Ingredient List

Information about these ingredients applies to products manufactured in the USA. A longer list of ingredients appears in our SmartList software.

• Acesulfame K: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: An organic salt consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur and potassium atoms.
• Acetanisole: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Although it can be found naturally in beef - when used commercially it comes from a synthetic source.
• Acetic Acid: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Produced by fermentation of carbohydrates or by organic synthesis. Can also be produced synthetically.
• Adipic Acid: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Historically it was prepared from various fats using oxidation, but today commercial adipic acid is produced from cyclohexane by two oxidation steps.
• Albumen: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: No. Comment: Derived from eggs.
• Alpha-amylase: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Industrially produced by a bacterium - usually Bacillus sp.
• Ambergris: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: A waxy substance from the sperm whale used in the manufacture of perfumes.
• Amylase: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from barley, fungus, bacteria or pigs.
• Artificial Flavor: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The FDA states that artificial flavorings may not be derived from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fermentation products, fruits, vegetables, edible yeasts, herbs or plant material.
• Aspartic Acid: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: A non essential amino acid occurring in plants like sugars beets and sugar cane. Also found in animals. It is usually synthesized for commercial purposes.
• Beta Carotene: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: It is synthesized by saponification of vitamin A acetate. Vitamin A may be derived from fish oils. May contain gelatin as a processing aid.
• BHA: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: This is a petroleum derivative.
• BHT: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Butylated hydroxytoluene. A synthetic antioxidant.
• Biotin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from plants or from a meat source.
• Calcium lactate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: It is prepared commercially by the neutralization of lactic acid with calcium carbonate or calcium hydroxide. In the US - lactic acid can be produced from glucose - sucrose - or lactose.
• Calcium Phosphate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Commercial phosphate is not made from bones.
• Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This is manufactured by the reaction of stearic acid and lactic acid and conversion to calcium salts.
• Carageenan: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: This is a seaweed product.
• Caramel Color: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The FDA lists lactose as an approved carbohydrate for this ingredient. However the world's largest caramel color company - Sethness - states that lactose is not used by any caramel color producer in the world.
• Carmine: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: Beetles are killed during the manufacture of this color pigment.
• Catalase: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: An enzyme derived from bovine liver or from fungus.
• Cetyl Stearyl alcohol: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: A blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols. Can be derived from palm or coconut oil or from whales. It can also be derived from synthetic ingredients.
• Chymosin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This enzyme can be biosynthetic or prepared from a calf's stomach.
• Clarifying agents: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Animal derived clarifying agents include egg whites, gelatin, isinglass, milk or casein. Bentonite - a silica clay - or Sparkaloid - a diatomaceous earth - can also be used.
• Cochineal: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: Beetles are killed during the manufacture of this color pigment.
• Confectioner's Glaze: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: No. Comment: A resin collected from the Lac beetle and used as a coating on some candies.
• Dextrates: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Dextrates is a purified mixture of saccharides resulting from the controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. Saccharides can be derived from lactose.
• Diglycerides: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Vegetable oil is often used to make this ingredient because it is cheaper but animal fats can't be excluded.
• Disodium Guanylate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be produced from dried fish or dried seaweed. May also be isolated from certain mushrooms.
• Disodium inosinate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This food additive is the disodium salt of inosinic acid and may be derived from vegetable, animal, mineral or fungal sources.
• Edible Coating: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be derived from shellac, carbohydrate based ingredients, proteins like corn zein, whey or soy, gelatin, collagen or wheat.
• Emulsifiers: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from plant or animal sources including lecithin. polysorbate 60 and mono and di-glycerides.
• Enzymes: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Enzymes can be produced from a variety of sources including bacteria - plants or animals.
• Fat Replacer: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: When animal derived ingredients are used they are dairy or egg. Other ingredients may include cellulose, gums, inulinm grains and sweeteners.
• Ferrous lactate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: It is prepared by reacting calcium lactate or sodium lactate with ferrous sulfate; direct reaction of lactic acid with iron filings; reaction of ferrous chloride with sodium lactate; or reaction of ferrous sulfate with ammonium lactate.
• Filler: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Plant and animal sources can be used in fillers.
• Folacin: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: This B vitamin is also known as folic acid. It is the synthetic - man made - form of folate. Folate may be derived from plants or animals but folic acid is always synthetic.
• Folate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Folate is found naturally in foods like dark green leafy vegetables - peanuts - strawberries - orange juice - and liver to name a few.
• Folic Acid: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: This B vitamin is also known as folacin. It is the synthetic - man made - form of folate. Folate may be derived from plants or animals but folic acid is always synthetic.
• Gelatin: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No.
• Glucoamylase: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Commercially produced by a fungus called Aspergillus in a fermentation vat.
• Glycerin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be derived from animal - vegetable or synthetic sources.
• Gum Base: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Gum base can be made from all or some of the following: chicle, natural or synthetic rubber, waxes, plasticizers (can be pure lard or tallow), emulsifiers (can be from animal fats). May contain stearates.
• Hydrolyzed caseinate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: No. Comment: Casein is the principal protein in cow's milk. Hydrolyzed means it's been turned partly into water.
