Vitamin D
1406-16-2 · vitamin D · VITD · Vitamin DCAS 1406-16-2
Vitamin D is added to milk, margarine, cereals and plant drinks. Which form is used matters to a vegan diet: D2 comes from yeast or fungi, while D3 is usually made from lanolin, the wax in sheep's wool.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Permitted | 21 CFR 184.1950retrieved 2026-09-07 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
What it is made from
D2 is produced by ultraviolet irradiation of yeast or fungal sterols. D3 is normally made from lanolin, though a lichen-derived vegan D3 exists. A label saying only vitamin D does not distinguish them.
- Vegan status depends on the source
- Vegetarian status depends on the source
- May raise a halal question
- May raise a kosher question
This is not an omission. What this additive is made from is not fixed — depending on the manufacturer it may be plant, animal or microbial in origin, nobody is required to say which, and the same product can change source between production runs. Ask the manufacturer if it matters to you; a label cannot answer it.
- CAS registry number
- 1406-16-2
Every name it appears under
4 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 1406-16-2
As it appears in regulation
- Vitamin D
Other names
- vitamin D
- VITD
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Sources for this page
- ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/vitamin-d.json