Diatomaceous Earth — Hidden Processing Agent — Is It Vegan?
Also known as: DE, Kieselguhr, Diatomite, Fossil shell flour
Vegan
No animals or animal-derived substances are involved in producing this agent.
Not required on labels
A vegan processing aid. Does not appear on labels and does not affect vegan status.
Source
Formed from the fossilized silica skeletons of diatoms — microscopic single-celled algae. Mined from geological deposits. No animal products involved.
Used In
Beer filtration (used in pressure filtration to achieve crystal clarity), wine filtration, fruit juice clarification, edible oil refining, pharmaceutical liquid filtration. Also used in food storage (insect control), pest control, and pool filtration.
How to Avoid
No avoidance needed — diatomaceous earth is vegan. As an algae-derived mineral filter, it is one of the cleanest processing aids in food production.
Editorial Notes
Food-grade diatomaceous earth (distinguished from the pool-grade form which is chemically treated) is sometimes consumed directly as a health supplement, though evidence for this is limited. As a beer filter medium, it is fully removed after filtration. Used by the majority of large-scale breweries globally.