What this check is based on
Rule edition: 2 September 2026. This is an independent, conservative interpretation for checking labels, not a certification or endorsement.
Dietary rules
This tool follows a lacto-vegetarian diet, excluding eggs and foods containing them, meat, fish and fowl. It addresses animal-derived ingredients and uncertainty about sourcing. Dairy is permitted. Food made with alcoholic beverages is not suitable.
Vegetarian or microbial rennet is distinguished from unqualified rennet and enzymes. Source-dependent ingredients, including stearic acid, require verification.
Ingredient identities
- EU definition of E1105: the specified lysozyme additive is obtained from hen egg whites.
- Egg-protein research review: scientific names associated with egg proteins. Novel fermentation-produced proteins are not automatically approved by this tool; verify with your dietary authority.
- EFSA additive identities: includes E120/carmine from cochineal insects.
- EFSA E471 evaluation: mono-/diglyceride identity. The code alone is not a source certificate.
What “Cannot confirm” means
Every unrecognized word, unsupported formula, source-dependent ingredient or insufficiently readable photo prevents a green result. Known plant-source wording applies only to that ingredient, not the entire product. Precautionary egg/animal statements are not treated as definite ingredients, but do prevent confirmation here.
The knowledge base is curated and finite. It is not a database of all ingredients, brands or manufacturing methods. Some suitable foods will receive an uncertain result. Manufacturers may omit processing aids; a cropped photo or an OCR omission can hide ingredients. Even a green result applies only to the recognized text, not to unobserved contents.
Common formula notation and E/INS codes are normalized. Formulas alone cannot reveal provenance and can represent multiple structures. Unknown formulas remain uncertain. Plain chemical identity is never evidence of an ingredient’s animal or plant manufacturing source.
The full rule data, including the source assigned to each group, is available in the local rule list. Sources above require internet; these notes and rules remain available offline after setup.