Not always on the pack
Processing aids
EU and UK law lets some processing aids stay off the ingredients list. Absence from the pack is not a classification. These are the rows to ask a manufacturer about.
What to ask
- Was a fining used? Isinglass, gelatin, casein, egg white, bentonite.
- Was an enzyme used? Rennet, pectinase, lipase, amylase - microbial or animal.
- Was a carrier or antifoam used? Glycerin, silicones, packing gases.
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Unverified
Isinglass
A collagen fining made from fish swim bladders, used to clarify wine and some cask ale. Identity is not in doubt. A sourced ruling is. The alcoholic d…
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Source-dependent
Enzymes and rennet
Enzymes make cheese curdle, bread rise and juice clear. They can be grown in a fermentation tank or cut from a calf's stomach — and the label just say…
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Source-dependent
Pectinase
An enzyme that breaks down pectin, used to clear juice. Microbial production is typical; animal enzymes exist. Processing aids are often omitted from …
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Source-dependent
Papain
A protease from papaya latex. The plant origin is not the doubt — meat-tenderiser blends and supplement tablets often add lactose, glycerin or a gelat…
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Source-dependentE1517
Glyceryl diacetate (diacetin)
A glycerin acetate, the di-ester next to triacetin (E1518). Glycerin can be plant or animal, so the solvent inherits that question. Not a ruling on th…
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Source-dependentE408
Baker's yeast glycan
A polysaccharide from baker’s yeast cell walls. The yeast itself is not the usual doubt — the growth medium and any downstream carrier are. Not a clas…
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Source-dependentE429
Peptone
Peptone used as a microbial growth-medium nitrogen source is source-dependent because it can be derived from animal materials; confirm halal sourcing.
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Source-dependentE422
Glycerin (glycerol)
A sweet humectant that keeps foods moist. The molecule is identical whether it came from palm oil or pig fat — which is exactly why the source has to …
A hunt list - not a product certification. Ambiguous labels.