Is Red Bull Vegan?

The rumor that Red Bull contains something from a bull is older than most people drinking it. It isn't true. Red Bull is vegan by ingredients, and the company says so in plain words. Here's what's actually in the can, and the one reason some vegans still skip it.

What's in a can of Red Bull?

This is the US label for the original 8.4 oz can. The UK and Irish can has the same core ingredients, listed with European names.

Red Bull's FAQ, the same in Ireland and the UK, says: "Red Bull Energy Drink products do not contain any ingredients or substances derived from animals." It also points out, fairly, that "vegan" has no binding legal definition. We judge by ingredients, and on that test it passes.

The taurine question

Taurine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in meat, fish and the human body. It was first isolated from ox bile in the 1800s, which is where the name (from the Latin taurus, bull) and the long-running rumor come from.

Red Bull's answer is direct: its taurine is "not derived from bulls or any other animals" and is "a purely synthetic substance produced by pharmaceutical companies." The same goes for its caffeine and vitamins, which Red Bull says are synthetically produced. So taurine, the ingredient that sounds least vegan, is the one you can stop worrying about.

Which Red Bull drinks are vegan?

Red Bull says its no-animal-ingredients answer applies to Sugarfree, Zero and the Editions as well as the original.

As an example, the UK Coconut Edition Sugarfree contains water, acids, caffeine, taurine, B vitamins, sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K), stabilisers made from wood rosin and xanthan gum, and the colors plain caramel and brilliant blue. None of that is animal-derived.

Red Bull in the US vs the UK and Ireland

Red Bull's main production sites are in Austria, Switzerland and the US. The recipe is essentially the same everywhere, and the vegan answer is the same on the Irish, UK and US Red Bull sites.

The one difference is sugar:

• UK and Ireland. Red Bull says its sugar comes from plant sources, and bone-char filtering is a US cane-sugar practice, so we don't treat sugar as a grey area here.
• US. Red Bull says its sugar comes from plant sources but doesn't say whether US cans use cane or beet sugar. Some US cane sugar is whitened with bone char. We treat that as a grey area, like we do for every other product, rather than a reason to call Red Bull non-vegan.

If the sugar question bothers you, Sugarfree and Zero avoid it entirely.

The animal-testing question

Ingredients aren't the whole story for some vegans.

Wings for Life is a spinal-cord-injury research charity that PETA describes as Red Bull-backed. In May 2020, PETA said Wings for Life had funded experiments on mice, rats, pigs and monkeys, and reported that a major sponsor had withdrawn its support. PETA said it had contacted Red Bull in 2018 asking it to disavow the experiments. We couldn't find a public response from Red Bull.

That's a question about a charity Red Bull supports, not about the drink. We haven't found evidence that Red Bull tests its energy drinks on animals, and its FAQ doesn't address testing either way. Some synthetic sweeteners and colors used across the drinks industry were safety-tested on animals at some point, which is why a few vegans avoid them. Whether any of this changes your order is a personal call; our vegan vs cruelty-free guide explains how we think about it.

How to check an energy drink

1. Read the colors. Carmine (cochineal, E120) is made from insects. Red Bull doesn't use it, but some red drinks do. See carmine.
2. Check added vitamins. B vitamins are almost always synthetic. Added vitamin D3 is usually made from sheep's wool. See vitamin D3.
3. Look for honey and milk. They turn up in "natural" energy drinks and canned coffee energy drinks.
4. Check the brand's FAQ. Big brands usually answer the vegan question directly, as Red Bull does.

Red Bull at the bar

Red Bull is a common mixer, so it's worth knowing what usually goes with it. Plain vodka is generally vegan, as are most unflavored spirits, but flavored vodkas and liqueurs vary. Jägermeister and other herbal liqueurs aren't covered here, so check them on Barnivore before ordering a Jägerbomb. If a cocktail has a red or pink color, ask what's in it, since carmine is still used in some liqueurs and syrups.

Allergy and other notes

Red Bull contains no milk, egg, gluten or nut ingredients. It's high in caffeine, and Irish and UK cans carry a warning that it isn't recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. Sugarfree and Zero contain artificial sweeteners. Always check the can if you have an allergy.

Alternatives

If you'd prefer a brand with a cleaner animal-testing record, look for energy drinks that carry a certified vegan mark and state their testing policy. For soft drinks, Coca-Cola is vegan too, and our vegan drinks guide covers more options.

The bottom line

Red Bull is vegan. The taurine is synthetic, the vitamins are synthetic, and Red Bull says nothing in its energy drinks comes from animals, including Sugarfree, Zero and the Editions. US cans carry the usual sugar grey area. The only real reason to skip it is if you object to Red Bull's links to a charity that has funded animal research.