L-cysteine
L-cysteine is an amino acid used as a dough conditioner (E920); it can be made from feathers, hair or by fermentation.
- Used in
- Food ingredient
- Role
- Flour treatment
- E-number
- E920
Also listed as
Contains / relevant to
- Vegan: May not be vegan: it can come from animal or plant sources.
- Vegetarian: May not be vegetarian, depending on the source.
- Halal: IngrediLens flags it for people who keep a halal diet. (This filter covers: pork-derived, alcohol-derived and source-ambiguous ingredients.)
What to look for on labels
- Labels rarely say which source was used. If it matters to you, look for a vegan, vegetarian, halal or kosher certification mark.
- In the EU it can also appear as E920.
Questions and answers
Is L-cysteine vegan?
Not always. L-cysteine is an amino acid used as a dough conditioner (E920); it can be made from feathers, hair or by fermentation. Labels rarely say which source was used, so look for a vegan certification if it matters to you.
Is L-cysteine halal?
Not necessarily. Its source is not always clear from the label. IngrediLens flags it for people keeping halal. Look for a halal certification mark if this matters to you.
Related
- Mono- and diglyceridesMono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) are emulsifiers that can be made from plant or animal fats.
- GelatinGelatin is a gelling agent made from animal collagen, usually from pork or beef skin and bones.
- E920: L-cysteineE-number page: what the additive does and what to watch for.
- E-numbers explained: what food label codes meanGuide
Sources
May be synthetic, feather-derived or hair-derived. Labels rarely say which.
- IngrediLens ingredient database (names, flags and notes shown on this page)
Label information, not medical advice. This page describes how an ingredient is named and labelled and how IngrediLens flags it; it cannot tell you whether a product is safe for you. Always read the label on the product itself and follow the advice of your doctor, allergist or dermatologist. If someone shows signs of anaphylaxis, use their adrenaline auto-injector if they have one and call emergency services.
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