Is E631 Flavor-Enhancer Vegan? E631 Products List

Ever wondered why you can’t stop munching on Lays chips or other such potato crisps? Or, why are instant noodles a big hit among people of all age groups? All these snacks and many more in the same category thrive on flavor enhancers. These are food additives seemingly approved by the higher authorities to be added to food items with the intent to make them taste better and, of course, sell higher.

Now, such things don’t really concern us as long as we’re happy snacking on them however, they become a significant matter of consideration when we introduce changes in our diet. For instance, when we turn vegan, even such flavor-enhancing agents suddenly come into the spotlight.

For, we want to be 100% sure that we don’t consume anything (big/small) even remotely associated with animal-cruelty. One such food additive over which many eyebrows have been raised regarding its vegan status is the E631 flavor enhancer.

What is E631?

E631, also commonly known as disodium inosinate, is a food additive that helps improve the taste of several packaged foods. A few examples include instant noodles and potato chips – foods which are absolutely irresistible. In other words, E631 means good taste.

The agent has another use as well, besides being added as a flavor-enhancer. Disodium inosinate has been known to help lower the amount of salt required in a food. It’s therefore often used in potato chips and other foods that demand salt reduction in light of increasing health issues. So, is E631 vegan?

While some brands may use the agent produced from meat of animals and fish, some others may use the fermented version. And it gets worse because there really is no way to find out the source of flavor enhancer 631 because foods containing the additive wouldn’t generally specify its exact source on their ingredients label except for tapioca starch.

This creates a problem for vegans though, therefore, the best practice would be to avoid the E631 food code completely, in case you aren’t sure which one isn’t vegan.

When you turn vegan, it might be difficult to find whether your daily use products are vegan or not. Some such products include Vaseline, soda, tortillas, and many more which you might be worrying of being vegan or not. For such worries, I have formed a vegan FAQs section where I have and will further solve all your queries!

What is E631 Flavor Enhancer Made of?

E631 or sodium inosinate is generally made from meat including chicken, fish or red meat. Although it is commonly a non-vegetarian derivative, it can also be made in a vegan-friendly manner from bacterial fermentation of sugars. When made from tapioca starch, the additive contains no animal products whatsoever.

However, it is safe to say that E631 is commercially derived from animals. Therefore any food item that includes E631 as an ingredient cannot be unanimously considered vegan-friendly or even halal for that matter.

E631 Products List

Here’s a glimpse into the wide range of products where E631 food code is accepted as a food additive.

The best vegan alternative to Lays Stax is Pringles, for Cadbury chocolate is vegan chocolate, for Maggie Noddles are vegan homemade noodles and many more. Every non-vegan product has its vegan alternative. Besides the above, a number of other edible products, such as toffees, and toiletries like shaving cream contain a wide range of E number agents.

These can be quite misleading especially because not many people are aware of what these E-numbered products stand for. As such, it’s fairly easy to overlook them at the back of your favourite food product, even though they’re clearly listed out there.

You can instead try vegan chips like veggie straw and its other vegan friendly flavors, biscuits, vegan chocolates and all the vegan recipes and snacks for munching all the time!

However, if you’re a vegan, or have recently turned one, it might be difficult for you to analyze whether your favorite snack is vegan or not. Make sure you get a complete list of the source ingredients before purchasing anything edible, to be doubly sure.

Other Points to Note About E631

There are a couple of other concerns too which may be worth noting when it comes to the consumption of products containing this flavour-enhancing agent.

• Disodium Inosinate is generally not safe to use in products intended for babies below the age of 12 weeks. You may ideally not find them in baby foods; however, it may always be safer to check the pack before buying.

• Disodium Inosinate may have certain side effects too on certain individuals with specific conditions. For instance, people with asthma are recommended to not consume disodium inosinate. Besides,they should also be avoided in case you’re suffering from gout. That said, the amount of concentration of disodium inosinate used in food is generally very low and is less likely to have side effects.

Conclusion

E631 has been and is still widely used to enhance the flavor of multiple foods since long. We’ve shared a small E631 products list for context. It’s only now that questions over its vegan status have emerged. But at the end of the day, it’s entirely a personal choice to continue consuming products containing E631 or switch to vegan alternatives.