Vegan. Citric acid (E330) is produced industrially by fermenting sugar with the mould Aspergillus niger, so it is vegan. It is a sour flavouring and preservative, not an animal product.
Citric acid is the sour note in half the pantry. It is grown by a mould on sugar, which is a lot less glamorous than lemons and just as vegan.
Made byMould fermentation of sugar
E numberE330
VerdictVegan
Where it hides
Soft drinks and sweets
Canned and preserved foods
Cleaning products
Cosmetics and supplements
What it is
The citric acid on an ingredient list is almost never squeezed from citrus. It is made at industrial scale by a mould, fed on sugar.
Primary source 01 / 01
cultures of Aspergillus niger are fed on a sucrose or glucose-containing medium to produce citric acid
This surprises people, but it is good news for the vegan question: the fermentation route uses sugar and a mould, with no animal input. Citric acid is vegan. The related salts, the citrates, are made from it and are vegan too.
Lactic acid (E270)Lactic acid sounds like it should be dairy. In a factory it is made by fermenting plant sugars, and the milk connection is mostly in the name.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300)Ascorbic acid is vitamin C, the antioxidant on a thousand labels. It is built from glucose, which is about as plant-based as a starting material gets.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG, E621)MSG is savoury seasoning made the way vinegar is: fermentation. Its reputation has taken more hits than it deserves, and none of them is that it is an animal product.
Frequently asked
Is E330 vegan?
Yes. E330 is citric acid, made by fermenting sugar with a mould, so it is plant-based and vegan.
Is citric acid made from lemons?
Rarely. Almost all commercial citric acid is produced by mould fermentation of sugar rather than extracted from citrus fruit. Either way, it is vegan.
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