Is e1123 vegan?

The code e1123 is not an official food additive, but rather a typographical error or optical character recognition fragment for E123, commonly known as amaranth. E123 is an artificial azo dye used to give foods a red colour. It is manufactured synthetically through chemical processes using petroleum-derived raw materials. Manufacturers add it to products such as sweets, soft drinks, packet mixes, and processed dessert glazes. On some scanned ingredient lists, e1123 can also represent a misread of E1103, which is invertase, an enzyme sourced from yeast used to soften confectionery fillings.

This entry receives a vegan verdict because the additives it mistakenly represents do not contain animal ingredients. Synthetic amaranth relies entirely on petrochemical compounds without animal involvement. Similarly, invertase is produced via microbial fermentation using cultured yeast grown on plant-derived sugars. Neither substance requires animal tissues, dairy, eggs, or animal-based processing aids at any stage of production. Food items showing this misprinted code are therefore suitable for vegans.