Lacto-ovo vegetarian describes a diet that excludes meat, poultry and fish but includes both dairy and eggs. The name breaks down by source: lacto is milk, ovo is egg. A lacto vegetarian includes dairy but not eggs; an ovo vegetarian includes eggs but not dairy. Because the boundaries differ, a vegetarian certificate states exactly which variant a product qualifies for.
In depth
The prefixes come from Latin: lacto for milk, ovo for egg. So a lacto vegetarian product may contain dairy but no egg, an ovo vegetarian product may contain egg but no dairy, and a lacto-ovo vegetarian product may contain both. All three exclude meat, poultry, fish and seafood.
This precision matters on a label because vegetarian standards vary. A V-Cert vegetarian certificate names the variant a product meets rather than leaving buyers to guess, and it still screens for hidden animal inputs such as rennet, gelatin and animal-derived fining agents.
A vegan product goes further, excluding dairy, eggs, honey and all other animal-derived ingredients — see animal-derived.
Related marks
- VegetarianA first-class mark — never vegan's footnote.
- VeganFood, beverage, supplements, cosmetics.
Related terms
- Animal-derived ingredient — An animal-derived ingredient is one obtained wholly or partly from an animal, including insects and animal by-products.
- Fining agent — A fining agent is a substance added during processing to remove haze and sediment from a liquid such as wine, beer, cider or juice.
- Supplier declaration — A supplier declaration is a written statement from a supplier confirming facts about an ingredient, such as its source, composition or processing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lacto and ovo vegetarian?
A lacto vegetarian eats dairy but not eggs; an ovo vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats both. All exclude meat, poultry and fish.