Glossary of animal substances: a reference guide

Also see the "hidden ingredients" page for a guide to common animal ingredients to watch out for when food shopping.

Below is a list of substances used in food, clothing, cosmetics and other products which are or can be taken from animals. 

Not all the substances listed below will always be animal-derived, the * symbol indicates that non-animal (synthetic, vegetable or plant/mineral-derived) versions/sources by the same name are known to exist. 

If you are unsure whether or not an ingredient in a particular product is suitable for vegans, do contact the company to ask or check their website for information. 

• Some companies specify which of their products are suitable for vegans on their website.  If they don't, they can often provide a list of vegan products or advise you on whether a specific product is suitable if you get in touch with them. 
  
• If you do contact a company for information, politely ask them to label their vegan-suitable products.  Contacting companies to ask about vegan-suitable products shows demand for vegan products and better vegan labelling.

Animal-derived or possibly animal-derived substances

* = possibly animal-derived, non-animal versions also exist

• albumen/albumin egg white Use/s: food binder
• alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs)* naturally occurring chemicals derived from fruit or milk Use/s: cosmetics
•ambergris morbid concretion obtained from the intestine of the sperm whale used in perfumes and cigarettes
• amino acids* 'building blocks' of proteins
• amniotic fluid fluid surrounding the foetus within the placenta Use/s: cosmetics
• amylase* enzyme in saliva and pancreatic juice
• anchovy small fish of the herring family, often an ingredient of Worcester sauce and pizza toppings Use/s: flavour enhancer
• angora fibre obtained from rabbits or goats Use/s: clothing
• aspic savoury jelly derived from meat and fish Use/s: glazing agent
• astrakhan skin of stillborn or very young lambs from a breed originating in Astrakhan, Russia Use/s: clothing
• beeswax* (E901) secreted by bees to produce combs Use/s: furniture- and floor-polishes, candles, cosmetics
• bone/bonemeal animal bone Use/s: horticultural fertiliser, bone-china ornaments, crockery, supplements
• brawn boiled meat, ears and tongue of pig Use/s: foodstuff
• bristle* stiff animal hair, usually from pigs Use/s: brushes
• calcium mesoinositol hexaphosphate Use/s: baked goods, soft drinks, processed vegetables
• capiz shell Use/s: lampshades
• carmine/carminic acid (E120) red pigment obtained from cochineal Use/s: food and drink dyes
• casein milk protein Use/s: cheese
• cashmere fine wool from the cashmere goat and wild goat of Tibet Use/s: clothing
• castoreum obtained from the anal sex gland of the beaver Use/s: fixative in perfumes
• catgut dried and twisted intestines of the sheep or horse Use/s: stringed musical instruments, surgical stitching
• caviar(e) roe of the sturgeon and other fish Use/s: a relish
• charcoal* charred bone or wood Uses: clarifying agent
• chitin organic base of the hard parts of insects and crustaceans e.g. shrimps, crabs Use/s: conditioners and skin-care products, thickener and moisturiser in shampoos
• chamois soft leather from the skin of the chamois antelope, sheep, goats, deer etc. Use/s: cleaning cloth
• cholecalciferol see vitamin D3
• cholic acid (E1000) extracted from the bile of cows Use/s: emulsifier
• civet substance scraped from glands in the anal pouch of the civet cat Use/s: fixative in perfumes
• cochineal (E120) dye-stuff consisting of the dried bodies of scale insects, used for making carmine Use/s: red food and drink colouring
• cod-liver oil oil extracted from the liver of cod and related fish Use/s: food supplement
• collagen constituent of connective tissue which yields gelatin(e) on boiling Use/s: cosmetics, sausage skins, supplements
• coral hard calcareous substance consisting of the continuous skeleton secreted by coelenterate polyps for their support and habitation Use/s: jewellery, ornaments
• deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)* controls protein synthesis/stores genetic information. Found in all animal and plant cells Use/s: cosmetics, genetically modified organisms, shampoos
• down underplumage of fowls (especially duck and goose) Use/s: filling quilts, pillows, sleeping bags, padded clothing
• dripping melted animal fat Use/s: frying
• eider down small, soft feathers from the breast of the eider duck Use/s: filling quilts
• elastin protein uniting muscle fibres in meat Use/s: moisturiser in cosmetics
• fatty acids* organic compounds: saturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated
• feather epidermal appendage of a bird Uses: fashion accessory, feather dusters
• felt* cloth made of wool, or of wool and fur or hair Use/s: clothing
• gelatin(e) jelly obtained by boiling animal tissues (skin, tendons, ligaments etc.) or bones Use/s: confectionery, biscuits, capsules, jellies, photographic film, match heads
• glycerin(e)/glycerol (E422)* clear, colourless liquid which may be derived from animal fats, synthesised from propylene or from fermentation of sugars Use/s: solvent for flavours, texture improver, humectant
• hide animal skin (raw or tanned) Use/s: clothing and footwear, clothing accessories, upholstery
• insulin* pancreas of cattle, sheep or pigs Uses: managing diabetes
