Reading food labels is one of the most important skills as a vegan. But it's not always easy. Manufacturers are not required to say "contains animal products" clearly, and many animal-derived ingredients hide behind unfamiliar names. This guide covers every animal-derived ingredient you're likely to encounter, organised by category, so you know exactly what to look for.
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Dairy & dairy derivatives
Dairy ingredients come from cow's milk and other animal milks. They appear in an enormous range of products. Not just obviously creamy things. Watch for them in bread, crisps, chocolate, protein bars, and even some margarines. Dairy is one of the most common hidden ingredients in processed food.
Milk sugar used as filler in tablets, baked goods, and processed food
Lactalbumin & lactoglobulin
Milk proteins, often listed separately in protein-enriched products
Yogurt & kefir
Including yogurt powder, dried yogurt, fermented milk
Milk protein
Generic term for dairy proteins in processed food and supplements
Rennet
Enzyme from calf stomach used to set cheese. Can also be microbial or vegetable — ask the manufacturer
Also: animal rennet, traditional rennet, chymosin
Watch out
Casein turns up in many products labelled "dairy-free." Particularly non-dairy cheeses and coffee creamers. "Dairy-free" is not the same as "vegan." Always check for casein or sodium caseinate on the ingredient list.
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Eggs & egg derivatives
Eggs and egg derivatives appear in pasta, bread, mayonnaise, baked goods, sauces, and many processed products. Egg white is also used as a fining agent in some wines and ciders. It won't appear on the label.
Used in meringue, foam, royal icing, protein powders, and as a fining agent in alcohol
Also: egg white powder, albumen powder, dried albumen
Egg yolk
Used in sauces, pasta, ice cream, lecithin (see below)
Also: dried yolk, yolk powder
Albumin / ovalbumin
Egg-white protein. Used in food and pharmaceuticals
Lecithin (egg-derived)
Emulsifier derived from egg yolk. Usually listed as E322. Note: most lecithin in food is now soy-derived, but check the source
Also: egg lecithin, E322 (check source)
Lysozyme (E1105)
Enzyme from egg white used to preserve hard cheese
Mayonnaise
Traditional mayonnaise is made with eggs. Many sauces contain it as an ingredient
Also: aioli, egg-based salad dressing
Watch out in wine & beer
Egg white (albumen) is widely used to clarify wine and some ciders. It's not required to appear on the label in all countries. Use Barnivore to check specific drinks, or look for the "Vegan" certification logo on the label.
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Meat, poultry & animal-derived gelatin
The most obvious non-vegan ingredients. But derivatives like gelatin, lard, tallow, and animal fat appear in many products that don't seem meaty at all: sweets, biscuits, pastry, soups, capsule supplements, and even some wines.
Gelatin / gelatine
Made from boiled animal skin, bones, and connective tissue. Found in gummies, marshmallows, jelly, cheesecake, capsules
Also: E441, pork gelatin, beef gelatin
Lard
Rendered pig fat. Used in pastry, bread, refried beans, and traditional biscuits
Tallow / suet
Rendered beef or sheep fat. Found in some pastry, frying fats, and traditional recipes
Animal fat
Generic term for fat from any animal. Common in industrial baked goods and fried products
Collagen
Structural protein from animal skin and bones. Found in supplements, protein bars, and some food products
Bone broth / stock
Found in soups, sauces, instant noodles, and ready meals
Amino acid usually derived from feathers or hog hair. Used as a dough conditioner in bread and pastry
Also: cysteine, E920 (can be synthetic — check)
Gelatin is everywhere
Gelatin hides in unexpected places: vitamin capsules, some beer and wine (as a fining agent), freeze-dried coffee, some yogurts, and even photographic film. Always check supplement capsules. Look for "vegicaps" or "HPMC capsules" as vegan alternatives.
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Fish and seafood are obvious in many products but also appear hidden as flavouring agents, colour stabilisers, and fining agents. Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing, and many Asian sauces contain anchovy or fish sauce. Even some supplements use fish-derived omega-3.
Fish & fish products
Any species: salmon, tuna, cod, herring, mackerel, haddock, sardine, anchovy, tilapia, etc.
Fish sauce
Common in Thai, Vietnamese, and other Asian cuisines. Used in seasoning, soups, and crisps
Also: nam pla, nuoc mam, oyster sauce, fish extract
Fish oil / omega-3
Often listed as fish-derived omega-3. Found in supplements, some fortified foods
Also: cod liver oil, DHA (check source), EPA
Isinglass
Protein derived from dried fish swim bladders. Used to clarify beer, wine, and juice — rarely on the label
Anchovies
Found in Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing, some pizza sauces, tapenade, pesto
Caviar / fish roe
Fish eggs. Used as a luxury ingredient and flavouring
Structural polysaccharide from crustacean shells. Used as a thickener and supplement
Isinglass in your pint
Many traditional real ales and lagers use isinglass (from fish) to clarify the beer. It's not on the label. Check Barnivore or look for unfined/vegan-certified beers.
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Honey & bee products
Honey and other bee products are avoided by vegans because they are produced by bees, often using practices that harm or kill bee colonies. They appear in a surprising range of products: skincare, health supplements, and seemingly "natural" foods.
