The Looking-Glass and VeggieGlobal
Ethical Labelling Campaign ...
The NOVA
Key©

Fair Trade ... Fair Ethics.
This is the world's most concise and confusion-free Ethical Labelling System ... and all it takes is a simple cross!

"Finally, a bridge of honesty and trust can be built between manufacturer and consumer ... without confusion."

The "NOVA" Key active label provides a simple and effective answer, not just for vegetarians but for everyone:

The "NOVA" Key label for all foods and products is a clear and comprehensive system, which ethically covers all aspects of a product's content and origin.

"N" = Whether or not the product contains natural or genetically modified ingredients
"O" = Whether or not the product is free of chemical pesticides and fertilizers
"V" = Whether or not the product is free of animal derivatives
"A" = Whether or not the product or any of its additives and extra ingredients has been tested on animals.

All these letters combined create a label called the Key

The "or not" addition is the main appeal for this labelling concept. Simply by marking any of the letters of N.O.V.A with a cross tells the consumer if the product suits their ethical requirements. No more guessing, and no more confusion. This is why the NOVA Key is called an "active" label.

Here's an example
(complete with optional allergy information)

 

Allergy Information: May contain nuts. Gluten Free. Wheat Free. Contains E213 (Calcium benzoate) which may cause allergic reaction

To "V" or not to "V" ... that is the confusion

But with the NOVA Key the red cross x eliminates the guess work.

"Common-sense prevails" - "NOVA is an ingenious non-partisan clarification system" - "The NOVA Key is exactly the type of labelling I wish for everytime I'm food shopping".Read more Voters Comments

Whichever part of the world you live, the NOVA Key Ethical labelling system can only make your shopping and dining experience a far easier and more reasurring experience. Many countries now have labelling systems on food products; some required by law, while others are coourtesy of a growing number of independent labelling organisations. For example, a food product labelled "Suitable For Vegetarians" somewhere on the package has become a familiar sight for shoppers in the United Kingdom, just part of a whole . In fact, countries like the UK are now blinded by labels smothering much of their packaging: fat and nutritional content with numbers and percentages, organic, vegetarian, diet checklists, indecipherable additive lists and so on. After standing in a supermarket aisle for ten minutes trying to dissect the small print and labeling on just one packet of biscuits, are you reassured to buy the product ... or do you just feel like putting it back on the shelf in a state of confusion? And the reason for the frustration? Because the product packaging didn't give a clear indication of the most fundamental things you are likely to want to know - EITHER WAY - and without the fuss.

One upmarket UK supermarket has been recently selling their own brand Spicy Indonesian Vegetable Crackers. A misleading name for the product since it suggests that you are buying something vegetarian. It's only when you scrutinize the ingredients listing that you find it contains fish! The product seems to have disappeared from their shelves recently, so maybe someone complained. The company in question use "V", "O" and other ethical guides on their products which, as with many supermarkets, often turn out to be randomly added in an inconsistent manner, and often only used as marketing leverage.
We move away from direct ethical labelling usage for a moment to mention what might be considered as discriminatory labelling by another major UK supermarket. Since early 2006 Tesco have redesigned their vitamin and mineral supplement packaging to target shoppers by gender. With a choice of "Women's Health" or "Men's Health" on the packaging, this means, for example, that men who often take iron tablets suddenly find themselves feeling very awkward about buying a simple food supplement. Individual males are put in the embarrassing situation of buying and displaying on their kitchen shelf "Women's Health" iron tablets ... or not buying them at Tesco for that matter. It seems, according to Tesco, iron requirement is just a women's thing, but in fact iron is often an equally important supplement for veggie men and women. With Tesco's sexist-style labelling men and women may now be irritated when trying to buy everyday supplements that may have always been used equally by either sex. We contacted Tesco (as an ordinary shopper) about this potentially discriminating labelling but they never replied. It's Tesco's loss however, since they have probably halved their sales of common supplements that are equally required by both sexes.

