Is E450 Actually Vegan?

No one sits down at night to enjoy a warm bowl of E450 for comfort and nutrition. It sounds like some sort of future food we’ll be forced to eat in a post-apocalyptic world where we’ve managed to destroy all the land.

Alas, it’s already in our food. Now the question is whether or not E450 is vegan.

E450 is a very un-fancy and unappetizing code for the food additive sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), or disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate. And E450 is vegan! So, now you’re probably wondering if you’ve ever had it before.

You’ve likely consumed this additive. And below, we’ll look at what it’s used for, where it comes from, and how we can know if all of the “E” food additives out there are vegan. 

What is E450?

E450 is a food additive, which is a substance that we add to foods in order to improve their taste, texture, shelf life, or even nutritional content. They’re added during the production process, and they can be natural or synthetic substances.

It may not sound appetizing, but the safety testing process from regulatory authorities, like the FDA in the US or the EFSA in Europe, to ensure additives like E450 do what they’re supposed to without harming us is quite rigorous.

More specifically, E450 is a phosphate that’s used most commonly as a leavening agent in baked goods.

That means it helps cake batter and bread dough rise by producing carbon dioxide. If you’d baked at home, you probably know that if that rising doesn’t happen, you’re left with a brick-like texture instead of a light, fluffy result.

But E450 is multipurpose, so you can also see it in processed meat, canned food, dairy, and some beverages since it can also act as a stabilizer, emulsifier (to keep ingredients from separating), and pH adjuster.

It even helps processed potatoes maintain their color.

What are “E” Additives?

The “E” in E450 stands for Europe, which simply means it is approved for use in the European Union.

Making E450 involves a chemical process to combine sodium, monosodium phosphate, and phosphoric acid.

While parts of the ingredients are natural (such as phosphorus, which is a naturally-occurring mineral), the way E450 is created makes it a synthesized or synthetic ingredient, not a natural one.

None of the substances that go into creating E450 are derived from animals, making it vegan.

Are all “E” Additives Vegan?

No, not all “E” additives are vegan. Some are derived from animals. So do not use the letter to assume anything else about these additives. 

One example of a non-vegan E additive is E120, or carmine. This is made from the crushed bodies of insects, and it’s used as a red coloring.

Another example is E441, or gelatin, which is made from the collagen of animals that have had their bones and skin boiled.

For those who have made a commitment to veganism, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to look up every ingredient.

And when you see something like E450 or E441, it’s easy to assume it’s a synthetic, lab-made ingredient. Yet, while that’s true, it still does not mean it was made in a cruelty-free manner.

It’s worth taking some time to teach yourself about the kinds of additives that are conducive to vegans.

At the very least, you’ll learn some interesting things about food production (although to be honest, sometimes the truth makes you want to take a second look at a raw, organic, vegan diet!).

Are There Other Concerns for Vegans When It Comes to E450?

There are many different ways to be a vegan.

Some simply cut animal products from their diet, while others try to ensure all of the products they buy to eat, wear, drive, or otherwise use are cruelty-free and eco-friendly.

When it comes to E450, it’s worth noting that if being environmentally friendly is part of your veganism, E450 has some sustainability issues.

This is primarily because an important constituent is phosphorus, which needs to be mined from phosphate rock. We know that mining has a harsh environmental impact, to say the least. 

There’s also a lot of waste of less valuable materials (like phosphate) in the supply chain. But the global phosphorus mining industry doesn’t exist solely to produce E450. That’s only a tiny fraction of the purpose. Much of the rest is used in fertilizer.

While we certainly enjoy light, fluffy baked goods and the ability to keep canned goods on our shelves in case of emergencies, you may choose not to buy products with E450 and stick to unprocessed foods for your health.

It’s all part of the process of creating your own value system and making conscious decisions on what to buy or put in your body.  

Summary

E450 is a synthetic additive used in foods like baked goods, canned fish, and potatoes that helps with leavening, shelf life, color, and more.

It is a vegan product that you’re most likely to consume while eating processed foods.

While it’s not eco-friendly to process it from beginning to end, it does appear to be cruelty-free to animals throughout the process.