In its pure form, yes cocoa is vegan. You can think of cocoa powder as being the most concentrated form of chocolate there is and it is made only from cacao beans. This means that there are no animal products in it at all. This isn't always the case when the cocoa powder is mixed with other things and, depending on the motivations for your veganism, you may still want to avoid cocoa powder for ethical reasons (more on that later).

Is cocoa vegan?

Let's take a quick look at exactly how cocoa powder is produced. Slabs of roasted cacao beans are pressed at high temperatures to extract most of the cocoa butter (which can then be used to make other products) leaving behind a cocoa cake that can be ground to make powder. Not all of the cocoa butter is removed, so cocoa powder always has a thin layer of cocoa butter on it. This makes its fat content between 8% and 26%, which is worth keeping in mind if you're trying to lower your fat intake!

The good news is that Dutched cocoa powder is also vegan. Dutched cocoa powder is when the cocoa beans are treated with an alkaline substance. This raises the pH level of the cocoa powder, leaving it less bitter and with a darker overall color.

When is cocoa not vegan?

So you can be safe in the knowledge that if you buy pure cocoa powder, it will be vegan. But you do still have to be careful when you are picking cocoa powder up at the store because it can easily be mistaken for similar products that aren't vegan.

Is hot chocolate powder/hot cocoa mix vegan?

Sometimes, you can find hot chocolate or hot cocoa mixes that are vegan. These are usually a simple mix of pure cocoa powder and sugar, to make it more palatable to drink. A lot of the time, however, hot chocolate powder and hot cocoa mix contains cow's milk products. You are unlikely to find any other ingredients that are derived from animal products, thankfully, so cow's milk its derivatives are really the only thing you should need to look for.

Cow's milk can show up on ingredients lists in a variety of ways, including:

• milk
• buttermilk
• butter
• casein/caseinates
• whey

Cow's milk is one of the 14 most common allergens, and this can make it much easier to find on an ingredients list than other animal products. This is because, by law, these allergens have to be bolded. So you should be able to scan the ingredients list fairly easily and pick out whether or not there are milk products in the product.

Another decision that all vegans have to make when buying manufactured products is whether they are ok with the prospect of cross contamination. This is a very common issue when vegan products are made in the same production facility as non-vegan products. Again, because milk is one of the common allergens, if it has been made in the same place as products that contain milk, it will be labelled. You would usually see a warning saying "May contain milk products" or "Not suitable for cow's milk allergy sufferers". When you see these warnings, it doesn't mean that there are any milk ingredients in the product. It means that there is a potential that there could be very small amounts that have creeped in during production.

There is one more ingredient that you should be looking out for - lecithin. This is a fatty substance that is used in the production of all sorts of different foods. The problem is that it can be derived from a range of sources, including animals and animal products, and the sources won't always be labelled. Lecithin is often derived from soybeans, in which case the product will be vegan-friendly. So if you see "soya lecithin" or "lecithin derived from soya" then you know that the product is vegan. If the source isn't marked but the product has a vegan-friendly label, then it also will have been derived from soya and the cocoa powder will be vegan.

Is cocoa the same as cacao?

These two terms are easily confused but cocoa is not the same thing as cacao. Both cocoa and cacao come from cacao beans, but cocoa powder has been highly processed. In comparison, cacoa is usually reserved for products where the cacao bean has been kept relatively intact. Cacao can also be made into a powder that can be drunk, but it tends to be more bitter than cocoa powder. You can also find cacao nibs. These are the produced by drying (and sometimes roasting) the cocoa beans and then crushing them to leave bitter chocolate-like snacks. They are loaded with nutrients and are used as a healthy alternative to chocolate. They are also vegan.

Is cocoa the same as carob?

Cocoa is often also confused with carob, which can also be made into a powder. But carob comes from an entirely different plant. Carob is milder and sweeter than both pure cocoa powder and cacao powder and it doesn't contain the stimulants therobamine or caffeine, so if you are trying to lower your stimulant intake it can be a good choice. It doesn't have as many nutrients as cacao but it does have a lot of fiber.

What are the ethical issues with cocoa?

