E numbers that are always vegan, sometimes vegan, never vegan

E numbers get blamed for a lot, and vegan shoppers have a specific worry: which of them come from animals? The answer is more reassuring than the internet suggests. Of the E numbers that actually appear on supermarket labels, the large majority are minerals, plant extracts, gums or synthetic compounds with no animal involvement at all. A short list are always animal-derived. And a handful, including the single most common one, can be made either way and the code does not tell you which.

We counted every E number written as a code in the ingredient lists of 35,549 products in our database and sorted the ones that appear most often into three groups. Counts are products whose label uses the code itself; many labels write the name instead ("citric acid" rather than E330), so the true frequency is higher.

Always vegan

These are mineral, synthetic or plant-derived by definition. There is no animal route to making them.

Two of these deserve a note because their names cause confusion. E270, lactic acid, is made by fermenting plant sugars and contains no milk; the word "lactic" is the only link. E903, carnauba wax, comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm, and is the vegan alternative to the two insect waxes below. E476, the most common code in our data, is made from castor oil and glycerol and shows up in almost every mainstream chocolate bar.

A caveat on sodium nitrite (E250): it is vegan by origin, and it is almost always in cured meat. Origin and use are different questions.

Sometimes vegan: the code does not say

These additives can be manufactured from plant oils, from animal fat, or by fermentation, and the finished product is chemically the same. The E number is identical either way, so the label alone cannot tell you.

E471 is the one that matters, because it is everywhere: 472 products in our data write the code, and thousands more write the name. It is the emulsifier in sliced bread, margarine, ice cream, crisps and biscuits. In Europe it is now mostly made from palm or rapeseed oil, and a product that carries a vegan mark has confirmed that. Without a mark, the code is an open question, which is why our vegan check returns "not sure" rather than a fail when it appears.

E322, lecithin, is usually the easy one, because labels tend to say "soy lecithin" or "sunflower lecithin". When they only say "lecithin" or "E322", egg lecithin is possible, although it is rare outside mayonnaise and some bakery products.

E160a, carotenes, is a plant pigment, but the concentrated colour is sometimes sold dissolved in gelatin. The pack does not say.

E627 and E631, the flavour enhancers behind "savoury" crisps and instant noodles, are made by fermentation today but were historically extracted from fish and meat. Products that carry a vegan mark have settled it; others have not.

E920, L-cysteine, the bread softener, is the one with the most unpleasant history, since it was once made from feathers and hair. Modern supply is mostly fermentation, and again the label does not say.

Never vegan

Three codes are animal by definition and appear on labels often enough to matter.

E120 is the red in some sweets, yogurts, drinks and cured meats, and it is the most common animal E number by a distance. E904 is the shine on chocolate-coated sweets and sprinkles. E901 coats gummy sweets and some fruit. Gelatin is usually written as a word rather than a code, which is why E441 is rare in the table while gelatin itself appears in 1,106 products in our data. Lysozyme, from egg white, is used in some hard cheeses.

Note that E120 and E904 are also excluded from vegetarian claims, not only vegan ones; we cover that in vegetarian vs vegan on a label.

How to use this on a label

1. Ignore the scary-sounding codes in the first table. They are minerals, gums and acids, and the number is just a European catalogue entry.
2. Learn five codes: E120, E904, E901 (animal), and E471, E322 (ask). They cover almost every real case.
3. Treat a vegan certification mark as the answer to the "sometimes" group. Certifiers check the emulsifier source; the label cannot.
4. When the code is in the "sometimes" group and there is no mark, the honest status is unknown, and that is what our check shows.

Every E number has its own page on eatcheck, with the vegan, halal and origin status and the products in our database that use it. Start from E471, the one you will meet most, or browse the vegan hub for products that came through the whole check clear.

FAQ

Is E471 vegan?

Sometimes. Mono- and diglycerides can be made from plant oils or animal fat, and the code does not say which. In Europe most E471 is plant-derived, and a vegan mark on the pack confirms it. Without the mark it is unknown.

Which E numbers are never vegan?

E120 (carmine, from insects), E904 (shellac, from insects), E901 (beeswax), E441 (gelatin), E1105 (lysozyme, from egg) and E913 (lanolin, from wool). Of these, E120 is by far the most common on labels.

Are E numbers with "lact" in the name dairy?

Not usually. E270 lactic acid, E325 to E327 lactates and E472b lactic esters are made from fermented plant sugars. The exception is E966 lactitol, a sweetener made from lactose, which is milk sugar.

Is a product with only "always vegan" E numbers vegan?

Not necessarily. The E numbers are only part of the list. Milk, egg, honey, gelatin and animal fats are usually written as words, not codes. Read the whole list, then the allergen line.