Top 100 Incompatible Ingredients for Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten Free Diets

The top 100 most common ingredients that aren't compatible with each diet. Visit the Ingredient Guide for the full list for each diet.

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Rank Ingredient Compatibility Description
1 Milk Never Vegan Not vegan if derived from an animal. Check the ingredients.
2 Natural Sometimes Vegan Ingredients are not synthetic or artificial, but extracted directly from plants or animal products
3 Citric Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
4 Sugar Sometimes Vegan A sweet material that consists of sucrose. Some sugars are processed through boneblack.
5 Dextrose Sometimes Vegan Sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. Check the label to determine if plant based.
6 Riboflavin Sometimes Vegan May contain milk.
7 Calcium Sometimes Vegan May be derived from the shells of marine organisms, snails, and eggs. Check the label to be sure.
8 Glucose Sometimes Vegan Sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. Check the label to determine if plant based.
9 Eggs Never Vegan This product contains egg in one form or another. Not vegan friendly.
10 Vitamin Sometimes Vegan Likely animal based but may be plant based. Check the label to verify the source of the ingredient.
11 Whey Never Vegan The watery part of milk that remains after the formation of curds.
11 Cheese Never Vegan Most likely dairy based. Some forms are plant based and should be clearly labeled if true.
12 Chocolate Sometimes Vegan Most chocolates are not vegan. Check the ingredients for dairy or milk.
13 Butter Never Vegan Ingredient contains butter. Most likely derived from dairy but may be plant based.
14 Niacin Sometimes Vegan Used as a cholesterol treatment. In rare cases it can be derived from animal sources.
15 Lecithin Sometimes Vegan May contain egg yolks. Can also be directly obtained from animal fat or soy.
16 Lactose Never Vegan Milk sugar. A type of sugar only found in animal milk.
17 Egg Never Vegan This product contains egg in one form or another. Not vegan friendly.
18 Disodium Sometimes Vegan Flavor Enhancer - Often made from animals.
19 Lactic Sometimes Vegan Typically derived from plants such as beets. When animal-derived, found in blood and muscle tissue.
20 Honey Never Vegan Sweetener - A substance secreted by bees and some related insects.
21 Xanthan Sometimes Vegan Gum produced from corn sugar. Sometimes purified using chicken lysozyme or fermentation of whey.
22 Palmitate Sometimes Vegan A fatty acid most commonly derived from palm oil but may be derived from animals as well.
23 Caramel Sometimes Vegan Used as a coloring. Some caramel is derived from cane sugar and not necessarily vegan.
24 Fish Never Vegan Fish are not considered a vegan food.
25 Chicken Never Vegan Not a vegan food if a byproduct of an animal.
26 Ammonium Sometimes Vegan Another type of salt derived from Lactic Acid, which can be obtained from whey or milk.
27 Beef Never Vegan Not vegan if originating from cow flesh.
28 Ferrous Sometimes Vegan Coloring - May be derived from animal source.
29 Pork Never Vegan Pork, or pig, is not considered a vegan option.
30 Gelatin Never Vegan Protein obtained by boiling animal skin, connective tissue or bones, usually from cows or pigs.
31 Buttermilk Never Vegan Ingredient contains buttermilk. Most likely derived from dairy but may be plant based.
32 Lactate Sometimes Vegan A type of salt derived from Lactic Acid, which can be obtained from whey or milk.
33 E471 Sometimes Vegan Mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids (sometimes derived from animal fats).
34 Polysorbate Sometimes Vegan Derivatives of fatty acids, which are commonly sourced from animals. In cosmetics, foods.
35 Magnesium Sometimes Vegan Another type of salt derived from Lactic Acid, which can be obtained from whey or milk.
36 Meat Never Vegan Not vegan if originating from any animal.
37 Glycerol Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Mostly from animal fats, unless otherwise stated.
38 Monocalcium Sometimes Vegan A salt found in rocks and bones. Used as an anti-caking agent.
39 Stearoyl Sometimes Vegan When animal-derived, a fat from cows, pigs, and sheep, etc. May also be of plant origin.
40 Glycerin Sometimes Vegan Often derived from animal fat but may also be plant based.
41 Yogurt Sometimes Vegan Most yogurts are produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Check if the milk used is plant based.
42 Sucralose Never Vegan Known as Splenda. Produced from cane sugar and tested on animals. May be filtered through bone char.
43 Propylene Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
44 Shortening Never Vegan Most shortening is animal based and is made from butter, suet, and/or lard.
45 Humectant Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Mostly from animal fats, unless otherwise stated.
46 Pasta Sometimes Vegan Some pasta noodles are made with eggs. Check the label or ask if vegan.
47 Wax Never Vegan Typically produced from shellac (lac bug secretion) or beeswax.
48 Yolk Never Vegan This product may contain egg yolk. Check the ingredients to be sure.
49 Turkey Never Vegan Turkey is not considered a vegan food.
50 Acetic Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
51 Rennet Sometimes Vegan Extract usually obtained from a newly-born calf stomach. This can also be derived from synthetic sources or from bacteria and fungus.