So we know now that, most of the time, cocoa is vegan. But, depending on your reasons for being a vegan, you may still make the choice to avoid consuming it. For ethical vegans, the definition is that veganism is a practice that seeks to "...exclude - as far as is possible or practical - all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose."

While this definition doesn't explicitly mention exploitation and cruelty towards humans, many ethical vegans consider avoiding these cruelties to be part of their philosophy also. And the exploitation of humans is a serious problem when it comes to chocolate and cocoa production. Child labor, and child slavery, in the farming of cocoa has been an ongoing issue.

All along West Africa and the Ivory Coast, you can find children under the age of 14 are forced to work farming cocoa under dangerous conditions and without access to any education. They are often unpaid. Herhey's, Mars, and Nestle all still buy much of of their cocoa from West Africa and cannot guarantee that it wasn't produced by child labor, so many vegans boycott all products made by these companies.

Cocoa from South America tends to be much more transparently produced and isn't riddled with child labor problems, so many chocolate and cocoa companies have started to source their cocoa from these locations instead. There are other things you can look for as well to be sure that the cocoa you're buying is ethical.

Ethical chocolate companies will often sign up to various certification programs that they will display clearly on their packaging to signal that they have sources their cocoa ethically. These certifications include:

• Fairtrade
• UTZ
• Rainforest Alliance
• Organic

The rules to be added under these certifications vary, but they all demonstrate that the cocoa is produced in a particular manner that does not involve the use of child labor, and they also ensure that the farmers that do produce the cocoa are getting a reasonable amount of money for doing so.

This doesn't mean, of course, that the problem is over, but it is the start of a push to making sure that the chocolate and cocoa that we consume is produced ethically and without exploitation. The major chocolate companies have made pledges to ensure that their chocolate is also produced ethically, but they aren't there at present.

Whether or not you consider non-ethically produced cocoa as vegan depends on your particular philosophy, but if you want to find ethical cocoa it is possible, and becoming much more accessible as time goes on.

The Bottom Line

Let's come back to the question "Is cocoa vegan?". The short answer is: yes. Since cocoa is made from only cacao beans, it contains no animal products so is vegan. As with many dilemmas in the vegan world, however, it can get a little more complicated than that. When buying cocoa powder, and especially hot chocolate mixes, looking out for sneaky milk products on the ingredients list is a must. And a consideration of the ethics behind the cocoa you are buying is definitely something that ethical vegans would usually do. But, in general, if you are consuming pure cocoa powder, you can be pretty safe in the knowledge that what you're eating is vegan.

First of all, what are E numbers?

Basically, E numbers are codes replacing chemical or common names of food additives used in processed food. They could be either plant-based or come from animal derived sources. However, keep in mind that a food additive isn’t necessarily healthy or safe simply because it’s vegan. For example, E322 (soy lecithin) could cause stomach pain in some people, E330 (citric acid) may trigger allergies in rare cases, and E621 (MSG) is often linked with obesity and metabolic disorders.

This guide doesn’t mention E numbers that are vegetarian and the ones that can be derived from both plant and animal sources (which means it may or may not be vegan depending on the manufacturer that produces them).

In other words, we only highlight the E numbers that are 100% not vegan so you can simply put the item back on the shelf if you find these numbers among the ingredient list. 

1. E120 (Carmine/Cochineal)

Cochineal is an insect that produces carminic acid to ward off predators. This acid is the source of red found in carmine. In order to get E120, the insects are ground and boiled and its resultant solution filtered. E120 is utilized as a dye to add a pink or red hue to food so they look more appealing, often found in candies, ice creams, cakes, and other desserts. It’s also commonly detected in body care products and make up like shampoos and red lipsticks. 

2. E441 (Gelatin)

E441 is obtained from animal by-products, generally through boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments and/or bones of cows or pigs (though could be from other animals too). It’s normally used as a thickening and gelling agent and is often found in chewy sweets like marshmallows, gummy bears, fruit snacks, and jelly babies.

3. E542 (Bone phosphate)

E542 is an edible bone phosphate yet again produced from grinding animal bones (often from pigs bone). Apart from being utilized by food manufacturers as an anticaking agent in powdered products to prevent particles from sticking together or to encourage suspension of one liquid into another, E541 is also a source of phosphorus in food supplements and widely used in cosmetic products, especially toothpaste. 

