Fermented Plant Foods
Explore 9 ingredients and additives classified under Fermented Plant Foods. Check forensic animal derivations, E-numbers, and verified plant swaps.
6
100% Plant-Based
0
Animal Derived
3
Check Required
All Fermented Plant Foods (9)
Apple Cider Vinegar
✓ VeganApple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apple juice using yeast and acetobacter bacteria.
Beer
⚠ CheckWhile the core ingredients of beer (water, malted barley/wheat, hops, and yeast) are 100% plant- and fungal-derived, some traditional breweries clarify beer using animal-derived fining agents like isinglass (fish bladder collagen) or gelatin. Additionally, milk stouts and pastry sours contain lactose (milk sugar).
Kimchi
⚠ CheckTraditional Korean kimchi is commonly made with jeotgal (salted fermented seafood like fish sauce or baby shrimp paste). However, vegan kimchi made using kelp (kombu) and shiitake mushroom broth is 100% plant-based.
Miso Paste
✓ VeganTraditional miso is made by fermenting whole soybeans with salt and koji (Aspergillus oryzae culture). 100% plant-based probiotic umami seasoning.
Nutritional Yeast
✓ VeganNutritional yeast is a deactivated species of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on molasses, harvested, washed, and dried with heat.
Tempeh
✓ VeganTraditional Indonesian food made by fermenting cooked whole soybeans with Rhizopus oligosporus mold.
Tofu
✓ VeganTofu is made by coagulating fresh soy milk, pressing the curds into solid blocks. 100% plant-based.
Wine
⚠ CheckAlthough wine is fundamentally produced from crushed and fermented grapes (Vitis vinifera), many winemakers use animal-derived fining agents during the clarification and stabilization process to precipitate harsh tannins, hazes, and dead yeast cells. Traditional finings include egg white albumen, milk casein, animal gelatin, and fish isinglass. However, un-fined natural wines and modern winemakers utilizing bentonite clay, pea protein, or sterile cross-flow ceramic membranes produce 100% vegan wines.
Yeast
✓ VeganYeast is a single-celled eukaryotic microorganism classified under the kingdom Fungi (the same kingdom as mushrooms). Yeasts do not belong to the animal kingdom, have no central nervous system, and are 100% vegan.
Understanding Fermented Plant Foods in Plant-Based Diets
Biochemical Origins & Production
Ingredients in the Fermented Plant Foods category can stem from plant crops, microbial fermentation, mineral synthesis, or animal byproducts. In modern industrial food processing, identical chemical compounds are frequently produced via both botanical and animal extraction routes.
When an ingredient has dual-source origin (such as glycerin, mono- and diglycerides, or stearic acid), vegan certification or direct manufacturer confirmation is necessary to ensure 100% plant or synthetic origin.
Label Reading & Ingredient Scrutiny
Food labeling regulations in major jurisdictions (including US FDA 21 CFR and EU Regulation 1169/2011) do not require manufacturers to disclose whether processing aids or multi-source carriers contain animal byproducts.
Always look for explicit "Suitable for Vegans" or "Certified Plant-Based" seals on packaged food products containing items flagged as Check Required.
Scan a Full Product Label
Paste any ingredient list from a package to instantly detect animal byproducts, E-numbers, and ambiguous additives with our live Ingredient Checker.