You might have spotted E-numbers listed on a food package or perhaps heard them mentioned in a conversation about diet and nutrition. These codes, ubiquitous in the European Union, correspond to a wide range of substances used as food additives.
Unfortunately, some E numbers such as E120, E542, E901, E904, E913, E966, and E1105 are generally considered non-vegan. However, there’s a long list of E numbers where it’s unclear whether they’re truly sourced from animals.
Let’s learn a bit more about these non-vegan E numbers and fully understand which ones should be really avoided.
What Exactly Are E Numbers?
E numbers. We see them often, they’re listed on pretty much every packaged food item, but what exactly are they?
Well, E numbers are essentially codes for substances used as food additives. They’re omnipresent in our food supply and serve various functions that affect a product’s taste, texture, shelf-life, and appearance.
The “E” in E numbers stands for “Europe” or “European Union” to be precise. The EU has a standardized system to identify all these food additives, using the prefix “E” followed by a unique number.
This makes it easier for both consumers and regulators alike to track what’s going into the food.
Food additives with an E number have undergone testing by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and are considered safe for consumption.
However, “safe for consumption” does not necessarily mean “suitable for all diets,” which is a critical distinction, especially for vegans.
The E numbers encompass a wide array of substances, including:
- Colorants (E100–E199): These additives are used to give food an appealing hue.
- Preservatives (E200–E299): These substances prolong shelf-life by preventing spoilage from microorganisms.
- Antioxidants & Acidity regulators (E300–E399): These additives maintain food freshness and control acidity.
- Thickeners, stabilizers & emulsifiers (E400–E499): These are used to achieve the desired consistency and texture in food products.
- pH regulators & anti-caking agents (E500–E599): These help in maintaining the acidity of the food and prevent it from clumping.
- Flavor enhancers (E600–E699): These additives enhance the existing flavors in the food.
- Miscellaneous (E900–E999): This category includes additives like sweeteners and foaming agents.
While these categories might sound intimidating, remember, not all E numbers are ‘bad’ or unhealthy. Many of them are derived from natural sources and can be found in everyday foods.
However, the crux of the matter for vegans is identifying which ones are plant-based and which ones originate from animal sources.
How To Identify Non-Vegan E Numbers
Decoding E numbers to determine whether they align with a vegan lifestyle may seem like a daunting task.
However, with a little knowledge and practice, you can become adept at distinguishing between vegan and non-vegan food additives.
Here are some tips to help you out:
Familiarize Yourself With Non-Vegan E Numbers: Knowing which E numbers are derived from animal sources is the first step. As mentioned in the introduction, E numbers like E120, E542, E631, E901, and E904 are non-vegan. We’ll dive into more details about these additives in the following sections.
Use Trusted Resources: Reliable vegan organizations and websites often have comprehensive lists of non-vegan E numbers. They regularly update these lists as new information becomes available. Using these resources can help simplify your E-number checking process. One of these resources is the Vegetarian Society.
Leverage Technology: Numerous smartphone apps are specifically designed to help vegans shop with confidence. These apps can quickly identify whether a product is vegan-friendly or not, based on its E numbers. There are some apps that help do that, like this one, except the reviews aren’t so good.
Look for Vegan Labels: Many food manufacturers now label their products with vegan-friendly symbols. These symbols can significantly reduce the time you spend deciphering ingredient lists.
When in Doubt, Ask: If you’re unsure about a product, don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer directly. They can provide detailed information about the source of their food additives. This is often necessary (at least for us because we need to synthesize information and provide it to you in a factual way) but often companies won’t outright reveal whether a certain E-number was sourced from either animals or plants.
Examples of Non-Vegan E Numbers
Discovering which E numbers aren’t vegan is a bit of a long task, and it’s especially complicated when a given E number (and they’re SO many) can actually be derived from different sources, including both animal and plant ones.
However, to simplify it all, I’ll give you the ones that are definitely not vegan:
E120 – Cochineal or Carmine: This vibrant red food colorant is used in a variety of products like drinks, biscuits, sweets, desserts, and sauces. Disturbingly for vegans and vegetarians, it’s derived from the crushed bodies of cochineal insects.
E542 – Edible Bone Phosphate: Extracted from the bones of cattle or pigs, edible bone phosphate is used as an anti-caking agent in dry foods to prevent the particles from sticking together. You can also find it in cosmetics, toothpaste, and nutritional supplements.
E904 – Shellac: Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug. It’s used as a glazing agent in confectionery products and to reduce moisture loss in fruit. Shellac production involves the harvest of the resin after the female insect’s eggs hatch, consuming their mother in the process.