4. E631 (Disodium inosinate)

E631 is a food enhancer used to improve the taste of foods. Besides, it’s also used frequently in products like potato chips, instant noodles, and a variety of other snacks to reduce the amount of salt needed. E631 originates from inosinic acid, which is an acid naturally found in a number of animals such as pigs and fish. In some cases, this product can also be sourced through a natural bacterial fermentation process of sugar. 

5. E901 (Beeswax)

Unsurprisingly, beeswax is a natural wax produced by bees. Usually yellow in color, E901 can be turned into white after drying or processed with hydrogen peroxide. Beeswax has been used commercially as a glazing agent for a long time in the production of plastic, lubricant, candles, cosmetic products, and even as an artistic medium by painters and artists alike. 

6. E904 (Shellac)

E904 is made from a resin that is secreted by female lac bugs. This glazing agent is frequently added to chocolate, nail polish, medicine, and paints. Shellac plantations are commonly found in Southeast Asia where lac bugs are being harvested periodically. Some NGOs also reported that workers working at these shellac plantations and processing factories are often exploited and treated badly. 

7. E913 (Lanolin)

E913 is yet another glazing agent made from animal products. Lanolin is basically the grease derived from the wool of sheep, frequently utilized in beauty products and marketed for their soothing and nourishing properties. While the animals aren’t technically killed for this product, they are normally kept in captivity by large numbers for their wool. The sheep are often genetically modified and selectively-bred to ensure thick and long wool production.

8. E966 (Lactitol)

E966 is a synthetic carbohydrate alcohol produced from milk sugar (lactose) derived from whey (milk). It’s said to have up to 40% of the sweetness of sugar and it’s used in a variety of commercially produced low-calorie foods. E966 is generally recognised as a safe additive but may cause flatulence (due to gases released during fermentation).

9. E1105 (Lysozyme)

E1105 is generally obtained from chicken egg whites and often found in ready-made meals, infant formulas, and pharmaceutical products. Some manufacturers also used E1105 while producing tofu and beancurd to increase products’ shelf life.

There you have it - our ultimate guide consists of 9 non-vegan E numbers that you should definitely stay away from! It’s not easy trying to avoid these annoyingly complicated E numbers lurking among the ingredient list of food, drinks, and beauty products we enjoy. Therefore, we’ve created a free handy print out of this guide so you can stick it on your refrigerator for quick reference. Click the button below to download a PDF version of this guide!

If you like it, PIN it!

Let's Discuss!

We'd love to hear from you!  Do you have any questions about E numbers? Let us know in the comments below!

If you are following our ‘Steps to Go Vegan Program’, you are now on step 6!

You have really learned a lot!  You know how to:

• Create a range of vegan breakfasts!
• Make a vegan choice and explore vegan communities.
• Find and engage in vegan communities.
• Whip up Vegan lunches that are healthy and delicious.
• Organize yourself for snacks, and you’ve made them vegan.

If you have not been following this challenge, don’t click away! This guide will help you dig deep into our cheese obsession and also address it.

The Challenge 

We explore vegan cheeses and… shock, horror… contemplate a life without dairy cheese.  Humans are pretty much addicted to cheese.   It is a fundamental part of much-beloved dishes, and it can feel like a real hurdle to move away from the camembert, gouda, and cheddar. We’re going to help you give it up for good. 

Problems with dairy cheese

Why is cheese (and all dairy) so terrible, and why don’t vegans eat it? There’s a lot to say. 

Health impacts of cheese consumption

From a health perspective, dairy (and especially cheese) is high in fat (and saturated fat at that) and cholesterol, which means, even when eaten in moderate quantities, it can increase the risk of many diseases.  Click on the following links to see the wonderful Dr. Gregor explain the research on how a plant-based diet can prevent, treat, and reverse many of our biggest killers. 

Click on these videos to dip your toes into this dietary approach to improve our health. Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Cancer and Kidney Disease. 

