E153 - Vegetable carbon
By the Daat team · Updated October 30, 2026
E153 is vegetable carbon, a black colour. Daat treats its origin as undetermined.
It colours liquorice, black sweets and some cheese rinds. Despite the name, the label does not say what the carbon was made from, so on a vegan profile the scanner will not pass it.
In Daat’s catalog we found E153 in 6 of 16,831 products (0.0%).
E153 at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Vegetable carbon |
| Function | Colour |
| Origin | Plant or animal - not stated on the label |
| Vegan / vegetarian | Depends on the source / Depends on the source |
Is E153 vegan?
You cannot tell from the label. E153 can come from a plant or an animal source; only a vegan certification or the manufacturer can settle it.