Top 100 Incompatible Ingredients for the Vegetarian Diet

The 100 ingredients we flag most often as not fitting a diet, with the reason each one is flagged.

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Visit the Ingredient Guide for the full list for each diet.

Vegetarian Banned Ingredients for Other Diets

Vegetarian

Rank	Ingredient	Compatibility	Description
1	Natural	Sometimes Vegetarian	Ingredients are not synthetic or artificial, but extracted directly from plants or animal products
2	Citric	Sometimes Vegetarian	Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
3	Dextrose	Sometimes Vegetarian	Sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. Check the label to determine if suitable.
4	Calcium	Sometimes Vegetarian	May be animal based. Double check the label to be sure of the origin.
5	Vitamin	Sometimes Vegetarian	Likely animal based but may be plant based. Check the label to verify the source of the ingredient.
6	Disodium	Sometimes Vegetarian	Flavor Enhancer - Often made from animals.
7	Palmitate	Sometimes Vegetarian	A fatty acid most commonly derived from palm oil but may be derived from animals as well.
8	Chicken	Never Vegetarian	Chicken is not a vegetarian option if meat or flesh from an animal.
9	Fish	Never Vegetarian	Fish are not considered a vegetarian food.
10	Beef	Never Vegetarian	Not a vegetarian friendly option. Beef is taken from the body of a cow.
11	Pork	Never Vegetarian	Pork, or pig, is not considered a vegetarian option.
12	Gelatin	Never Vegetarian	Protein obtained by boiling animal skin, connective tissue or bones, usually from cows or pigs.
13	Polysorbate	Sometimes Vegetarian	Derivatives of fatty acids, which are commonly sourced from animals. In cosmetics, foods.
14	E471	Sometimes Vegetarian	Mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids (sometimes derived from animal fats).
15	Meat	Never Vegetarian	Meat is not a vegetarian option as it is derived from an animal.
16	Glycerin	Sometimes Vegetarian	Often derived from animal fat but may also be plant based.
17	Propylene	Sometimes Vegetarian	Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
18	Turkey	Never Vegetarian	Not a vegetarian food if derived from the flesh, meat, or tissue of a turkey.
19	Bacon	Never Vegetarian	Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork/pig. Not considered a vegetarian option.
20	Molluscs	Never Vegetarian	Mollusca is the second largest phylum of invertebrate animals. Not a vegetarian option.
21	E120	Never Vegetarian	Coloring - Cochineal (another name for carminic acid, a pigment made from powdered insects)
22	Acetate	Sometimes Vegetarian	Possible sources are fish liver oil, egg yolks, butter, lemongrass, carrots or synthetics.
23	Shrimp	Never Vegetarian	Shrimp is not considered a vegetarian food.
24	Oleic	Sometimes Vegetarian	Fatty acid occurring in animal and vegetable fats.
25	Worcestershire	Never Vegetarian	Many varieties of Worcestershire sauce contain anchovies. Check the ingredients to be sure.
26	Viande	Never Vegetarian	Meat - Flesh of an animal.
27	Polyglycerol	Sometimes Vegetarian	A byproduct of soap manufacture (normally uses animal fat).
28	Porc	Never Vegetarian	Pork - Pig meat.
29	Tuna	Never Vegetarian	Tuna is obtained from the tuna fish. Not a vegetarian food option.
30	Salmon	Never Vegetarian	Salmon is a kind of fish. Not considered a vegetarian food.
31	Cysteine	Sometimes Vegetarian	An amino acid found in the hair protein keratin.
32	Carmine	Never Vegetarian	Red pigment extracted from the crushed carcasses of the cochineal insect, a cactus-feeding insect.
33	Carbon	Sometimes Vegetarian	Coloring derived from animals unless otherwise described as plant based.
34	Lard	Never Vegetarian	Fat from the abdomen of a pig that is rendered and clarified for use in cooking.
35	Anchovy	Never Vegetarian	A small fish often used to give non-vegetarian food a salty flavor.
36	Animal	Never Vegetarian	This product contains an animal derivative. May not be vegetarian friendly.
37	E422	Sometimes Vegetarian	Sweetener - Likely plant-based but may be derived from animal fat.
