"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
Learn more
"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 e452?
E452 is the European food additive code for polyphosphates, which encompasses mineral salts including sodium polyphosphate, potassium polyphosphate, and calcium polyphosphate. These compounds are manufactured through the chemical condensation and heating of phosphate salts derived from mined phosphate rock. They function primarily as stabilizers, emulsifiers, texturizers, and moisture-retention agents in commercial food production.
This additive commonly appears on the ingredient labels of processed foods such as canned soups, plant-based dairy alternatives, frozen desserts, instant noodles, and commercial baked goods. It is frequently utilized to prevent moisture loss and maintain consistent texture in packaged products.
E452 is vegan because it is derived entirely from mineral and synthetic sources. No animal tissues, animal by-products, or animal-derived processing aids are used during the manufacturing of polyphosphates, making this additive suitable for a plant-based diet.
We've built a vegan ingredients scanner that classifies food ingredients as "vegan", "non-vegan", or "potentially vegan".
It allows you to avoid non-vegan ingredients - just take a picture of a product's ingredient list, and the app tells you if the product is vegan or not.