Is e401 vegan?

E401 is the code for sodium alginate, a salt of alginic acid extracted from the cell walls of brown seaweeds such as kelp. Manufacturers produce this food additive by harvesting brown algae, treating the seaweed with an alkaline solution such as sodium hydroxide, and then filtering and precipitating the resulting alginate salt into a usable powder.

Food processors use sodium alginate primarily as a stabilizer, thickener, and gelling agent. It appears in a wide variety of items, including ice cream, canned foods, salad dressings, fruit fillings, and restructured foods, as well as plant-based dairy and meat alternatives.

e401 is vegan because its source material is exclusively marine plant life, specifically brown algae, combined with mineral processing agents. No animal inputs, animal byproducts, or animal-derived processing aids are used during the harvesting, extraction, or refinement of sodium alginate.