Vegan
How we decidePotassium lactate is vegan. Producers neutralize fermented lactic acid with potassium hydroxide, and the fermentation runs on plant sugar such as corn dextrose or cane and beet sucrose. The salt is not a milk ingredient and carries no milk protein.
Potassium lactate is the potassium salt of lactic acid, supplied as a clear solution of about 60 percent strength. Processors pick it over sodium lactate for low-sodium recipes.
Ingredient Data
Vegan
E326
Potassium 2-hydroxypropanoate; Lactic acid potassium salt; INS 326
Producers neutralize fermented lactic acid with potassium hydroxide. The acid comes from bacterial fermentation of sugar from corn, sugarcane or sugar beet.
In the EU a Group I additive permitted at quantum satis in most processed foods; in cooked meats it inhibits Listeria growth, and low-sodium recipes use it in place of sodium lactate.
Labels read E326 or potassium lactate and name no sugar. A USDA report lists whey among possible fermentation sugars, so a supplier's vegan statement settles a dairy-sugar case.
The salt itself holds no lactose or milk protein. Its lactic acid is fermented from sugar; a USDA report names corn dextrose, cane or beet sucrose and starch, and lists whey as a possible substrate.
A processor can choose either salt, and the recipe decides. A low-sodium product is one reason to pick potassium lactate.