Environmental impacts of cheese

The environmental footprint of cheese is pretty substantial: 400 gallons (1500 liters) of water is needed to make 1 pound (500 grams) of cheese. 

Ethical impact of cheese

From the animal's perspective, dairy is terrible.  Once people find out what truly happens at a dairy farm, most will sympathize with the animal’s point of view.  

The only way to make a cow produce milk is for them to have a baby.  For many, this is quite a revelation because we often think cows simply ‘give’ milk. For these animals to get pregnant, they are artificially inseminated. During the nine-month gestation period, the mother cow develops a bond with the baby inside her. Sadly though, within two days of her birth, the calf is taken away, which causes considerable distress to both the mother and baby. 

The calf isn’t allowed to take the milk of its mother, because it is destined for human consumption. Once the calf is born, it's either killed for veal if it is male, or if it is a female, she’ll spend the rest of her (short) life as a milk-producing machine.

This cycle continues for the female about 4-5 times, until the mother is no longer of use - i.e., it is more expensive to keep her alive - at which time she is taken to slaughter, where she will end up as mince or burgers. Cows naturally live until the age of 14 years, but in the dairy industry, this is shortened to around 4-5 years.  For most males in the veal industry, it is even shorter at 18-20 weeks.

Why is dairy cheese such a challenge to give up?

It tastes really good

For many people, cheese is a huge mental stumbling block and with good reason. Cheese is food we have often eaten since we were very young. It is found in many foods we LOVE, like pizza or mac and cheese.  We eat it with wine, there are a uncountable types of it, and it all tastes so good!  It's not wonder many people think they can never give up cheese!  

Could cheese be addictive?

Perhaps there is a reason we are so drawn to cheese. While scientists are still not 100% convinced of this, there is a theory that could explain our addiction. Cow’s milk (and goat’s milk) contains casomorphins, which is an opiate produced by the mother when lactating. The reason? To keep the calf from wandering too far when they are young and ensure they keep going back to the mother. So, why is cheese more addictive than other dairy milk products? Well, cheese is more concentrated with these casomorphins; it takes 10 lbs of cow’s milk to make 1 lb of cheese. There is a possibility that cheese is addictive.

Cheese is so savory

Cheese is also one of the few foods that has an umami profile. Most people know we have four tastes: salty, sweet, bitter and sour.  But there is also a fifth - Umami! Umami flavors are savory, so think cheese, meaty broths, cured meats, and many people (including us) love umami flavors. Let’s not forget there are many of us who love fat and salt, and cheese has both of these in abundance. Cheese is, on average, 90% fat. When looking to leave cheese off our plates, we need to consider all these things. So, how can vegans manage without cheese? Well, we can just try going without, but another way to go is to replace it in a roundabout way. We need to consider foods that create the flavor profiles of cheese, i.e., umami, fat and salt. So what can we do?

Alternatives to dairy cheese

Take back cheese’s power

Now, this might seem crazy, but do we really want to be beholden to a food and for it to have so much power over us? You have agency over what you eat. 

1. Go without

Pizza without cheese is not a disaster and, in Italy, the Marinara pizza is a staple on every menu. If that doesn’t do it for you, try adding capers and olives for the salt hit and then ask the chef to add avocado as it comes out of the oven for an extra velvety, fatty taste. If cooking for yourself, try searching for vegan versions of your favorite cheesy dishes. You’ll find mac and cheese made with tahini and pumpkin and lasagne made from tofu and nutritional yeast.

2. Try some premade vegan cheeses

If you have not tried vegan cheese for a while, but you have terrible memories of cheese that was limp, rubbery and would not fool anyone, then we are happy to tell you that times have really changed! We have very good cheeses that are either good substitutes or indistinguishable from dairy cheese. There are some less than stellar cheeses out there, but trust us, they are MUCH better than they used to be.

Vegan cheeses that you can buy are split into two categories not dissimilar to dairy cheeses:

The mass produced cheeses 

These are ones that are sold in the refrigerated aisle of your supermarket (yes, most supermarkets will carry at least a few vegan cheeses these days). The base of these cheaper cheeses are usually some sort of oil. 

