Is e331i vegan?
E331i is a vegan food ingredient.
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"You are amazing, this has saved me so much time when grocery shopping!"
— Austin, a user who reached out with feedback
"It's been a great tool since starting my journey! You take a pic of the nutrition/ingredients, and it'll warn you of anything questionable or not vegan. 😁"
— Ashe, a Vegan For Beginners Facebook Group member
"Use a vegan app when you go shopping, I use WhatsVegan."
— Dóra, a Vegan For Beginners Facebook Group member
So, what is e331i?
E331i is the European food additive code for monosodium citrate, an acid salt of citric acid. It is commercially produced by partially neutralizing citric acid with a mineral sodium source, such as sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide. The citric acid itself is manufactured through the microbial fermentation of plant-derived carbohydrates, such as corn starch, molasses, or sugar beet syrup, using the mold Aspergillus niger.
Food manufacturers use monosodium citrate primarily as an acidity regulator, buffering agent, and flavor enhancer. It frequently appears on ingredient labels for carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, powdered drink mixes, fruit jams, confectionery, and packaged desserts to stabilize acidity and provide a tart flavor.
E331i is vegan because its production relies exclusively on plant, microbial, and mineral raw materials. No animal products, byproducts, or animal-derived processing aids are used during the fermentation of the citric acid or the subsequent chemical synthesis of the sodium salt.
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