Is Irn-Bru Vegan?

Most people would agree that the national drink of Scotland is whisky. But there is another drink that is not far behind when it comes to the Scottish national consciousness: Irn-Bru. To the uninitiated, this bright (almost glowing) orange beverage is something of an acquired taste, and though it isn’t quite as love-hate as something like Marmite, it still provokes fairly strong reactions on both sides of the debate.

Leaving the drink’s taste to one side, we’re focussing on a more pertinent question for those on a plant-based diet: is Irn-Bru vegan? The good news, for those who are partial to a sip of the orange stuff, is that, yes, Irn-Bru is indeed vegan. Let’s take a closer look at the beverage and indeed what goes into it.

What Is Irn-Bru?

Irn-Bru is a bright orange fizzy drink that is produced by Barr’s (or, more officially A.G. Barr plc), a drinks company that was founded by Robert Barr way back in 1875 in the Lowland town of Falkirk. It grew to become the most popular soft drink in Scotland and maintained that status for much of its history. These days it sells in similar quantities to another vegan-friendly soft drink: Coca Cola.

Although a previous marketing campaign for Irn-Bru suggested the drink was “made from girders”, the only iron in the drink comes as a tiny part of the very small amount of ammonium ferric citrate that is added (see below). The orange colour is due not to rusted iron (of course) but rather the artificial colouring added to the beverage.

Ingredients of Irn-Bru

Let’s take a look at the ingredients that go into Irn-Bru (based on the regular variety):

Carbonated Water, Sugar, Acid (Citric Acid), Flavourings (including Caffeine, Ammonium Ferric Citrate & Quinine), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Preservative (E211), Colours (Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 4R)

It’s fair to say that the list of ingredients might not prove overly appealing, especially for those of you who have become vegan for health reasons. But – at least on the face of it – there are no obviously animal-derived ingredients there. There are a couple of things you might not be too familiar with, however. Including the following:

E211

This is a preservative called sodium benzoate that is produced in the lab using sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid, which in turn, is produced from toluene, which is synthesised from plants.

Sunset Yellow FCF (E110)

This is a common food colouring used in all kinds of products from sweets and desserts to cosmetics and even condoms. It is derived from petroleum and though some have raised concerns about humans ingesting it, as far as we can see there is no solid evidence to suggest it is harmful, at least in relatively small doses.

Ponceau 4R (E124)

Another food colouring that is produced in the lab and another that has raised various health concerns over the years but for which there is insufficient evidence for us to draw strong conclusions. It doesn’t appear something we’d want to consume too much of though! But at least it’s not made from animal products.

Quinine

Used in tonic water, quinine is produced from plants of the Cinchona genus, and hence fine for vegans.

Ammonium Ferric Citrate

Another ingredient produced in the lab without the use of animal-derived substances (as far as we can tell).

Aspartame

An artificial sweetener that is apparently 200 times sweeter than sucrose, aspartame is used in many foods and beverages. It’s completely vegan, but – as with almost all artificially produced foodstuffs – there have been plenty of health concerns raised over the years.

Acesulfame K (E950)

This is another chemically synthesised sweetener (that was discovered by accident when a German chemist called Karl Clauss licked his finger after dipping them in a chemical he was working on… which is clearly not best practice in the lab, kids!). Again, there’s nothing that stops it from being vegan.

Nutritional Values of Irn-Bru

You might look at the ingredients and be somewhat put off by the chemicals included, and that is indeed your prerogative. But it’s worth noting that Irn-Bru contains less than half the sugar of Coca Cola, so that’s something.

Typical Values (Per 100ml)	Irn-Bru	Coca Cola
Energy	80kJ/19kcal	180kJ/42kcal
Fat	0g	0g
of which saturates	0g	0g
Carbohydrate	4.5g	10.6g
of which sugars	4.5g	10.6g
Protein	<0.5g	0g
Salt	<0.01g	0g

Are All Varieties of Irn-Bru Vegan?

At the time of writing, there are six varieties of Irn-Bru (at least available in Scotland and some other parts of the UK): Regular; Sugar Free; Xtra; Energy; Energy No Sugar; Old (a limited edition version of the drink based on a 1901 recipe).

None of the varieties contains any animal-derived ingredients and hence all are fine for vegans. It is possible that Barr’s could produce new varieties that include non-vegan ingredients, or indeed that they might change the recipes of their current drinks. Always check the label to be on the safe side.

Irn-Bru Conclusions

Ultimately, if you are a fan of fizzy drinks you might not mind too much about the kind of ingredients you will find in Irn-Bru. You might just be happy enough to find out that this drink is fine for vegans to consume (especially if you’ve read our article about another standout soft drink (Lilt, which isn’t vegan) and were dismayed with the findings. There will be many who are seeking more healthy alternatives to conventional soft drinks, whether vegans or not, but for lovers of the orange stuff, it will be heartening to know that drinking Irn-Bru will not contravene any vegan ideals.