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