Are E100 Additives Vegan?
E100 to E199 is the color range. Most entries are plant pigments, minerals or synthetic dyes. Carmine (E120) comes from cochineal insects, and a few pigments need a source check because of their carrier or production route.
- Not vegan
- 1
- Depends on source
- 3
- Vegan
- 21
E100 to E199 in number order
- E100 Curcumin Curcumin is vegan. E100 is extracted from the rhizome of the turmeric plant, Curcuma longa, at a concentration far above anything in a spice jar. Vegan
- E101 Riboflavin Riboflavin is vegan in practice. Nearly all commercial E101 is fermented by the fungus Ashbya gossypii or the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, and the whey-derived form has fallen out of commercial use. Depends on Source
- E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is vegan. E102 is a petrochemical azo dye, animal-free from the first step. Vegan
- E104 Quinoline Yellow Quinoline Yellow is vegan. Coal tar chemistry produces E104 from start to finish, so nothing animal enters it. Vegan
- E110 Sunset Yellow FCF Sunset Yellow FCF is vegan. Nothing but petrochemicals goes into E110. Vegan
- E120 Carmine Carmine is not vegan. The red comes from female cochineal insects, Dactylopius coccus, dried and crushed at a rate of roughly 70,000 bodies per pound of dye. Not Vegan
- E122 Carmoisine Carmoisine is vegan by composition. The dye is a synthetic azo color made from petrochemical aromatics, with no animal ingredient anywhere in its manufacture. Vegan
- E124 Ponceau 4R Ponceau 4R is vegan by composition. The dye is synthesized from petrochemical aromatics, and its alternative name Cochineal Red A refers to the shade, with no insect involved. Vegan
- E129 Allura Red AC Allura Red AC is vegan. Chemists build the azo dye out of petroleum, with no animal input at any stage. Vegan
- E133 Brilliant Blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is vegan. The dye is synthesized from petrochemical aromatics, with no animal ingredient in the molecule or the process. Vegan
- E140 Chlorophylls Chlorophylls are vegan. E140 is pulled from green plant matter, usually grass, nettles, or spinach, and it is the same pigment that colors a lawn. Vegan
- E141 Copper Complexes of Chlorophylls Copper complexes of chlorophylls are vegan. The pigment starts as chlorophyll extracted from grass, alfalfa, or nettles, with the central magnesium replaced by copper for stability. Vegan
- E150a Plain Caramel Plain caramel is vegan. Producers make it by heating plant sugars such as glucose syrup, sucrose, or molasses until they brown, with no ammonium or sulfite reagents allowed. Vegan
- E150c Ammonia Caramel Ammonia caramel is vegan. Manufacturers heat plant sugars with ammonium compounds to make a dark, heat-stable color, and no step involves animal material. Vegan
- E150d Sulfite Ammonia Caramel Sulfite ammonia caramel is vegan. Producers heat plant sugars with sulfite and ammonium salts to make the acid-stable brown used in cola. Vegan
- E153 Vegetable Carbon Vegetable carbon is vegan. EU rules require the additive to be made by carbonizing plant material such as wood, peat, or coconut shell. Vegan
- E160a Beta-Carotene Beta-carotene depends on the formulation, not the pigment. Depends on Source
- E160b Annatto Annatto is vegan. The color comes from the seeds of the achiote tree, Bixa orellana, which grows across tropical Central and South America. Vegan
- E160c Paprika Extract Paprika extract is vegan. The color is pressed and solvent-extracted from dried red peppers, and both the pigment and its oil carrier are plant-based. Vegan
- E161b Lutein Lutein depends on the product. Food-coloring lutein comes from marigold petals, Tagetes erecta, grown as a dedicated crop, and that route is vegan. Depends on Source
- E161g Canthaxanthin Canthaxanthin is vegan. Food-grade E161g is made by chemical synthesis. Vegan
- E163 Anthocyanins Anthocyanins are vegan. The pigments come from fruit and vegetable skins, most often grape pomace, black carrot, elderberry, or red cabbage. Vegan
- E170 Calcium Carbonate Calcium carbonate is vegan. Food-grade E170 comes from quarried limestone, chalk, or marble, or from precipitation of the same mineral. Vegan
- E171 Titanium Dioxide Titanium dioxide is vegan. The pigment is refined from titanium ore through a purely mineral process with no animal input. Vegan
- E172 Iron Oxides and Hydroxides Iron oxides are vegan. The pigments are mineral compounds of iron and oxygen, made synthetically for food and cosmetic use to keep heavy metals low. Vegan
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Which E100 colors are not vegan?
Carmine (E120) has an animal origin in every commercial form we could verify.
Which E100 colors need a source check?
Riboflavin (E101), Beta-Carotene (E160a) and Lutein (E161b) can be made from plant, mineral or synthetic inputs or from animal ones under the same name. Each entry names the raw material in question and how to confirm it with the supplier or a certified vegan mark.