Flavour enhancer

E629 (calcium guanylate): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E629 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

E629=source not stated

What is E629?

E629 (calcium guanylate) is a flavour enhancer, an additive that brings out the taste or smell a food already has.

What is E629 made from?

E629 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 E629 vegan?

Heads up. Source not stated. E629 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. E629 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. E629 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 E629 have on a label?

On a label, E629 can also appear as “INS 629”, “Flavour enhancer (629)”, “Flavour enhancer (E629)” or “Calcium guanylate”.

Any of these on a pack means E629. The checker reads them all.

E629E 629E-629INS 629Flavour enhancer (629)Flavour enhancer (E629)Calcium guanylate

What would change the answer for E629?

For E629, 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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