Three traps catch honest vegetarians every day, in every country I’ve shopped in. Trap one: animal-derived ingredients hiding behind E-codes and vague words like “enzymes” and “natural flavour”. Trap two: synthetic industrial substances — like acetic-acid “vinegar” — that are technically veg but were never food. Trap three: synthetic and even illegal colours, some made from insects, some from petroleum, some from industrial dyes never meant for the mouth. This page teaches you to spot all three in under a minute per label.
🔴 Red codes are animal-derived, always. 🟡 Yellow codes can come from animal or plant sources — the label or the green dot must resolve them.
| Code / Name | What it really is | Hides in | Veg alternative / what to do |
|---|---|---|---|
E120 Carmine / Cochineal | Dye from ~70,000 crushed cochineal insects per pound | Pink/red yogurts, candies, strawberry drinks, red velvet, lipstick | Beetroot (E162), anthocyanins (E163), annatto (E160b) |
E441 Gelatin | Boiled animal skin, bones, connective tissue | Jelly, gummies, marshmallows, mousse, capsules, some ice cream | Agar-agar (E406), pectin (E440), carrageenan (E407) |
E904 Shellac | Resin secreted by lac insects | Shiny candy coatings, chocolate glaze, waxed fruit, pill coating | Carnauba wax (E903 — palm leaf) |
E920 L-Cysteine | Often derived from poultry feathers, hog hair or human hair | Soft breads, burger buns, pizza bases as “improver” | Breads without improvers; vegan-certified or synthetic-fermentation E920 |
E542 Bone Phosphate | Ground animal bones | Anti-caking agent in some powders, supplements | Products using plant/mineral anti-caking agents |
E966 Lactitol & E913 Lanolin | E913 is wool grease; also the base of most vitamin D3 | Chewing gum coatings, D3 supplements | Lichen-derived D3; gums stating veg glaze |
| Rennet / “Enzymes” | Enzyme from calf stomach lining (when unspecified on imports) | Imported parmesan, cheddar, gouda, blue cheeses | “Microbial rennet” cheese, paneer — see the cheese swap |
| Isinglass | Dried fish swim bladders | Clarifying traditional beers and wines (never on the label) | Unfined / vegan-certified beverages |
| Omega-3 (unspecified) | Usually fish or krill oil | “Heart-healthy” fortified juices, breads, oils | Algal DHA/EPA — see the omega swap |
| Vitamin D3 (unspecified) | Lanolin (sheep wool) or fish liver oil | Fortified milk-alternatives, cereals, multivitamins | Lichen-source D3, sunlight |
E471 Mono- & diglycerides | Fat emulsifier — can be animal tallow or plant oil | Biscuits, breads, ice creams, margarine | In India, trust the green dot; abroad, look for “vegetable source” |
E631 / E627 Inosinate / Guanylate | Flavour enhancers — can be from fish/meat or plant/microbial | Chips, instant noodles, seasoning powders | Green-dot packs in India; explicitly veg flavours abroad |
E322 Lecithin | Usually soy — occasionally from egg yolk | Chocolate, baked goods | “Soy lecithin” or “sunflower lecithin” named = veg |
E570 Stearic acid & E470–478 | Fatty-acid derivatives — animal or plant source | Tablets, chewing gum, baked goods | Green dot / “vegetable origin” declaration |
“Natural flavours” | Legally can include animal-derived substances (e.g. castoreum from beaver, civet, dairy) | Almost everything processed | Brands that disclose flavour sources; less processed food overall |
E422 Glycerol / Glycerin | A syrup that can come from animal fat, vegetable oil or petroleum — the label rarely says which | Toothpaste, capsule shells, cake icing & fondant, low-fat spreads, protein bars, cough syrups | “Vegetable glycerine” stated on the pack; green dot in India |
E432–E436 Polysorbates (Tween 20/60/80) | Fatty-acid emulsifiers — the fatty acid can be plant or animal (tallow) | Ice cream, whipped & non-dairy toppings, pickles, salad dressings, some breads | “Vegetable-source” declaration; green dot; homemade dressings |
E481 / E482 Stearoyl lactylates (SSL / CSL) | Dough softeners from stearic and lactic acid — stearic acid may be animal tallow or plant | Soft breads, burger buns, biscuits, cake mixes, instant dosa/idli batters | Green dot / “vegetable origin”; short-ingredient artisan bread |
E1105 Lysozyme | Enzyme extracted from hen egg white | Some ripened/hard cheeses (stops “late blowing”), and as a wine clarifier | Cheeses that don’t add lysozyme; egg-free certified; Indian paneer |
| Pepsin / Animal Lipase | Pepsin is from pig stomach; pre-gastric lipase is from calf, kid or lamb glands | Some traditional Italian cheeses (pecorino, provolone, romano), a few digestive tablets | “Microbial lipase / microbial rennet” cheese; see the cheese swap |
Casein / Caseinate / Whey | Milk proteins — vegetarian, but not vegan, and they appear where you least expect dairy | “Non-dairy” creamers, processed-cheese slices, protein & energy bars, some “plant” snacks | Named plant proteins (pea, soy, rice) for vegan readers; fine for lacto-vegetarians |
Vitamin A / Retinyl palmitate | Often from fish-liver oil (sometimes synthetic) when the source is unstated | Fortified milk-alternatives, margarine, breakfast cereals, multivitamins | Beta-carotene (E160a, plant) as the vitamin-A source; stated “vegetarian/vegan” |
| Tallow / Suet / Lard | Rendered beef, mutton or pork fat | Flaky pastry & puff, some imported biscuits & chips, fries cooked in animal fat abroad | Products fried in “vegetable oil”; ghee or cold-pressed oil at home |
A traveller’s rule I trust: the shorter the ingredient list, the fewer places these can hide. A dal, a roti and a seasonal vegetable have no E-codes at all.