• isinglass very pure form of gelatin(e) obtained from the air bladders of some freshwater fish, especially the sturgeon Use/s: clarifying alcoholic drinks, jellies
• keratin protein found in hair, horns, hooves and feathers Use/s: shampoos and conditioners, fertiliser
• L'cysteine hydrochloride (E920)* manufactured from animal hair and poultry feathers or synthetically from coal tar Use/s: shampoo, improving agent for white flour
• lactitol (E966) produced from milk sugar Use/s: sweetener
• lactose milk sugar Use/s: tablet filler, sweetener, carrier for flavouring agents, especially in crisps
• lanolin(e)* fat extracted from sheep's wool and hide Use/s: cleaning products, an emollient and emulsifier used in cosmetics, especially lipsticks
• lard fat surrounding the stomach and kidneys of pigs, sheep and cattle Use/s: culinary
• leather tanned hide (mostly from cattle but also sheep, pigs, goats etc.) Use/s: clothing and footwear, clothing accessories, upholstery
• lecithin (E322)* fatty substance found in nerve tissues, egg yolk, blood and other tissues, mainly obtained commercially from soya bean, peanut and corn Use/s: emulsifier in baked goods and confectionery
• lutein (E161(b))* deep-yellow substance found in egg yolk, obtained commercially from marigold Use/s: food colouring
• lysozyme (E1105)* enzyme which may be derived from eggs Use/s: preservative
• mohair cloth or yarn made from the hair of the angora goat Use/s: clothing
• musk* substance secreted by glands of the male musk deer Use/s: perfume
• oleic acid* fatty acid occurring in animal and vegetable fats Use/s: soaps, cosmetics, ointments
• oleoic oil liquid obtained from pressed tallow Use/s: margarines
• oleostearin solid obtained from pressed tallow Use/s: soap and candles
• oestrogen* female sex hormone from cow ovaries or pregnant mares' urine Use/s: cosmetics, body-building supplements, hormone creams
• parchment* skin of the calf, sheep or goat, dressed and prepared for writing etc.
• pearl ('Mother of', or 'cultured') concretion of layers of pain-dulling nacre formed around a foreign particle within the shell of various bivalve molluscs, principally the oyster Use/s: jewellery and decorative
• pepsin enzyme found in gastric juices Use/s: cheese making
• placenta organ by which the foetus is attached to the umbilical cord Use/s: cosmetics
• progesterone* sex hormone Use/s: hormone creams
• propolis bee glue, used by bees to stop up crevices and fix combs to the hive Use/s: toiletries and cosmetics
• rennet* extract of calf stomach containing the enzyme rennin which clots milk Use/s: cheese, junkets
• reticulin one of the structural elements (together with elastin and collagen) of skeletal muscle
• ribonucleic acid (RNA) * see deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• roe eggs obtained from the abdomen of female fish Use/s: a relish
• royal jelly food on which bee larvae are fed and which causes them to develop into queen bees Use/s: food supplement
• sable fur from the sable marten, a small carnivorous mammal Use/s: clothing, artists' brushes
• shellac (E904) insect secretion Use/s: hair spray, lip sealer, polishes, glazing agent
• silk cloth made from the fibre produced by the larvae (silk worm) of certain bombycine moths, the harvesting of which entails killing the insect Use/s: clothing, cosmetics
• sodium 5'-inosinate occurs naturally in muscle, prepared from fish waste Use/s: flavour enhancer
• sperm oil oil found in the head of various species of whale Use/s: candles
• spermaceti wax fatty substance found mainly in the head of whales and dolphins Use/s: medicines, candles, cosmetics
• sponge* aquatic animal or colony of animals, characterised by a tough elastic skeleton of interlaced fibres Use/s: bathing aid
• squalene/squalane* found in the liver of the shark (and rats) Use/s: toiletries and cosmetics
• stearate* salt of stearic acid Use/s: body-building supplements
• stearic acid (E570)* organic acid prepared from stearin
• stearin(e)* general name for the three glycerides (monostearin, distearin, tristearin), formed by the combination of stearic acid and glycerin; chiefly applied to tristearin, which is the main constituent of tallow and suet Use/s: medicines, skin softener in toiletries and cosmetics 
• suede* kid-, pig- or calf-skin, tanned Use/s: clothing and footwear
• suet* solid fat prepared from the kidneys of cattle and sheep Use/s: cooking
• tallow hard animal fat, especially that obtained from the parts around the kidneys of ruminants Use/s: soap, candles
• taurine* amino acid
• testosterone* male hormone Use/s: body-building supplements
• urea* nitrogenous waste formed in the liver and excreted by the kidneys Use/s: toiletries and cosmetics
• vellum* fine parchment prepared from the skins of calves, lambs or kids Use/s: writing material
• vitamin A* (retinol) derived from fish-liver oil or egg yolk Use/s: cosmetics, food supplement
• vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)*(D3 is usually animal-derived) vitamin usually derived from lanolin or fish oil Use/s: vitamin and food supplements
• velvet* fabric made of silk, cotton, rayon or nylon Use/s: clothing
• volaise ostrich meat
• whey residue from milk after the removal of the casein and most of the fat, by-product of cheese making Use/s: margarines, biscuits, crisps, cleaning products
• wool hair forming the fleecy coat of the domesticated sheep and similar animals Use/s: clothing including felt, mattresses.