Labelling trends still vary widely around the world, with the UK, for example, displaying the largest choice of meat and fish-free foods labelled with the "V" sign. But it still causes confusion.
Why?
For example, between a major brand of breakfast cereal and an identical supermarket own brand cereal, one of these products may have a "V" label printed on the box, whilst the other doesn't. The product without the "V" label might be "identical" to the one with a "V", but the manufacturers simply haven't labelled it, or else it might well contain animal based additives. It's impossible to tell unless all food manufacturers and food outlets are legally obliged to add a "V" label ... and CROSS it or not CROSS it. This is what the active "V" in the NOVA Key is designed to do ... stop the confusion. In fact, all the letters in the NOVA Key are active and can be crossed or not, depending on its ingredients or source. The NOVA Key provides all the ethically-based information a consumer needs to know on one compact, easy to recognize label.

... for general food and clothing

... for cosmetics, clothing and online shopping item descriptions

... for restaurants, salons, cosmetics and clothing

If you are a small manufacturer, store, restaurant or e-tailer who has the initiative to show that you care about your customer's ethical preferences and making your product easily understood, then you can be one of the first to use the NOVA Key right now on your products by visiting the NOVA Key Licensing site.

Consumers can also vote and comment on the Key to help make it a standard and legal requirement in your country.

But whether you are a consumer or a manufacturer or restaurateur, read on to see how the NOVA Key benefits everybody.

Consumers are clearly calling out for a single label that contains the answers to the main ethical questions you ask before buying a product; a label that indicates, either way, what the product contains or doesn't contain, making things 100% clear. This is exactly what the NOVA Key does.
The NOVA Key doesn't cover just food, but also cosmetics and clothing products to indicate when a product is not suitable for vegetarians etc.
What about vegans? ... find out at the useful Q and A's
There aren't laws in any country stating that all foods suitable for veggies have to show a "V" label etc. - just as there aren't laws stating that non-vegetarian foods have to display an appropriate label.
As mentioned, some manufacturers and supermarkets have addressed half the problem and begun to display "suitable for vegetarians" labelling on their products - some reasonably clear while others are more obscure, since there is no easily recognized universal format. Other manufacturers (and restaurants) ignore the necessity of ethical labelling altogether ... Or in some cases show no consistency with their "V" signs, putting the label on the product or menu only if they remember to.
Worst of all - and whether intentional or not - there are companies, and more commonly restaurants, who occasionally - print "V" labels on products, which actually contain parts of dead animals.
With so many mixed up variables displayed on store shelves or restaurant menus, how can any ethically minded person tell what products ARE or ARE NOT vegetarian, organic, natural or tested on animals?
The "NOVA" Key solves all these problems in one go - simply by the use of a cross on the relevant letter.

Have a Question?
Here are lots of useful Q and A's

It's important to remember that the NOVA Key is a unique validation / clarification system that consolidates a fairer relationship between manufacturer and consumer.
If and when adopted by your country's government, the NOVA Key would be a legal requirement on all products. But even before that, while the NOVA Key itself remains an optional system, its concept means that thousands more products can potentially become a clearer choice for the consumer, whether veggie, organic, natural, animal tested or not. This is because the NOVA Key label stops any confusion by its clever design.
Manufacturers using the NOVA Key aren't judging ethics, they are simply informing you the customer about the content of their product. They have no reason to be dishonest. If they do mark their Key incorrectly, they will be (briefly) disqualified, and the customer will be made aware of this through the online listing of manufacturers using the NOVA Key. ( See Q and A's) So it's in the interest of the manufacturer to be honest, and that means customers will feel more trusting of manufacturers that use the Key ... whatever their ethical choices might be. It's a win-win situation. Obviously, it will be hoped that manufacturers will find the ethical guidance of the NOVA Key an inspiration to fine-tune their products and become more environmentally and animal friendly, and perhaps a red cross would be removed from the Key on their products in the future. But the important thing in these initial stages is that you, the consumer can buy with confidence, whatever your preferences, or indeed the manufacturer's choice of ingredients.
Remember, the red crosses applied (or not) on each letter which spells "NOVA" is the important clarifying aspect of NOVA's impending success as a universal key.