Synthetic vinegar (industrial acetic acid), dyed “saffron” threads, sodium-hydrosulphite-bleached jaggery, vanaspati passed off as ghee, “analogue paneer” made of starch and refined oil, synthetic colour sweets. None of these contain animals — and none of them deserve a place in a pure kitchen. The vegetarian question is “did an animal suffer for this?”; the shuddh question is “was this ever actually food?” Ask both. The Swap Guide covers each one →
A bright sweet is not brighter because it is fresher. From the sweet shops of Delhi to the candy aisles of America, the reds, oranges and blues that make food look “fun” are usually one of three things: crushed insects (see E120 above), petroleum-derived dyes born in a factory, or — most dangerous — industrial colours that were never legal in food at all. Nature colours food too, and it does it without any of these.
These are legal in most countries and technically vegetarian — but they are synthesised from petroleum and coal-tar chemistry, not grown. Six of them (marked SB) are the “Southampton Six”: in the EU they must carry the printed warning “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” Every one has a plant colour that does the same job.
| Code / Name | What it really is | Products it hides in | Natural plant swap |
|---|---|---|---|
E102 Tartrazine SB | Synthetic lemon-yellow azo dye from petroleum | Soft & “fruit” drinks, packaged mango/orange juice, jelly, boondi & mixture namkeen, instant noodle/soup seasoning, pickles | Turmeric / curcumin (E100), saffron, marigold |
E110 Sunset Yellow SB | Synthetic orange azo dye | Orange squash & sodas, marmalade, cheese-flavour snacks, orange sweets & jalebi-type mithai | Annatto (E160b), turmeric, carrot |
E122 Carmoisine / Azorubine SB | Synthetic red azo dye | Rose & red sweets, flavoured milk & lassi, jellies, tinned-fruit syrups | Beetroot (E162), hibiscus, anthocyanins (E163) |
E124 Ponceau 4R SB | Synthetic scarlet azo dye (banned as a food colour in the USA) | Red sweets & dessert mixes, tinned strawberries, some “veg” sausage/analogue products | Beetroot, pomegranate, red rice yeast |
E129 Allura Red / Red 40 SB | Synthetic red azo dye | Red drinks & ice-lollies, candies, strawberry-flavour cakes, chewing gum | Beetroot, pomegranate, hibiscus |
E104 Quinoline Yellow SB | Synthetic yellow dye (banned as a food colour in the USA) | Yellow sweets & ices, smoked-look snacks, some coated medicines | Turmeric, saffron |
E127 Erythrosine / Red 3 | Synthetic cherry-red dye — now being withdrawn from food in the USA | Glacé/candied cherries, some pink sweets & cake decorations | Beetroot, cranberry, hibiscus |
E133 Brilliant Blue / Blue 1 | Synthetic blue dye (triphenylmethane, petroleum) | Blue candies & “raspberry” slushies, blue ice cream, mouthwash, icing | Butterfly-pea flower, spirulina blue |
E132 Indigo Carmine / Blue 2 | Synthetic indigo dye | Blue & purple sweets, some cereals, coated tablets | Butterfly-pea, red-cabbage extract |
E142 / E143 Green S / Fast Green | Synthetic green dyes | Canned peas, mint & “paan” sweets, green ice cream, tinned vegetables | Spinach / chlorophyll, matcha, mint reduction |
E150c / E150d Ammonia & sulphite caramel | Sugar cooked with ammonia/sulphites — carries traces of 4-MEI, a compound flagged as a possible carcinogen | Colas & dark soft drinks, soy & dark sauces, packaged gravies & stocks, some “brown” breads | Plain caramelised sugar (E150a), jaggery, roasted-malt colour |
E171 Titanium Dioxide | Mineral white pigment — banned in food across the EU since 2022 over a genotoxicity concern | White/pastel candy shells, chewing gum, icing-sugar coatings, some tablets & supplements, toothpaste | Usually unnecessary — rice starch or calcium for whiteness; buy uncoated |
These are not “veg vs non-veg” questions — they are safety questions. In loose, unbranded and street food I have seen textile and industrial dyes used to fake freshness and brightness. They are banned in food everywhere, carry no E-code, and appear on no label — you spot them by suspicion, not by reading. If a colour looks unnaturally vivid on something loose, ask, or walk away.
