E numbers! If you’re in Europe, you will have noticed that almost all processed foods and drinks have some ingredients simply listed as E numbers on the labels. And it can be a minefield! Are E numbers even vegan?
Why are food additives given E numbers?
Why must they list the ingredients in this way, confusing consumers, whilst other ingredients, often with unpronounceable and frightening-looking names, are listed out in full? It can make you wonder what dodgy ingredients are hidden behind these obscure numbers. It’s not exactly consumer-friendly and it certainly doesn’t make life easy for a vegan or anyone who’s eschewing certain products for any reason.
Meanwhile, in the USA and non-European countries, ingredients tend to be listed out in full, though you’re hardly likely to know what some of those obscure names and substances actually are. Either way, if you are seeking to avoid animal ingredients, it pays to know what’s in the food you buy.
The ‘E’ in E numbers stands for ‘European’, because these ingredients are codified for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Their safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
So are E numbers vegan? Which should I avoid?
E numbers are technically chemical substances. But before you worry – every single foodstuff, including organic fruit and vegetables, and water, is made of chemicals. And even things like Oxygen and vitamin C have an E number assigned to them when they are used in foodstuffs, (which are E948 and E300 respectively, in case you’re wondering).
They are allocated to all kinds of additives found in processed foods, e.g. colourings and flavourings, emulsifiers (thickeners and gelling agents), stabilisers, antioxidants, preservatives and sweeteners.
When you’re trying to avoid animal products, there are several E numbers you will want to stay well clear of.
You may have learned some of the common E-numbers that vegans seek to avoid, e.g. E120, E904, or at least check the source of, e.g. E471. But there are many and it’s not easy to learn them all off by heart.
The following E numbers are the ones you want to ensure are NOT on your product label:
E120 – cochineal/ carmine/ natural red 4. Red colouring isolated from crushed insects, Coccus cacti
E542 – edible bone phosphate
E631 – sodium 5′-inosinate
E901 – beeswax
E904 – shellac, natural polymer derived from lac beetles
E913 – lanolin, a wax from sheep excreted by the skin of sheep and extracted from the wool
E966 – lactitol, made from milk sugar
E1105 – lysozyme, from eggs
The following are E-numbers that may be either from plant or animal sources:
E101 – Riboflavin, yellow food colour. Can be isolated from milk or produced from micro-organisms, such as yeast.
E161(g) – Canthaxanthin. Usually synthetically made from carotene. Can be made from mushrooms, or flamingo feathers (since this is what gives flamingos that pink hue).
E270 – Lactic Acid & Lactates. Commercially produced by bacterial fermentation on starch and molasses. Unlikely to be non-vegan, but possible.
E304 – Ascorbyl Palmitate. Main source is vegetable fat but it can be obtained from animal fat
E322 – Lecithin. Usually isolated from soybeans or egg yolk
E325 – Sodium Lactate. Sodium salt of lactic acid (E270)
E326 – Potassium Lactate. Sodium salt of lactic acid (E270)
E327 – Calcium Lactate. Sodium salt of lactic acid (E270)
E422 – Glycerol/ Glycerin. Usually made synthetically from propene, or by bacterial fermentation of sugars
E430-436 Compounds containing fatty acids usually obtained from vegetable oils. There is the possibility that animal fats are used
E442 – Ammonium Phosphatides. Usually derived from rapeseed oil
E470 – Fatty Acid Salts. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E471 – Mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids. These days usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E472 – Esters of mono- and di – glycerides. Esters of synthetic fats. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E473 – Sugar Esters of fatty acid. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E474– Sugarglycerides. Made from sugar and natural fats. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E475 – Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E479 – Esterified Soy Oil. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E481 – Sodium stearoyl lactate. Usually plant origin but animal fats may be used
E482 – Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate. Usually plant origin but sometimes animal fats.
E483 – Stearyl tartrate. Often plant origin but animal fats may be used
E491 to 495, Sorbitans, made from sorbitol and acid. Can be derived from vegetable or animal origin.
E570 – Stearic acid
E631– Sodium inositate. Sodium salt of inosinic acid, a natural acid mainly present in animals. Can be made from meat/ fish or by bacterial fermentation of sugars.
E635 – Sodium ribonucleotides. A mixture of sodium salts of guanylic and inosinic acid
E640 – Glycines. Originally isolated from gelatine but can be prepared synthetically.
E920 – L-cysteine. Essential amino acid derived from proteins. (When animal sources, tends to come from duck feathers).
Sometimes you may come across products that are what may be termed ’accidentally vegan’, – e.g. not made for the vegan consumer but just by luck, don’t contain animal ingredients. Usually the folks in Facebook groups where you will often see these items listed, have done the hard work for you, but you can always check them out further if you prefer. The only problem is that the only way to be sure is to actually contact the manufacture, and they don’t always respond.
If you’re buying a product that’s certified vegan, then by law any E numbers it contains, cannot be of animal origin.
Check out our handy infographic.
If you sign up to our newsletter we will send you a printable version for your purse or wallet, so you’ll have a handy, at-a-glance guide.
If you would like to find out more about E numbers in general – both Wikipedia, and this site: are great sources of information.
