Vegan label-reading guides
Evidence-based answers to the questions every label-reader ends up googling — E-numbers, hidden animal ingredients, rennet, finings — and how to check any product in seconds instead.
Start here
How to Check if Food Is Vegan (Complete Guide)
The complete method: vegan logos, the allergen-line shortcut, hidden ingredients, ambiguous additives — and the 5-second scanner shortcut.
Read the guide → Start hereHow to Read Food Labels as a Vegan: A Field Guide
Allergen lines, "may contain" warnings, vegan certification logos and the traps in between.
Read the guide → ToolVegan Ingredient Checker: How to Analyze Any Ingredient List
Three ways to check any ingredient list — read it with a cheat sheet, type it in, or photograph it with your camera.
Read the guide →Additives & E-numbers
E-Numbers That Are Not Vegan: The Complete Checker List
Every additive that is never vegan, sometimes vegan, or always safe — in three scannable tables.
Read the guide → AdditivesIs E471 Vegan? Mono- and Diglycerides Explained
E471 can come from palm oil or animal fat — and the label almost never tells you which.
Read the guide → AdditivesIs E120 (Carmine) Vegan? The Red Dye Made from Insects
The red color in candy and yogurt that comes from cochineal insects — and how to spot it.
Read the guide → AdditivesIs E322 (Lecithin) Vegan? Soy vs Egg Lecithin
Usually vegan, occasionally egg-derived. How to tell the difference on any label.
Read the guide →Hidden ingredients & foods
Hidden Animal Ingredients in Food: The Complete List
Casein, L-cysteine, shellac, isinglass, carmine — the full reference list of animal ingredients hiding in plain sight.
Read the guide → VegetarianIs Rennet Vegetarian? Which Cheeses Contain Animal Rennet
Why Parmesan usually isn't vegetarian, which traditional cheeses require animal rennet, and how to check any cheese.
Read the guide → DrinksIs Wine Vegan? Fining Agents Explained (And How to Check)
Isinglass, casein, egg white — fining agents don't have to appear on the label. Here's how to know anyway.
Read the guide → FoodsIs Honey Vegan? The Complete Answer
The mainstream vegan position on honey, where it hides in packaged food, and the sweeteners that are always vegan.
Read the guide → FoodsIs Bread Vegan? L-Cysteine, Milk Powder and What to Watch For
Most bread is vegan — but L-cysteine, milk powder and mono-/diglycerides catch people out. A bread-by-bread guide.
Read the guide →Or skip the memorizing entirely
VeganCheckr checks every ingredient and additive for you — scan a barcode or photograph the label and get a verdict with evidence in seconds. Free on the App Store.
Scan with your iPhone camera