Honey
Found in cereals, granola, baked goods, dressings, sauces, drinks, and cough remedies
Used as a coating on fresh produce, confectionery, cheese rinds, and in cosmetics
Also: E901, white beeswax, yellow beeswax, carnauba wax is vegan
Propolis
Resinous substance made by bees. Found in some health supplements and natural toothpastes
Royal jelly
Secretion fed to queen bees. Found in some health supplements and skincare
Bee pollen
Found in some health foods and supplements
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Insect-derived additives
Several widely-used food additives are derived from insects. The most common is carmine (E120), a vivid red dye from crushed cochineal beetles, which appears in red and pink foods including yogurt, juice, jam, sweets, and cosmetics. Shellac comes from lac insects.
Carmine / Cochineal (E120)
Red/pink colouring from crushed cochineal scale insects. Found in red and pink yogurt, juice, jam, sweets, maraschino cherries, sausages, and cosmetics
Also: carminic acid, natural red 4, crimson lake, C.I. 75470
Shellac (E904)
Resinous secretion of lac insects. Used as a glossy coating on apples, citrus fruit, confectionery, and pharmaceutical tablets
Wax from sheep wool glands. Found in some chewing gum bases and cosmetics. Also used to produce lanolin-derived vitamin D3
Also: wool wax, wool fat
Carmine in pink foods
If a food is pink, red, or purple and contains "natural colouring," carmine is a likely culprit. It's in strawberry yogurt, raspberry jam, pink lemonade, red velvet cake, and even some red lipstick. Look for E120, carmine, carminic acid, or cochineal on the label.
That shiny apple
The glossy coating on supermarket apples and some confectionery is often shellac (E904). A secretion harvested from lac insects. It's also used as a coating on many pharmaceutical tablets and capsules.
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Non-vegan E-numbers
E-numbers are standardised codes for food additives used across the EU. Not all E-numbers are animal-derived. Most are synthetic or plant-based. But these specific ones come from animals or insects. Some (like E322 lecithin) can be either plant or animal-derived, so always check the source.
E-number
Name
Source & where it appears
E120
Carmine / Cochineal
Crushed cochineal insects. Red/pink colouring in yogurt, drinks, sweets, cosmetics
E441
Gelatin
Boiled animal bones and skin. Sweets, desserts, capsules, wine
E542
Bone phosphate
Ground animal bones. Anti-caking agent in powdered foods
E631
Disodium inosinate
Typically from meat or fish. Flavour enhancer in crisps and instant noodles
E635
Disodium ribonucleotides
Usually from fish or yeast. Flavour enhancer in savoury snacks
E901
Beeswax
Bees. Coating on confectionery, apples, and cheese rinds
E904
Shellac
Lac insects. Glossy coating on apples, confectionery, tablets
E910
L-cysteine
Usually from feathers or hog hair. Dough conditioner in bread and pastry
E913
Lanolin
Sheep wool glands. Chewing gum, cosmetics, some vitamin D3 supplements
E966
Lactitol
Derived from milk sugar (lactose). Sugar-free sweetener in diabetic foods
E1105
Lysozyme
Egg white enzyme. Preservative in hard cheese
Note: E322 (lecithin) and E471 (mono- and diglycerides) can be plant or animal-derived. Contact the manufacturer if the source isn't listed.
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The sneaky ones. Ingredients that catch everyone out.
These are the ingredients that surprise even experienced vegans. They don't sound animal-derived, they appear in products that seem vegan, and they're often not listed prominently.
Vitamin D3
Most D3 in fortified food and supplements is derived from lanolin (sheep wool fat). Vegan D3 from lichen exists but must be specifically labelled
Omega-3 (DHA/EPA)
Fish-derived omega-3 is added to many fortified foods. Algae-derived omega-3 is vegan — check the source
Casein in "dairy-free"
Many dairy-free cheeses and creamers contain sodium caseinate — a milk protein. "Dairy-free" is not the same as "vegan"
Isinglass in beer & wine
Fish-derived fining agent used by most traditional breweries. Not on the label. Check Barnivore or buy certified vegan drinks
Confectioner's glaze
The shiny coating on chocolate drops, jelly beans, and some fruit. Almost always shellac (E904) from lac insects
Can legally include flavours derived from meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. If a product is not specifically labelled vegan, natural flavouring is a red flag to investigate
L-cysteine (E910) in bread
Dough improver derived from feathers or hair. Found in supermarket bread, burger buns, and pastry. Not always listed prominently
Worcestershire sauce
Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. Found as an ingredient in sauces, dressings, marinades, and seasoning mixes
Caesar dressing
Traditional Caesar dressing contains anchovies and egg. Check any product containing Caesar dressing as an ingredient
Some red wine & beer
Egg white, isinglass, or gelatin are used to clarify many wines and ales. Not on the label. Look for unfined or vegan-certified labels
Carmine in "natural" red
Products coloured with "natural red colouring" or "natural colouring" in a pink or red food very often contain carmine (E120) from cochineal insects
Capsules in supplements
Standard supplement capsules are made from gelatin (animal bones). Look for "vegicaps", "HPMC capsule", or "vegetable capsule" when buying supplements
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