Is e322 soja vegan?

"e322 soja" indicates the food additive E322, commonly known as lecithin, with the non-English word "soja," which means soy in languages such as French, German, and Spanish. Soy lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids derived from raw soybeans. It is primarily produced as a byproduct during the refining of crude soybean oil, where water is introduced to separate the gummy lecithin fraction from the oil through centrifugation. It is frequently listed on labels for chocolate, baked goods, margarine, confectionery, and processed spreads, where it functions as an emulsifier to keep oils and water blended.

This ingredient is vegan because it comes directly from a plant source. Although the general additive code E322 can refer to lecithin sourced from either plants or animal products like egg yolks, the specific label descriptor "soja" explicitly indicates that the substance is extracted from soybeans. Because this modifier identifies a strictly plant origin and rules out any animal derivation, e322 soja is fully suitable for a vegan diet.