52 Confectioner Never Vegan Glazing Agent - Most likely a resin secreted by the lac bug.
53 E120 Never Vegan Coloring - Cochineal (another name for carminic acid, a pigment made from powdered insects)
54 Molluscs Never Vegan Mollusca is the second largest phylum of invertebrate animals. Not a vegan option.
55 Bacon Never Vegan Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork/pig. Not considered a vegan option.
56 Enzyme Sometimes Vegan Protein produced by living cells. Can be derived from animals, plants, bacteria, fungi and yeast.
57 E322 Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - From soy or eggs. Check for vegan labeling or contact the supplier.
58 Glaze Sometimes Vegan A pure food glaze and natural glaze. Made with shellac from the lac bug. Also known as beetle juice.
58 Stearate Sometimes Vegan Salt of stearic acid. An emulsifier and/or stabilizer.
59 Shrimp Never Vegan Shrimp is not considered a vegan food.
60 Tartaric Sometimes Vegan May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
61 Sucrose Sometimes Vegan Sugar - Some sugars are processed through boneblack.
62 Dairy Never Vegan Dairy products are a type of food produced from or containing milk of mammals.
63 Acetate Sometimes Vegan Possible sources are fish liver oil, egg yolks, butter, lemongrass, carrots or synthetics.
64 Sorbitan Sometimes Vegan From stearic acid. Stearic acid is found in both vegetable and animal fats.
65 Fatty Sometimes Vegan Fatty Acids: Organic compounds - Saturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated.
66 Tricalcium Sometimes Vegan A mineral salt found in rocks and bones. The tribasic form of calcium phosphate.
67 Worcestershire Never Vegan Many varieties of Worcestershire sauce contain anchovies. Check the ingredients to be sure.
68 Shellac Never Vegan Glazing Agent - From a resin secreted by an insect called the lac beetle.
69 Polyglycerol Sometimes Vegan A byproduct of soap manufacture (normally uses animal fat).
70 Tuna Never Vegan Tuna is obtained from the tuna fish. Not a vegan food option.
71 Cysteine Sometimes Vegan An amino acid found in the hair protein keratin.
72 Oleic Sometimes Vegan Fatty acid occurring in animal and vegetable fats.
73 Monostearate Sometimes Vegan Manufactured by reacting stearic acid with sorbitol to yield a mixture of esters.
74 Taurine Sometimes Vegan Found in the bile of mammals. Can be, but not likely, plant based.
75 Salmon Never Vegan Salmon is a kind of fish. Not considered a vegan food.
76 Beeswax Never Vegan Wax usually obtained from melting honeycomb with boiling water, straining it, and cooling it.
77 Lard Never Vegan Fat from the abdomen of a pig that is rendered and clarified for use in cooking.
78 Carbon Sometimes Vegan Likely derived from animals unless otherwise noted.
79 Carmine Never Vegan Red pigment extracted from the crushed carcasses of the cochineal insect, a cactus-feeding insect.
80 Lysozyme Never Vegan Enzyme - From eggs.
81 E422 Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Likely plant-based but may be derived from animal fat.
82 E631 Sometimes Vegan Disodium Inosinate: Can be produced from meat, fish or tapioca starch.
83 Animal Never Vegan This product contains an animal derivative. May not be vegan friendly.
84 Sheep Never Vegan Sheep are not considered a vegan option.
85 Anchovy Never Vegan Not vegan if sourced from an animal.
86 Viande Never Vegan Meat - Flesh of an animal.
87 Biotin Sometimes Vegan A whitish powder. It can be derived from animal cells, milk plants, or produced synthetically.
88 Pollock Never Vegan Pollock is a fish. Not a vegan option.
89 Casein Never Vegan The main protein present in milk and cheese.
90 Crab Never Vegan Not a vegan option if sourced from a crab.
91 Crisp Sometimes Vegan May contain dairy ingredients such as casein, whey or animal-derived enzymes.
92 Porc Never Vegan Pork - Pig meat.
93 Collagen Never Vegan Protein found in most tissues, including bone, cartilage and skin. Typically from cows or chickens.
94 Fur Never Vegan The skin of an animal. Used in clothing.
95 Diglyceride Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
96 Marine Never Vegan Likely from fish or marine mammals (including porpoises).
97 Glyceryl Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
98 L-cysteine Never Vegan Improving Agent - Produced commercially from animal and human hair (and feathers).
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