Is burdock vegan?

Burdock is a biennial plant in the daisy family, classified under the genus Arctium, whose roots, leaves, and seeds are used in food and beverages. The slender taproot, commonly referred to as gobo in Japanese cuisine, is harvested from the ground, washed, and distributed fresh, shredded, dried, or ground into a fine powder. It appears regularly on ingredient labels for traditional East Asian prepared meals, herbal tea blends, canned soups, vegetable broths, and savory snacks.

Burdock is vegan because it is an agricultural product obtained entirely from plants. The commercial preparation of burdock root relies exclusively on mechanical and physical processes, such as soil removal, cleaning, slicing, boiling, and hot-air dehydration. These processes do not require the introduction of animal byproducts or animal-derived processing aids at any stage of manufacturing. Because no animal sources are utilized during its cultivation, harvest, or processing, burdock is fully plant-based.