Reality check: These ‘cheaper’ cheeses are still a bit more expensive than the cheap dairy-based cheeses for many reasons. You might find it a bit more expensive to buy as much vegan cheese as you did when you bought dairy cheese. This is actually a good thing. Cheese and oily vegan cheese are not exactly healthy and adding cups and cups of either cheese into sauces and lasagna. Keep it for special occasions or use it sparingly. It’ll be better for your health and your wallet.

Artisanal cheeses

These cheeses are more your cheese-board style variety. Cheese that you have with wine or as an aperitif. These cheeses usually have a base of nuts, are aged and fermented. Because of the ingredients, length of the time it takes to make them and small sales volume, these cheeses are usually quite expensive. This should be really that surprising as all the fancy aged and gourmet non vegan cheeses are also more expensive that the  cheddar shreds you buy at the supermarket,.

Where can you buy vegan cheeses?

Supermarkets

Most supermarkets will carry at least a small range of vegan cheeses. The range will depend on the size of the store and the clientele of the supermarket.

These are all the vegan cheeses that were available at our local supermarket. Click on a photo to see it bigger.

Vegan grocery stores

Most big cities these days have a vegan grocery store which will carry a  wide range of vegan cheeses. If you don’t have one near you, you can often order them online and they ship the cheeses to you with dry ice.

A vegan grocery store will always have a wide range of cheeses including some more specialty ones.  Click on a photo to see it bigger.

Health Food Stores

If your local grocery store doesn’t carry many vegan cheeses then try your local health food store might have a few more options.

Farmer’s Markets

Because vegans are so innovative and want to bring vegan cheese to the masses, you might find a small stall selling vegan cheeses at your local farmer’s market! We have a vendor of vegan cheeses that sells in our local farmer’s market every few weeks (in a town of only 20,000 people).

Specialty stores

Unsurprisingly, in those fancy schmancy grocery stores like Whole Foods, you will find a huge range of vegan cheeses.

Direct from the vendor

You might find that vegan cheese vendors offer some sort of mail order service. Here is one that I know of in Canada. You might even find a vegan cheese subscription box. That is a subscription service that we would sign up for!

How can you make vegan cheeses?

Vegan Cheese Cookbooks

Lastly, you can make your own! There are even whole cookbooks devoted to vegan cheese making and so many recipes online. Cheese making is a fun and rewarding activity especially if you start delving into fermenting and aging your cheeses. It can be quite addictive. Here you can see my recent efforts to recreate a much loved Camembert.

The Uncheese Book by Jo Stephaniak: This book is a little older and does not really touch on many of the aged cheeses, but their lasagna is simply fantastic!

Artisan Vegan Cheeses by Miyoko Schinner: One of the first cookbooks by the Queen of vegan cheeses herself, Miyoko Schinner! She was really one of the pioneers of aged vegan cheese.

The Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook by Skye Michael Conroy: Skye helps you with not only vegan cheeses, but all other vegan dairy products.

This Cheese is Nuts!: Delicious Vegan Cheese at Home by Julie Piatt: Beautifully photographed, this book focuses on nut-based cheese. 

One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese: Make Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta, and Brie-Style Cheeses -Claudia Lucero: Sometimes we can’t wait for a month for our vegan cheese. Get it in an hour with this book.

Vegan Cheese Online Courses

Melt by Brownble

If you want to delve deep into vegan cheesemaking in the form of an incredible video course then look no further than Brownble’s course.

What about dining out?

When you are going out as a vegan and looking to avoid cheese, the best way to do this is to choose the vegan option. You can also try omitting cheese from a dish for example a cheeseless pizza or pasta arrabiata without parmesan. Many pizza places now offer vegan cheese (usually with a small surcharge) which allows you to customise your favorite pizzas and some other restaurants will offer a similar option too. Vegan restaurants, especially comfort food ones will have all your favorite cheesy dishes from your childhood made vegan! Here is a delicious nacho fries with vegan queso from one of our favorite places in Vancouver

Conclusion

As our friend Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says: “There is life after cheese and it is a much better life!” 

We wish you all the best with your vegan cheese endeavors, and when you are ready to Step 7, simply click right here (COMING SOON)!

If you like it, PIN IT!