Interactive toolIngredients
Animal Ingredient Detector
Paste a full ingredient list and we'll flag known animal-derived ingredients — including hidden ones like gelatin, casein, shellac, and carmine. This is one of the most reliable ways to check an packaged product.
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Looking for a long read instead? Browse our vegan guides.
How to use this tool
Paste a full ingredient list and we'll flag known animal-derived ingredients — including hidden ones like gelatin, casein, shellac, and carmine. This is one of the most reliable ways to check an packaged product.
How it works
- Copy the complete ingredient list from the product label.
- Paste it into the detector (commas or line breaks both work).
- We scan for known animal-derived ingredient names and E-numbers.
- Each flagged item includes an explanation of why it's not vegan.
How to interpret the result
- Any flagged animal ingredient means the product is not vegan.
- No flags doesn't guarantee vegan — some sources remain undeclared.
- 'May contain' traces are noted but don't always mean non-vegan.
- Check flagged items against our ingredient pages for details.
Unsure about a single ingredient? Look it up in the Ingredient Checker
Important limitations
- Cannot detect animal-derived sources that aren't listed (e.g. unspecified E471 source).
- Natural flavors and vague terms may hide animal ingredients.
- Preliminary results are marked as unverified and should not replace reading the actual label.
- Formulations change by country, brand, and over time — always check your specific product.
- We do not have access to proprietary manufacturer data unless it is publicly available.
Examples
Gummy ingredients with gelatin
Flags gelatin (E441) as animal-derived.
Bread with L-cysteine
Flags L-cysteine — may be from duck feathers or synthetic.
Dark chocolate with milk fat
Flags milk-derived ingredients even in 'dark' products.
Common mistakes
- Pasting only part of the ingredient list.
- Assuming no flags means certified vegan.
- Ignoring 'natural flavors' and 'flavoring' entries.
- Not checking for milk derivatives in 'dairy-free' products.
What to check next
- Look up each flagged ingredient for alternatives.
- Check for vegan certification on the package.
- Compare with a vegan-certified alternative product.
Related ingredients & products
FAQ
- What animal ingredients does it detect?
- Gelatin, casein, whey, honey, carmine, shellac, lanolin, albumin, isinglass, and many more including common E-numbers.
- What if nothing is flagged?
- No known animal ingredients were found, but unspecified sources (natural flavors, E471) may still exist. Look for vegan certification.
- Does it work for cosmetics?
- It works for INCI lists too, but cosmetic naming differs — use the Cosmetics Checker for best results.
- Can I check a whole grocery list?
- Use the Grocery List Checker to analyze multiple items at once.
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