Free Vegan Ingredient Checker
Paste any ingredient list below. The AI flags casein, carmine, whey, L-cysteine, and every other hidden animal additive instantly — no signup, no app required.
Why use ScanVegan?
We don't just say “not vegan” — we explain why. L-cysteine often comes from duck feathers. Casein is a milk protein hiding in “non-dairy” creamers. Knowing the why means you spot it next time without us.
How the checker works
Paste an ingredient list — exactly as it appears on the back of the package — and click Analyze Ingredients. The checker scans for known animal-derived names, common hiding-place additives (E-numbers, INCI codes), and ambiguous items where the source can be either plant or animal. You get a clear verdict, the list of flagged ingredients, and a one-line explanation of why each is non-vegan.
Need a deeper dive on a specific additive? Browse our vegan ingredient database — every entry includes the source, regulatory aliases, and plant-based alternatives.
Top searched ingredients
Frequently asked questions
Does the ingredient checker work on cosmetics and supplements?
Yes. The checker flags animal-derived ingredients regardless of product category — that includes lanolin in lip balm, magnesium stearate in supplements, and gelatin in pill capsules.
Does it work on labels in other languages?
Partially today. The hosted checker works best in English. The full ScanVegan camera app — currently in development — adds OCR and parsing in 30+ languages.
Is the checker actually free?
Yes — completely free, no signup, no rate limits, no data stored. We may add a premium tier in the future for advanced features, but the basic ingredient check will always be free.
How accurate is the verdict?
For clearly animal-derived ingredients (casein, gelatin, whey, carmine), accuracy is high. For ambiguous additives (natural flavors, mono- and diglycerides, glycerin), the checker returns "medium confidence" because the source can be plant or animal — and only the manufacturer can confirm.
What does the verdict say if an ingredient is "depends"?
Ingredients like lecithin, glycerin, and natural flavors can come from plants or animals. The checker labels them with a medium-confidence warning and suggests verifying with the manufacturer or looking for an explicit "vegan" certification on the package.