Is natal plum vegan?

Natal plum is the edible red fruit of Carissa macrocarpa, a spiny flowering shrub native to coastal southern Africa. The fruit is harvested from cultivated or wild plants and is used either fresh or in processed forms. In commercial food production, processors wash, deseed, and cook or press the whole fruit to create purees, concentrates, or extracts. Natal plum appears on ingredient lists for specialty jams, jellies, preserves, fruit sauces, pies, sorbets, and flavored beverages.

The ingredient is vegan because it is entirely of plant origin. The fruit develops naturally on the Carissa shrub, and its preparation into food ingredients relies solely on mechanical and thermal processes, such as boiling, straining, and pasteurization. No animal sources, animal byproducts, or animal-derived processing aids are used during its production, making it suitable for a vegan diet.