Vegan prisoners will be able to buy food and toiletries that are in keeping with their beliefs and contain no animal products, a Vegan support group said today.

In a key concession to vegan inmates, the prison service will now allow prisoners to order toiletries from two specialist outlets, according to the Vegan Prisoners Support Group.

Products that will be available include vegan soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and toothpaste, as well as foodstuffs such as chocolate bars, biscuits, nuts and seeds, after prison authorities agreed to allow vegans to place mail order requests from Holland and Barrett and Honesty Cosmetics. The move comes after a 15-year-campaign by the lobby group, who will continue you push for vegan prisoners to be allowed to wear boots which are not made from animal skin.

Strict vegans avoid any foods derived from living or dead animals, including red meat, poultry, white meat and fish, and avoid animal milks, eggs, honey, and any other animal products such as gelatin.

A spokesman for the Vegan Prisoners Support Group said: "Vegan prisoners have had very limited access to vegan products through prison shops. Our recommendations were for basic vegan hygiene/bodycare products – ie a vegan bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, deodorant and toothpaste. In addition we recommended a vegan chocolate bar, sweet and savoury vegan biscuit, protein source such as Nuttolene or braised tofu, vegan spread, cheese alternative, soya yoghurt, flavoured soya drink and fortified soya milk."

It is the latest in a series of rulings to protect the rights of inmates. In May pagan prisoners were told they could keep twigs in their cells to use as wands, as part of a prisons policy that gives pagan prisoners the same rights as inmates of other faiths.

A prison service spokesman said vegan, vegetarian and other dietary requirements were met by the prison service, and that prisoners could purchase additional items from approved suppliers, at their own expense.

"They have limited access to their own money, based on good behaviour," he said. "If prisoners don't behave, their privileges are withdrawn. Purchased items are subject to rigorous security procedures, including hand searches and X-raying."

There are an estimated 500 vegan prisoners, who, the VPSG argue, currently struggle to obtain products they find acceptable. The VPSG website states: "Veganism is not a religion but a philosophy whereby the use of an animal for food, clothing or any other purpose is regarded as wholly unacceptable.

"The majority of vegans reject entirely anything which has its origins in the exploitation, suffering or death of any creature."