38	E631	Sometimes Vegetarian	Disodium Inosinate: Can be produced from meat, fish or tapioca starch.
39	Sheep	Never Vegetarian	Sheep are not considered a vegetarian option.
40	Pollock	Never Vegetarian	Pollock is a fish. Not a vegetarian option.
41	Crab	Never Vegetarian	Not a vegetarian option if sourced from a crab.
42	L-cysteine	Sometimes Vegetarian	Improving Agent - Produced commercially from animal and human hair (and feathers).
43	Collagen	Sometimes Vegetarian	Protein found in most tissues, including bone, cartilage and skin. Typically from cows or chickens.
44	Diglyceride	Sometimes Vegetarian	Emulsifier - May contain animal fats.
45	Fur	Sometimes Vegetarian	The skin of an animal. Used in clothing.
46	Marine	Never Vegetarian	Likely from fish or marine mammals (including porpoises).
47	Anchovies	Never Vegetarian	A small fish often used to give non-vegetarian food a salty flavor.
48	Skin	Never Vegetarian	Animal based unless labeled as faux or artificial.
49	Jambon	Never Vegetarian	Ham - Leg meat of a pig.
50	Inositol	Sometimes Vegetarian	A sugar-like dietary supplement. Present in almost all plant and animal tissues.
51	Acetylated	Never Vegetarian	Can come from fish oil, egg yolks, butter, lemongrass, wheat germ oil, carotene in carrots, etc.
52	Amylase	Sometimes Vegetarian	Enzyme derived from either animal (usually porcine pancreas), fungal, bacterial or plant source.
53	Diacetyl	Sometimes Vegetarian	Emulsifier - May contain animal fat as it is derived from Glycerin/Glycerol.
54	Cod	Never Vegetarian	Not a vegetarian option if from the cod fish.
55	Tallow	Never Vegetarian	Solid fat of sheep and cattle separated from the membranous tissues. Typically found in margarine.
56	Bovine	Never Vegetarian	Another word for cows or cattle. Not a vegetarian friendly food source.
57	Lobster	Never Vegetarian	Not considered a vegetarian option if sourced from the meat or tissue of a lobster.
58	Monoglyceride	Sometimes Vegetarian	Often from animal fat but may be plant based. Check the label.
59	Cochineal	Never Vegetarian	Red pigment extracted from the crushed carcasses of the cochineal insect, a cactus-feeding insect.
60	Albumen	Sometimes Vegetarian	In eggs, milk, muscles, blood, and many vegetable tissues and fluids.
61	Bonito	Never Vegetarian	Smaller relative of the tuna fish. Used as an ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
62	Retinol	Sometimes Vegetarian	Vitamin A obtained from vegetables, egg yolks, or fish liver oil.
63	Amino	Sometimes Vegetarian	The building blocks of protein in all animals and plants.
64	Squid	Never Vegetarian	Squid is a sea animal and is not considered to be a vegetarian food.
65	Whiting	Never Vegetarian	A common type of fish. Not a vegetarian friendly option.
66	Allura	Sometimes Vegetarian	Allura Red. Derived from either coal tar or petroleum. It is not derived from insects.
67	Canard	Never Vegetarian	Duck - Not a vegetarian option if sourced from a duck.
68	Lamb	Never Vegetarian	Not vegetarian if meat or tissue sourced from a lamb/young sheep.
69	Xantham	Sometimes Vegetarian	A derivative of bacterial fermentation. Chicken lysozyme may be used in the manufacturing process.
70	Blood	Never Vegetarian	From any slaughtered animal. Possibly in foods such as lecithin.
71	Bone	Never Vegetarian	Anti-caking Agent - Contains bones from animals.
72	Duck	Never Vegetarian	Not a vegetarian option if sourced from a duck.
73	Bee	Sometimes Vegetarian	This product contains an ingredient derived from bees. May not be vegetarian friendly.
74	Seafood	Never Vegetarian	Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans. Likely animal based.
75	Veal	Never Vegetarian	The flesh of cow calves that have been raised in conditions that prevent the development of muscle.
76	Poultry	Never Vegetarian	Poultry is another name for domestic fowl, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese.
77	Crustacean	Never Vegetarian	Includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, woodlice, and barnacles.

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