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 Sugar Sometimes Vegan A sweet material that consists of sucrose. Some sugars are processed through boneblack.
4 Citric Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
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 Butter Never Vegan Ingredient contains butter. Most likely derived from dairy but may be plant based.
13 Niacin Sometimes Vegan Used as a cholesterol treatment. In rare cases it can be derived from animal sources.
14 Chocolate Sometimes Vegan Most chocolates are not vegan. Check the ingredients for dairy or milk.
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 Xanthan Sometimes Vegan Gum produced from corn sugar. Sometimes purified using chicken lysozyme or fermentation of whey.
21 Honey Never Vegan Sweetener - A substance secreted by bees and some related insects.
22 Caramel Sometimes Vegan Used as a coloring. Some caramel is derived from cane sugar and not necessarily vegan.
23 Palmitate Sometimes Vegan A fatty acid most commonly derived from palm oil but may be derived from animals as well.
24 Chicken Never Vegan Not a vegan food if a byproduct of an animal.
25 Fish Never Vegan Fish are not considered a vegan food.
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 Polysorbate Sometimes Vegan Derivatives of fatty acids, which are commonly sourced from animals. In cosmetics, foods.
34 E471 Sometimes Vegan Mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids (sometimes derived from animal fats).
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 Monocalcium Sometimes Vegan A salt found in rocks and bones. Used as an anti-caking agent.
38 Glycerol Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Mostly from animal fats, unless otherwise stated.
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 Sucralose Never Vegan Known as Splenda. Produced from cane sugar and tested on animals. May be filtered through bone char.
42 Yogurt Sometimes Vegan Most yogurts are produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Check if the milk used is plant based.
43 Wax Never Vegan Typically produced from shellac (lac bug secretion) or beeswax.
44 Shortening Never Vegan Most shortening is animal based and is made from butter, suet, and/or lard.
45 Propylene Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
46 Pasta Sometimes Vegan Some pasta noodles are made with eggs. Check the label or ask if vegan.
47 Humectant Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Mostly from animal fats, unless otherwise stated.
48 Yolk Never Vegan This product may contain egg yolk. Check the ingredients to be sure.
49 Glaze Sometimes Vegan A pure food glaze and natural glaze. Made with shellac from the lac bug. Also known as beetle juice.
50 Enzyme Sometimes Vegan Protein produced by living cells. Can be derived from animals, plants, bacteria, fungi and yeast.
51 Acetic Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
52 Turkey Never Vegan Turkey is not considered a vegan food.
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 Confectioner Never Vegan Glazing Agent - Most likely a resin secreted by the lac bug.
55 Bacon Never Vegan Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork/pig. Not considered a vegan option.
56 Molluscs Never Vegan Mollusca is the second largest phylum of invertebrate animals. Not a vegan option.
57 E120 Never Vegan Coloring - Cochineal (another name for carminic acid, a pigment made from powdered insects)
58 Stearate Sometimes Vegan Salt of stearic acid. An emulsifier and/or stabilizer.
58 E322 Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - From soy or eggs. Check for vegan labeling or contact the supplier.
59 Tartaric Sometimes Vegan May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
60 Shrimp Never Vegan Shrimp is not considered a vegan food.
61 Sucrose Sometimes Vegan Sugar - Some sugars are processed through boneblack.
62 Acetate Sometimes Vegan Possible sources are fish liver oil, egg yolks, butter, lemongrass, carrots or synthetics.
63 Dairy Never Vegan Dairy products are a type of food produced from or containing milk of mammals.
64 Fatty Sometimes Vegan Fatty Acids: Organic compounds - Saturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated.
65 Tricalcium Sometimes Vegan A mineral salt found in rocks and bones. The tribasic form of calcium phosphate.
66 Sorbitan Sometimes Vegan From stearic acid. Stearic acid is found in both vegetable and animal fats.
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 Oleic Sometimes Vegan Fatty acid occurring in animal and vegetable fats.
70 Polyglycerol Sometimes Vegan A byproduct of soap manufacture (normally uses animal fat).
71 Monostearate Sometimes Vegan Manufactured by reacting stearic acid with sorbitol to yield a mixture of esters.
72 Tuna Never Vegan Tuna is obtained from the tuna fish. Not a vegan food option.
73 Cysteine Sometimes Vegan An amino acid found in the hair protein keratin.
74 Beeswax Never Vegan Wax usually obtained from melting honeycomb with boiling water, straining it, and cooling it.
75 Taurine Sometimes Vegan Found in the bile of mammals. Can be, but not likely, plant based.
76 Salmon Never Vegan Salmon is a kind of fish. Not considered a vegan food.
77 Viande Never Vegan Meat - Flesh of an animal.
78 Carmine Never Vegan Red pigment extracted from the crushed carcasses of the cochineal insect, a cactus-feeding insect.
79 Lard Never Vegan Fat from the abdomen of a pig that is rendered and clarified for use in cooking.
80 Carbon Sometimes Vegan Likely derived from animals unless otherwise noted.
81 Lysozyme Never Vegan Enzyme - From eggs.
82 Animal Never Vegan This product contains an animal derivative. May not be vegan friendly.
83 E422 Sometimes Vegan Sweetener - Likely plant-based but may be derived from animal fat.
84 E631 Sometimes Vegan Disodium Inosinate: Can be produced from meat, fish or tapioca starch.
85 Anchovy Never Vegan Not vegan if sourced from an animal.
86 Sheep Never Vegan Sheep are not considered a vegan option.
87 Porc Never Vegan Pork - Pig meat.
88 Pollock Never Vegan Pollock is a fish. Not a vegan option.
89 Biotin Sometimes Vegan A whitish powder. It can be derived from animal cells, milk plants, or produced synthetically.
90 Crisp Sometimes Vegan May contain dairy ingredients such as casein, whey or animal-derived enzymes.
91 Crab Never Vegan Not a vegan option if sourced from a crab.
92 Casein Never Vegan The main protein present in milk and cheese.
93 Collagen Never Vegan Protein found in most tissues, including bone, cartilage and skin. Typically from cows or chickens.
94 Diglyceride Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
95 Fur Never Vegan The skin of an animal. Used in clothing.
96 L-cysteine Never Vegan Improving Agent - Produced commercially from animal and human hair (and feathers).
97 Marine Never Vegan Likely from fish or marine mammals (including porpoises).
98 Glyceryl Sometimes Vegan Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
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