Ingredients and products
How can you tell if a supplement is vegan?
Short answer
Read beyond the active ingredient – check the capsule and the excipients too. The most common traps are gelatine capsules, vitamin D3 from lanolin, fish-oil omega-3, shellac (E904) coatings, lactose as a filler and carmine (E120) as a colour.
Vegan alternatives include cellulose (HPMC, “vegetable capsule”) or pullulan capsules, lichen D3 or D2, and algal-oil omega-3 (DHA and EPA). Vitamin B12 in supplements is made by bacteria, so it is vegan in itself – just check the coating and additives. The easiest shortcut is a V-Label or Vegan Society logo; “natural” or “plant-based” on the pack is not a certification.
In Poland and across the EU, food supplements are foods, not medicines – in Poland they go on sale after notifying the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, without efficacy testing. You can check the Polish GIS register to see whether a product has been notified, and ask the manufacturer where the ingredients come from. Discuss doses with a doctor, especially in pregnancy and for children.