| Illegal / non-permitted colour | What it actually is | Faked onto | How to protect yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
Metanil Yellow | A non-permitted industrial azo dye; linked to nerve and organ damage | Turmeric powder, arhar/chana dal, laddoo, jalebi, boondi, coloured rice | Buy whole turmeric & grind it; test: a pinch in water + a few drops of lemon/acid turns magenta if adulterated |
Lead Chromate | A toxic heavy-metal pigment — causes brain damage, especially in children | Turmeric roots & powder (added for a richer yellow) | Buy whole polished turmeric fingers from trusted sources; avoid unnaturally bright loose powder |
Sudan I–IV | Industrial red dyes (used in solvents & polish); classified carcinogenic | Red chilli & curry powders, palm oil, some ready sauces | Whole dried chillies ground at home; branded, lab-tested spices |
Rhodamine B | A fluorescent pink textile dye; carcinogenic | Cotton candy (budhiya-ke-baal), pink sweets, “injected” watermelon, coloured chilli | Refuse unnaturally glowing pink food; cut fruit at home |
Malachite Green | A blue-green industrial dye, toxic to cells | Green vegetables painted to look fresh — peas, okra, green chilli, capsicum — and on fish | Rub a wet tissue on the skin of green veg; a green smear is a warning; wash & soak well |
The kitchen test that never fails: real food does not need to be dyed. A home-made carrot halwa is orange because of carrots; a beetroot cutlet is red because of beetroot. When colour comes from the ingredient itself, there is nothing to hide and nothing to fear. See the plant-colour swaps in the Swap Guide →
FSSAI’s mandatory vegetarian mark. Legally means no animal-derived ingredients. Reliable for Indian-made packaged food — but it says nothing about whether the product is natural or synthetic, and it doesn’t exist on imports, medicines or cosmetics.
Non-vegetarian — includes egg. If a “paneer roll” pack carries this, something in the seasoning or process is animal-derived. The dot exists precisely because ingredient lists hide things.
The newer green “V” plant logo certifies no animal ingredients and no animal testing. Stricter than the green dot — dairy products can’t carry it. Useful when you also want D3/omega sources resolved.
Most countries have no mandatory veg mark. “Suitable for vegetarians”, Vegetarian Society or V-Label logos are voluntary. No logo = you must read the ingredients yourself. This page is your dictionary.
In India: green dot present? On imports: any V-label? No mark on an imported product means step 2 is mandatory.
Gelatin, carmine/E120, rennet/“enzymes”, shellac/E904. These four catch 80% of accidental non-veg eating worldwide.
E471, E627/E631, E920, “natural flavours”, unspecified D3/omega-3. Ambiguous source — resolved only by a veg mark or the brand’s website.
Is this made from food? “Acetic acid + water” is not vinegar from food. “Starch + palm oil” is not paneer. If the first ingredient was never grown, find the natural alternative.
Brands answer ingredient-source emails surprisingly fast. Every question you send makes hidden sourcing a little less profitable.
No. Carmine — crushed insects — is legally a “natural colour” in most countries. “Natural” describes the extraction, not the kindness. Only a named plant source (beetroot, turmeric, annatto) settles it.
The milk is veg; the rennet that sets many cheeses is taken from calf stomachs. Indian cheese is mostly fine; traditional European hard cheeses mostly aren’t. See the cheese comparison.
It’s your choice to make — but know that standard capsule shells are gelatin. Tablets and veg-capsule versions of most medicines exist; pharmacists will tell you if you ask. (Never stop a prescribed medicine over the shell — swap formats with your doctor’s help.)
In India, mostly yes (chemically bleached, but veg). In parts of the US, refined sugar is filtered through cattle bone char. If you’re abroad or buying imports, “organic / unrefined / beet sugar” avoids the issue entirely.
It is vegetarian. It’s also diluted industrial acetic acid with zero food heritage, zero nutrition and a harsh one-note taste. Vegetarian is the floor, not the ceiling — TrulyVeg’s standard is truly veg and truly food.
Traditional clarification uses isinglass (fish bladder), gelatin, casein or egg white — and it never appears on the label because it’s a “processing aid”. Unfined and vegan-certified options avoid it.
It matters twice. First, some “natural colours” are insects (carmine/E120), so the word natural settles nothing. Second, the petroleum azo dyes — tartrazine, sunset yellow, allura red and their cousins — are legal but carry an activity-and-attention warning for children in the EU for a reason. A colour that comes from a food (turmeric, beetroot, butterfly-pea) is the only one that answers both the veg question and the health question.
Pure turmeric is a golden spice and a medicine. But because its whole value is its colour, it is one of the most adulterated spices on earth — brightened with metanil yellow (a banned dye) or even lead chromate (a toxic metal). Buy whole turmeric fingers and grind them, or stick to lab-tested branded powder. A pinch of pure haldi in water with a few drops of acid stays yellow; if it flushes pink-magenta, it’s adulterated.