAR
NELATAR began with a simple consumer question: Why is there no clear term for foods produced without the intentional use of animal milk?
From that question, we are developing a new consumer category alongside a transparent assessment and labelling system.
The goal is simple: understandable for consumers, robust for businesses and clearly distinct from “lactose-free” and “vegan”.
Pre-launch transparency
NELATAR is currently being developed.
NELATAR is currently in its market validation phase. In parallel, its assessment and certification system is being prepared. Certifications are not yet being issued as part of a regular programme.
For businesses
Animal-milk-free. Traceably assessed.
Do you make foods without intentionally using animal milk or substances derived from animal milk?
NELATAR is developing an independent certification and labelling programme for animal-milk-free foods. The aim is a traceable assessment of ingredients, raw materials and relevant production processes - including products that are not vegan.
NELATAR is currently in its validation and pilot phase. To support this, we are working with manufacturers, raw-material suppliers, bakeries, foodservice businesses and other companies on specific products and real use cases.
Who NELATAR may be relevant for
For example, products that:
- are made without animal milk,
- are not vegan because they contain egg, honey, meat or other ingredients,
- should still be clearly identifiable to consumers as animal-milk-free,
- or whose manufacturers seek a documented assessment of their milk-free status.
What is reviewed?
- Ingredients and sub-ingredients
- Raw-material origin
- Relevant processing aids
- Possible milk entry routes
- Production processes
- Documented evidence
Interested in a pilot project or technical exchange?
We are currently looking for companies that want to technically assess their products or raw materials together with us and help develop the NELATAR process in practice.
Phone: +49 9132 7514210
Email: info@nelatar.com