Yellow Prussiate of Soda, a Cyanide-Containing Salt Additive, Is Vegan

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email from a reader in April 2020 asking: “Is yellow prussiate of soda vegan?”

Here is our answer:

Yellow prussiate of soda (YPS) is a hydrated cyanide salt approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in table salt as an anti-caking agent, giving it Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) status. It may appear on an ingredient label as sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate. Other ways the name appears on a label are possible.

NOTE: Inhalation or ingestion of cyanide salts can be fatal. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states: “Ingestion of hydrogen cyanide solutions or cyanide salts can be rapidly fatal…Treatment of ingested cyanide salts is similar to treatment of oral hydrogen cyanide poisoning because cyanide salts form hydrogen cyanide in acidic conditions.” (Stomach pH is acidic.)

The estimate of the daily acceptable limit of YPS in humans at which no toxicological effects are observed (extrapolated from rat studies) is 0.025 mg/kg of body weight.

Although The VRG hasn’t seen YPS on most table salt brands or varieties recently, we found a photo of the ingredients label of Morton’s^® Kosher Salt that does contain YPS.

The VRG contacted three companies that manufacture or distribute YPS or products that contain it to find out its vegan status.

This is what we learned:

1. Morton® Salt

We sent an email to Morton Salt asking about its Star-Flake® Dendritic Salt that contains YPS. We asked if it was completely mineral-based with no processing by animal- or dairy-derived ingredients. The consumer representative did not have information on this, and said it was an industrial product. Upon closer inspection of their website, we found an email address for inquiries into the company’s industrial products. We asked, “… I’d like to know if the yellow prussiate of soda in your dendritic salt is completely mineral-based? In other words, it contains no animal or dairy ingredients and wasn’t manufactured with animal or dairy-derived processing aids?” The next morning, we received an email response from the industrial products division at Morton Salt. Technical Documentation Specialist Claudia told us:

“YPS is synthetic but is ultimately derived from minerals. I’ve included a copy of our vegetarian/vegan statement.”

Here is the statement from Morton Salt:

“The following products manufactured by Morton Salt, Inc. are suitable for consumption by individuals following a vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or lacto-vegetarian diet. There is no exposure or contact to foods of animal origin in processing equipment, storage or handling procedures.

Food Processing

Coarse Sea Salt

Culinox® 999® Fine Salt

Culinox® 999® Food Grade

Salt

Dried Coarse Salt

Extra Coarse Sea Salt

Extra Fine 200 Salt

Extra Fine 325 Salt

Flour Sea Salt

Flour Salt

H.G. Blending Salt

H.G. Blending Prepared Salt

Iodized Salt

Iodized Flour Salt (Mexico)

Iodized Snack Flour Salt

(Mexico)

Iodized Star Flake® Dendritic

ES Salt

Iodized Table Salt (Mexico)

Iodized PureSunTM Culinary

Crystals

KaliSel

Lite Salt® Mixture

Medium Sea Salt

Potassium Chloride, USP

PureSunTM Culinary Crystals

Purex® Salt

Purex® All Purpose Salt

Purex® Fine Prepared Salt

Reagent Grade Sodium

Chloride

Rock Koshering Salt

Rock Pretzel Salt

Sea Salt

Select Sea Salt

Snack Flour Salt

Star Flake® Dendritic ES Salt

Star Flake® Dendritic Salt

TCP Extra Fine 70 Sea Salt

TFC 999® Fine Salt

TFC 999® Salt

TFC Extra Fine 50 Sea Salt

TFC H.G. Blending Salt

TFC Lite Salt® Mixture

TFC Medium Sea Salt

TFC PureSunTM Culinary

Crystals

TFC Purex® Salt

TFC Sea Salt

TFC Select Sea Salt

Top Flake Coarse Salt

Top Flake Extra Coarse Salt

Top Flake Fine Salt

Top Flake Topping Salt

USP Salt (Sodium Chloride)

White Pretzel Coarse Salt

White Pretzel Medium Salt

Consumer/Food Service

All-Purpose Iodized Sea Salt

All-Purpose Natural Sea Salt

Canning/Pickling Salt

Coarse Kosher Salt

Evaporated Granulated Salt

Extra Fine Sea Salt

Iodized Table Salt

Iodized Salt

Lite Salt® Mixture

Popcorn Salt

Salt Balance

Salt Substitute

Sea Salt –Coarse Salt

Sea Salt – Fine Salt

Sea Salt Grinder

Sea Salt Grinder Refill

Table Salt, Non-Iodized

Vacuum Granulated Salt”

1. Davis Wholesale Supply^®

An online search for YPS led The VRG to Davis Wholesale Supply, distributors of Alberger® Shur-Flo® Fine Flakes and Flour Salts with YPS listed as an ingredient.

Company employee Kim sent us a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on YPS that did not have ingredient source information. The SDS stated recommended use:

“Salt may be intended for food or animal feed (agricultural) as well as several industrial applications including deicing and water conditioning.”

Upon our request, Davis employee Kim contacted Cargill, the manufacturer of the salt, about its vegan status. She specifically asked if animal or dairy ingredients were used in the manufacture of Alberger Shur-Flo Fine Flake Salt. In response, Cargill sent Kim this statement titled “Vegetarian/Vegan Statement: Cargill Salt.”

In its entirety:

“The US FDA has not defined vegetarian or vegan. The Cargill ingredients covered by this letter have not been produced from animal (including fish), dairy, or egg products and these products have not been added by Cargill to the Cargill ingredients.”

1. American Elements^®

The VRG also inquired about YPS manufactured by American Elements. Product Engineer Kristi told us: “As far as I know, none of our materials are animal- or dairy-based/derived.” Currently, they are offering only research-grade materials, not food-grade YPS.

VRG Conclusion about YPS

According to three companies that manufacture YPS or make products containing it, yellow prussiate of soda is vegan. It is derived from minerals with no animal- or dairy-derived processing aids.

For more information on other food ingredients, please see VRG’s Guide to Food Ingredients.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.