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Flavour enhancer

E626 (guanylic acid): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E626 can come from yeast, fermentation or fish, and the pack rarely says which. Vegetarian and vegan profiles get Heads up: source not stated.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Heads up

for a vegan profile

E626=source not stated

What is E626?

E626 (guanylic acid) is a flavour enhancer, an additive that brings out the taste or smell a food already has.

What is E626 made from?

E626 can come from yeast, fermentation or fish. The source is not stated on the pack: a label does not have to say which of these was used.

  • Yeast
  • Fermentation
  • FishDeclared allergen

Is E626 vegan?

Heads up. Source not stated. E626 can come from yeast, fermentation or fish. The pack does not have to say which, so the app says Heads up instead of guessing.

What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.

VeganHeads upSource not stated. E626 can come from yeast, fermentation or fish. The pack does not have to say which, so the app says Heads up instead of guessing.
VegetarianHeads upSource not stated. E626 can come from yeast, fermentation or fish. One of those is meat, fish or a slaughter by-product, and the pack does not have to say which.
Fish allergyHeads upIt can come from fish. In the EU, UK, US and Gulf a label must name fish when that is the source, so read the Contains line.

What other names does E626 have on a label?

On a label, E626 can also appear as “INS 626”, “Flavour enhancer (626)”, “Flavour enhancer (E626)” or “Guanylic acid”.

Any of these on a pack means E626. The checker reads them all.

E626E 626E-626INS 626Flavour enhancer (626)Flavour enhancer (E626)Guanylic acid

What would change the answer for E626?

For E626, a stated source changes the answer. A pack that says “from fermentation” gives Fits you; one that says “from fish” gives Not for you. A list that is cut off or unreadable gets Needs one more scan.

Sources: EU, US and Codex additive rules

Where additives are listed and approved. Bravoora reads the source and the diet; it does not rate the hazard.

  1. EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
  2. EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
  3. US FDA: Food Additive Status List
  4. FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online

Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).

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