Have you ever wondered whether glycerin is safe for vegans to eat, or if this is an ingredient that needs to be avoided? It’s important to know, especially if you are following a vegan diet or catering to someone who is.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to tell whether glycerin is vegan or not. Glycerin can be derived from three different sources: synthetic, animal, or vegetable. A lot of the glycerin used in our food products is made from vegetables, but not all of it – and frustratingly, it may not be clear on the label.
It’s important to understand whether glycerin is okay to eat if you’re vegan, so in this article, we’re going to cover some of the basics of how glycerin is made and whether it’s likely to be suitable for you to consume.
Is Glycerin Vegan?
Glycerin is sometimes vegan, which can be confusing. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that glycerin is vegan, and it can vary from product to product. This is because glycerin can be derived from various sources, so there are several different types, including:
- Manmade glycerin
- Animal glycerin
- Vegetable glycerin
In the past, glycerin was commonly made from animal fats, but there has been a shift toward vegetable-based glycerin, and it is thought that this is currently the most popular option for foods. That means there’s a high chance of any particular food containing vegetable glycerin, but this isn’t guaranteed and you shouldn’t assume that it’s the case.
Some foods do still use animal glycerin in them, and synthetic glycerin might not be vegan-friendly either, so you should always try to find out how the glycerin was made before you consume any. If you find this ingredient listed on the packaging of some food or a beauty product, be wary of the product until you have a confirmation that it is okay.
Glycerin is a useful ingredient in many different kinds of foods and you are likely to come across it fairly frequently if you read the labels. It is a good sweetener, and it can also appear in medicines, cosmetics, personal care products, e-cigarettes, antifreeze, tinctures, and more. Because it is so common, it’s frustrating that it’s so hard to tell whether it is vegan or not.
Why Isn’t Glycerin Always Vegan?
Glycerin isn’t always vegan because it is sometimes made with animal fats, and for a product to count as vegan, no animal derivatives can be used in the creation of it. That means that glycerin created from animal fats is automatically unsuitable for vegans, and glycerin created from synthetic substances could also be unsuitable.
Vegetable glycerin is vegan and should be okay for a vegan to consume, but it is important to note that manufacturers rarely state what kind of glycerin has been used on the packaging, and that may mean that it’s impossible to tell whether it’s vegan or not. This is frustrating for consumers everywhere, particularly with how common glycerin is.
Because there has been a sharp rise in the use of vegetable glycerin products, many vegans automatically assume that glycerin is safe for them to consume, but you must check this if you can. Although the vegetable glycerin does seem to be the most popular option, it is certainly far from being the only one out there.
This unfortunately means that you may need to treat glycerin as a non-vegan ingredient until it is proven otherwise, because of the lack of information. If you aren’t sure how the glycerin was created, do not eat it.
How Can You Tell If Glycerin Is Vegan?
Frustratingly, there often is no way to tell for sure whether glycerin is vegan, but the first step is usually to inspect the packaging closely – and not just the ingredients list. You can start with this list and see whether the manufacturer has written “vegetable glycerin” there. If they have, the glycerin is suitable for vegans because it has been made using plants.
However, if the ingredient list just says “glycerin,” with no further hints about its source, spend a bit more time looking at the packet. It may say “suitable for vegetarians” or “suitable for vegans” somewhere on it. This would indicate that the glycerin is vegan. If it only says “suitable for vegetarians,” make sure you take the time to check the other ingredients for anything you can’t eat.
If the packaging says “suitable for vegans” on it, it should be fine for you to consume the contents. This can help a lot with determining whether glycerin is okay in foods, although it may not offer you much information when it comes to personal care products or things like shampoo. Few of these will carry a label that indicates whether or not you can use the product.
Can You Find Out About Glycerin’s Source?
If you are really determined to find out whether glycerin in a certain product is plant-based or not, you should get in touch with the manufacturer, as they should be able to follow up and find out where the glycerin has been sourced from. This will tell you what kind of glycerin it is and whether it’s suitable for you to consume.
However, it is worth being aware that manufacturers do change their source of glycerin from time to time, and it’s possible that a company will swap from vegetable glycerin to animal glycerin without any warning or update.
You may not even hear about this if it occurs because there is no need for the manufacturer to change the label to reflect the new source if it only says “glycerin” in the ingredients, without mentioning where this comes from.
You should make efforts to check from time to time that they are still using a vegetable glycerin and you can keep enjoying the product. If you don’t do this, it is possible that you will end up consuming non-vegan glycerin without being aware of it. Hopefully, this will change as more manufacturers become aware of this issue and start to label their products more clearly.
What Products Contain Glycerin?
There are many things that you will need to look out for if you are trying to follow a vegan diet, and glycerin can be in a whole range of foods, including marshmallows, seasoning, spices, soups, cereals, oats, dried vegetables, dried fruits, chewing gum, certain condiments, ready-made pasta, tapioca, rice pudding, nutrition bars, some sodas, icing, ice cream, diet fo