• Hydrolyzed Protein: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The Code of Federal Regs. states that the common name of a protein hydrolysate must include the identity of the food source from which the protein was derived: i.e. the label must state 'hydrolyzed wheat gluten' not 'hydrolyzed vegetable protein'.
• Isinglass: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: A fining agent derived from fish and used to clarify some wines and beers.
• Isomalt: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: This is a natural sugar alcohol that is produced from beets.
• Lactic Acid: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: It is produced commercially either by fermentation of carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose or lactose or by a procedure involving formation of lactonitrile from acetaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide and subsequent hydrolysis to lactic acid.
• L-cysteine: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be produced synthethically through fermentation but it is usually derived from human hair - feathers or pig bristles.
• Lecithin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Commercial lecithin is a naturally occurring mixture of the phosphatides of choline, ethanolamine, and inositol - with smaller amounts of other lipids. Can be produced from soybeans or eggs.
• Lipase: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: A class of enzymes that breaks down fat to glycerol and fatty acids. Most natural lipase products on the market today contain ground-up animal tissue. Can also be derived from fungi.
• L-lysine: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: No. Comment: An essential amino acid isolated from casein - fibrin or blood.
• Mannitol: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Mannitol is commercially produced by the electrolytic reduction or transition of sugar solutions or by fermentation of sugars using yeast or bacteria.
• Menhaden oil: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: Prepared from fish.
• Methionine: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This is an essential amino acid found in various proteins (usually from egg albumen and casein). Can be made synthetically.
• Mono-and Diglycerides: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Vegetable oil is often used to make this ingredient because it is cheaper but animal fats can't be excluded.
• Monostearates: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from animal or vegetable fats or prepared synthetically.
• Myristic acid: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be found in nutmeg - palm oil - butter fat - or in spermacetin which comes from a sperm whale.
• Natural Flavors: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be derived from plant or animal sources.
• Natural Juices: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from plant or animal sources.
• Oleic Acid: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Obtained from various animal and vegetable fats and oils.
• Palmitic acid: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This ingredient can be derived from plant or animal sources.
• Pepsin: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: Derived from slaughterhouse wastes.
• Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be prepared from various vegetable oils - lard or tallow and the fatty acids derived from those substances. A mixture of stearic - oleic and coconut fatty acids may be used.
• Polysorbate 60: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This food additive is manufactured by reacting stearic acid (usually containing associated fatty acids - chiefly palmitic) with sorbitol.
• Potassium lactate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The potassium salt of lactic acid. It is prepared commercially by the neutralization of lactic acid with potassium hydroxide.
• Propylene Glycol Monostearate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from an animal source.
• Protease: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: An enzyme derived from animal - vegetable - bacteria or fungus.
• Protein hydrolysates: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The common name of a protein hydrolysate must include the identity of the food source from which the protein was derived.
• Rennet: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be derived from the fourth stomoachs of calves - kids lambs or derived through chymosin preparation (fermentation-derived).
• Riboflavin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Crystallized from 2 N acetic acid, alcohol, water, or pyridine. It may be prepared by chemical synthesis, biosynthetically by the organism Eremothecium ashbyii or isolated from natural sources.
• Sodium lactate: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: This is the sodium salt of lactic acid. It is prepared commercially by the neutralization of lactic acid with sodium hydroxide.
• Sorbitan monostearate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Manufactured by reacting stearic acid (usually containing associated fatty acids - chiefly palmitic) with sorbitol to yield a mixture of esters.
• Stabilizers: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: May be derived from plant material or derived from animal ingredients like rennet.
• Stearic acid: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Occurs naturally as a glyceride in tallow and other animal/ vegetable fats and oils. It's produced commercially from hydrolyzed tallow derived from edible sources or from hydrolyzed completely hydrogenated vegetable oil derived from edible sources.
• Stearyl lactate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: An emulsifier that occurs in tallow and other animal fats as well as in vegetable oils.
• Suet: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: The hard fat around the kidneys and loins in beef and mutton.
• Tallow: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: This is rendered fat from cattle or sheep.
• Thiamin Hydrochloride: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Knowledge of the biosynthesis of thiamine is limited and manufacture from biosources is not practical. All world production of thiamine is by chemical synthesis.
• Triacetin: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The triester of glycerin and acetic acid.
• Trypsin: Vegetarian: No. Vegan: No. Comment: An enzyme preparation obtained from purified extracts of porcine or bovine pancreas.
• Vitamin A acetate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The acetate ester of retinol. It is prepared by esterifying retinol with acetic acid.
• Vitamin A palmitate: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: The palmitate ester of retinol. It is prepared by esterifying retinol with palmitic acid.
• Vitamin A retinol: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Vitamin A retinol is extracted from fish liver oils or produced by total synthesis from [beta]-ionone and a propargyl halide.
• Vitamin B-6: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: Yes. Comment: Also known as pyridoxine or pyridoxine hydrochloride. It is prepared by chemical synthesis.
• Vitamin D: Vegetarian: Unknown. Vegan: Unknown. Comment: Can be produced from yeast or other fungi or from fish oils.
• Whey: Vegetarian: Yes. Vegan: No. Comment: Whey is the liquid substance obtained by separating the coagulum from milk, cream, or skim milk in cheesemaking.