Is stabiliser vegan?

The term "stabiliser" on a food label refers to a broad functional class of additives rather than a single specific substance, used to maintain the uniform texture, consistency, and physical structure of food products. These compounds prevent emulsions from separating, manage moisture, and inhibit crystallization. They appear in a wide variety of processed items, including ice creams, dairy and plant-based milks, yogurts, salad dressings, sauces, and confectionery.

Because the packaging often lists only this generic category without naming the underlying compound, a stabiliser is classified as possibly vegan. Many common stabilisers come from plant or microbial sources, such as guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, agar, and xanthan gum. However, some stabilisers are derived from animal sources, most notably gelatin, which is extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissue of livestock, as well as certain animal-derived fatty acid derivatives.

Shoppers cannot determine whether an unidentified stabiliser is plant- or animal-based from the ingredient list alone. Checking the packaging for an official vegan certification or contacting the manufacturer directly is necessary to confirm the biological source of the additive.