Additives

Animal-derived additives

• E120 (CI75470) carmine/cochineal
• E542 edible bone phosphate
• E901 beeswax
• E904 shellac
• E913 Lanolin
• E966 Lactitol
• E1000 Cholic Acid
• E1105 Lysozyme
• calcium mesoinositol hexaphosphate
• lactose
• sperm oil
• spermaceti

Possibly animal-derived

• E101 riboflavin, lactoflavin, vitamin B2 
• E101a riboflavin 5'-phosphate
• E153 (believed animal-free version only may be used in food) carbon black, vegetable carbon
• E161(b) lutein
• E161(g) canthaxanthin
• E236 formic acid
• E237 sodium formate
• E238 calcium formate
• E304 Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl stearate
• E322 lecithin
• E325 sodium lactate
• E326 potassium lactate
• E327 calcium lactate
• E304 fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl stearate
• E422 glycerol (glycerine)
• E430 polyoxyethylene (8) stearate, polyoxyl (8) stearate
• E431 polyoxyethylene (40) stearate, polyoxyl (40) stearate
• E432 polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polysorbate 20, tween 20
• E433 polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate, polysorbate 80, tween 80
• E434 polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate, polysorbate 40, tween 40
• E435 polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate, polysorbate 60, tween 60
• E436 polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate, polysorbate 65, tween 65
• E442 glycerol
• E470(a) sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids
• E470(b) magnesium salts of fatty acids
• E471 glycerides of fatty acids, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl distearate
• E472(a) acetic acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids, acetoglycerides, glycerol esters
• E472(b) lactic acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids, lactylated glycerides, lactoglycerides
• E472(c) citric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
• E472(d)  tartaric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
• E472(e) mono and diacetyltartaric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
• E472(f) mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids
• E473 sucrose esters of fatty acids
• E474 sucroglycerides
• E475 polyglycerol esters of fatty acids
• E476 polyglycerol esters of polycondensed fatty acids of castor oil, polyglycerol polyricinoleate; polyglycerol esters of dimerised fatty acids of soya bean oil
• E477 propylene glycol esters of fatty acids; propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids
• E478 lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propane-1,2-diol
• E479(b) thermally oxidised soya bean oil interacted with mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids
• E481 sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
• E482 calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate
• E483 stearyl tartrate
• E491 sorbitan monostearate
• E492 sorbitan tristearate, span 65
• E493 sorbitan monolaurate, span 20
• E494 sorbitan mono-oleate, span 80
• E495 sorbitan monopalmitate, span 40
• E570 fatty acids (including myristic, stearic, palmitic and oleic), butyl stearate
• E572 magnesium salts of fatty acids (including magnesium stearate); calcium stearate
• E585 ferrous lactate
• E626 guanylic acid
• E627 guanosine 5'-disodium phosphate, sodium guanylate, disodium guanylate
• E628 dipotassium guanylate
• E628 calcium guanylate
• E631 inosine 5’-disodium phosphate, sodium 5'-inosinate
• E632 dipotassium inosinate
• E633 calcium inosinate
• E634 calcium 5’-ribonucleotides
• E635 disodium 5’-ribonucleotides
• E635 sodium 5'-ribonucleotide
• E640 glycine and its sodium salt
• E631 disodium 5’-inosinate (IMP)
• E920 L-cysteine hydrochloride
• E921 L-cystine
• E1518 glyceryl mono-, di- and tri-acetate (triacetin)
• calcium heptonate
• calcium phytate
• diacetin
• glyceryl
• leucine
• monoacetin
• oxystearin
• and any unspecified flavourings.

Lactic acid as an additive is highly unlikely to be derived from dairy (in general commercial terms, 100% of the commercial market is from vegan sources) but if you want to be positive, you should contact the manufacturer.

The website www.food-info.net has a list of all e-numbers and details of whether or not they are suitable for vegans. 

Animal-derived carriers

Some additives that are not animal derived may involve the use of gelatine as a carrier.  These include E104 quinoline yellow, E160a(i) mixed carotenes and E160a(ii) β-carotene.