You are invited to vote and comment on The NOVA Key - to encourage all manufacturers, governments and countries to make this a compulsory global labelling system on all products.
The NOVA Key invites other vegetarian, animal and environmental groups to join us and to help promote this important project.
This NOVA Key Campaign site also includes views and opinion from key figures in animal welfare and manufacturing.
Vote here for the NOVA Key or please read on for more details.

Manufacturers and suppliers, apply here for a NOVA Key License.

Shopping Ethics

Underneath the façade of trendy product presentation, ethical labelling, in its current non-legislative form, is wide open to double standards. This includes confusion for the consumer between almost identical products, where one - for example - may be vegetarian and the other not - and in some cases false claims as to its suitability for vegetarians. The term "organic" is often loosely applied on products since it's become a money-spinner, and some so-called organic products may contain additives that certainly aren't organically derived.
It's not only food we are focussing on here ... During the current resurgence of fur in fashion, traders are deceiving consumers by labelling fur clothing and items with mythical names to make them sound less like real animals, but which are in fact made from cat and dog fur. Cosmetics and animal testing is another minefield of confusion.
The application of the NOVA Key will tell consumers the ethical nature of clothing and cosmetic products.
Finally, restaurants, where the application of a "slimline" version of the NOVA Key next to all items will inform the customer straight away for ethical suitability.
The NOVA Key active labelling system that covers all these and other variables would finally clear the confusion that many millions of people with ethical preferences have to contend with every time they go shopping or go out to eat. As one NOVA Key voter says, "NOVA labelling would be beneficial for sales as well as for discerning consumers". This is simply because a standard of trust can be established between consumer and manufacturer, particularly due to the open-source method in which the NOVA Key will work. Find out why at Q and A's
Whether for ethical reasons or personal well-being, a clear labelling key on all products that you either eat, put on your skin or wear should become a universal standard.
At present it's impossible to shop or eat in a restaurant with a clear conscience, as veggies are buying non-labelled foods with the high risk that it contains an animal product - including wines and beers, which don't even carry an ingredients listing (and many of which are not suitable for vegetarians). Because of the lack of compulsory labelling, consumers in general are not given a clear indication as to whether products, like cosmetics, soaps, shampoos and medicines are or are not tested on animals.
For examples on products see the Nova Key Examples Pages

Have a Question?
Here are lots of useful Q and A's

SUPER "N-O-V-A" ... to recap

"N" to show that the product is natural - either that it has not been genetically modified or that it contains no artificial / chemical additives.
"O" to show that the product is 100% organic and produced with no chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
"V" for vegetarian (and vegan) suitability on all products including clothes.
"A" to show that the product has not been tested on animals.

Any of the NOVA letters displayed with red crosses through them means the exact opposite.
It's that simple. By displaying either alternative, consumers will know instantly whether the product suits their requirements. No more guessing, and no more confusion.

Have a Question?
Here are lots of useful Q and A's

Action for ALL
All in all, a non-legislated ethical labelling system, which presently exists can be exploited or ignored by stores, eating establishments and manufactures. It causes more uncertainty and anger amongst an increasing number of ethically conscious shoppers who are not taken in by the trends and hype of random veggie / organic / animal friendly labelling.
There is even the increasing number of general consumers, whose vague aim may be to avoid or regulate their use of unethical products. But without clear labelling, they still end up using them, unaware that they are eating parts of dead animals or rubbing them into their bodies or indirectly causing severe pain to animals used for testing the products.
More about Investigation and Case Studies

This campaign stage of the NOVA Key invites you to sign our electronic petition and vote for a compulsory universal labelling system. We need votes not just from vegetarians but from anyone with a moral conscience - and we need millions of them!