Glycine is the simplest amino acid, sold as a sweetish additive and supplement. The commercial version is synthesised in a factory, not boiled out of an animal.
Made byChemical synthesis
E numberE640
VerdictUsually vegan
Where it hides
Supplements and sports nutrition
Flavour modifier in foods
Some sweeteners and drinks
Pharmaceuticals
What it is
Glycine is the smallest amino acid, faintly sweet, used as a supplement and a flavour modifier. It could in principle be extracted from animal protein, but that is not how it is made:
Primary source 01 / 01
Although glycine can be isolated from hydrolyzed proteins, this route is not used for industrial production, as it can be manufactured more conveniently by chemical synthesis.
Industrial glycine is made from simple chemicals rather than animal tissue, so it is generally vegan. As with any supplement, the one thing left to check is the capsule, since a gelatin shell would be the non-vegan part rather than the glycine itself.
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.
TaurineTaurine got its name from ox bile, which is a rough first impression. In practice the taurine in your energy drink is made in a factory, not an animal, and it is added precisely because a plant diet has almost none.
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 E640 vegan?
Generally yes. Glycine used in food is made by chemical synthesis rather than from animal protein, so it is usually vegan. Check the capsule on supplements.
Is glycine from animals?
It can be isolated from animal protein, but commercial glycine is made by chemical synthesis, which is not an animal route, so it is usually vegan.
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