E901 – Beeswax: Beeswax is purified from naturally produced honeycomb and used in a variety of applications, including as glazing agents, in candles, jellies, chewing gum, and cosmetics such as lip products and hand creams.
E913 – Lanolin: This is a wax extracted from sheep’s wool. It’s primarily used in cosmetics and some chewing gums. As a component of the gum base, it may not be explicitly listed in the ingredients, so extra vigilance is needed.
E966 – Lactitol: This low-calorie sweetener is a sugar alcohol derived from lactose, the sugar found in cow’s milk. You’ll typically find it in reduced-calorie confectionery and chewing gum.
E1105 – Lysozyme: Found in egg whites, lysozyme is an enzyme sometimes used in food production.
And below you can find the ones that may or not be suitable for a vegan diet— and this is because they can be sourced from animal or plant-based sources.
It’s a pretty long list, I’m afraid:
- E101 Riboflavin
- E160a(i) – mixed carotenes and E160a(ii) – beta-carotene
- E270 – Lactic acid
- E304 – Ascorbyl palmitate
- E322 – Lecithin
- E325 – Sodium lactate, sodium salt of lactic acid (also known as E270)
- E326 – Potassium lactate
- E327 – Calcium lactate
- E422 – Glycerol/Glycerine
- E430 to E436
- E442 – Ammonium phosphatide
- E470 – Fatty acid salts
- E471 – Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, produced from glycerol (see E422) and natural fatty acids
- E472 – Esters of mono- and diglycerides, esters of synthetic fats, produced from glycerol (see E422), natural fatty acids, and other organic acids (acetic, lactic, tartaric, citric)
- E473 – Sugar esters of fatty acid, produced from glycerol (see E422) and natural fatty acid
- E474 – Sugarglycerides, esters of sugar and fats, produced from sugar and natural fats
- E475 – Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids
- E477 – Propane 1, 2 diol esters of fatty acids
- E479 – Thermally oxidized soya bean oil interacted with mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E481 – Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
- E482 – Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate
- E483 – Stearyl tartrate
- E491 – to E495 Sorbitans
- E570 – Fatty acids
- E631 – Disodium inosinate
- E635 – Disodium 5’ribonucleotides
- E920 – L-cysteine
And unless it’s listed on the label that the product is vegan, you’ll never know for sure that the product you’re getting is indeed… vegan.
In that case, your solution would be to contact the manufacturer directly to know for sure whether the E number in question is vegan-friendly.
What Are Some Of The Vegan-Friendly Alternatives Used By Manufacturers?
Well, when it comes to the E numbers that are undoubtedly derived from animal sources, there are alternatives that manufacturers can use in order to make their products (a bit more) vegan-friendly.
Here are a few of them:
Plant-Based Colouring Agents: Some manufacturers are moving away from using E120 (Cochineal or Carmine) for coloring and instead utilize plant-based agents. These include beetroot juice (E162), which imparts a rich red hue, chlorophyll (E140) for green, and beta-carotene (E160a) for orange shades.
Vegan Anti-Caking Agents: In place of E542 (Edible Bone Phosphate), manufacturers can use calcium phosphate (E341), silicon dioxide (E551), or magnesium carbonate (E504). These additives prevent the formation of lumps in powdered products, ensuring a smooth texture.
Natural Plant-Derived Waxes: Instead of using E904 (Shellac), manufacturers can opt for plant-based waxes such as carnauba wax (E903), which is sustainably harvested from the leaves of the carnauba palm.
Natural Sweeteners: As a vegan-friendly alternative to E966 (Lactitol), many manufacturers can use plant-derived sweeteners. Steviol glycosides (E960), derived from the stevia plant, or xylitol (E967), extracted from birch trees, are the ones that are actually used.
Microbial or Plant-Derived Enzymes: To replace enzymes like E1105 (Lysozyme) sourced from eggs, manufacturers can use enzymes derived from plant sources or ones produced through microbial fermentation.
In other words, many of these animal ingredients or E numbers being used are not even necessary anymore with both the plant-based and synthetic alternatives available today— and these are only some of the alternatives I’ve touched upon.
What’s The Bottom Line?
Well, the bottom line is that there are seven E numbers that are definitely non-vegan and as we’ve seen, it’s pretty easy to understand why.
But unfortunately, there’s a long list of E numbers that muddy the waters because they. can either be vegan or not— and that’ll change from one manufacturer to another.
If you really wish to know whether a given E number is vegan (assuming it’s harder to know), the best course of action is to get in touch with the company behind the product.
