As the meat industry slaughters more and more animals, they are left with piles of by-products that can either be thrown out or sold to be used in products that one would think would be vegetarian-friendly, if not vegan friendly. Here you'll find a list (not comprehensive, but with most of the major offenders) of ingredients, what they're made from and what they are found in.
Gelatin (or gelatine).
Made from the connective tissue and hides of animals this product is certainly not suitable for consumption by anyone motivated by animal rights. Gelatine is made when pig skin, cow hide and the gristle and cartiledge from bones is boiled together. The substance on top is skimmed off and you have gelatine. So that marshmellow isn't quite as innocent as we like to think it is. If you're abstaining from beef and pork you should be abstaining from gelatine.
Products it can be found in include: marshmellows, skittles, starburst, most low-fat yogurts, some low-fat ice creams, gummy bears, almost all gummy-candys (not Sourpatch Kids! they are a-ok), Jell-O (of course), margarines, cream cheeses, jams. Also found in most gel-capsule medications, those little balls found in body-washes and gel candles.
I know this sounds like a lot, but a little bit of label-reading will quickly let you compile a mental list of which brands are veg*n-friendly and which are not.
Rennet (and casein)
A protein used in cheese production, it is a by-product of the veal industry. That is, it is extracted from the inner mucosa of a calf's fourth stomach. Not so tasty.
It can be found in many hard cheeses, and most soft-cheeses. So cheese is, generally, not even vegetarian (by my definition, meaning no animal must have died to provide the food). Although I do not advocate eating cheese for ethical, environmental and health reasons (I will save this for a later post), I do know that some people are happy to eat cheese, and for those people there are vegetable and microbial rennets that are available in many commercial cheeses. I was a lacto-vegetarian for many years, and wish someone had informed me early on of the reality of rennet and casein. Also, these by-products are often (bewilderingly) found in soy cheeses.
Whey
The liquid left-over from cheese production. This liquid is often included in baked goods to give a richer texture and the taste of milk while being much cheaper to manufacture. It is also often used in energy bars and smoothies. Also in the dairy category are lactose, lactic acid (often derived from beets instead, if it is not readily apparent you can call the manufacturer), and lactose.
Additives
Now, here's where it gets tricky, because some additives will always be animal derived and some are only sometimes.
Always:
E120 - cochineal
E542 - edible bone phosphate
E631 - sodium 5'-inosinate
E901 - beeswax
E904 - shellac
hexaphosphate
lactose
sperm oil/spermaceti
The sometimes animal derived list is incredibly long, so I will provide a link.
http://www.vegansociety.com/food/criteria.php
Slaughter By-Products
animal fats (eg dripping, lard, suet, tallow), amino acids, aspic, bone, bone charcoal, bone-meal, bristles, collagen, down, dried blood, fatty acid derivatives, feathers, fur, gelatin(e), glycerin(e)/glycerol, hair, hides (leather, suede etc), hoof & horn meal, oleic acid, oleoic oil, oleostearin, pepsin, proteins (eg elastin, keratin, reticulin), rennet, skins, stearates, stearic acid, stearin(e)
Misc.
This category contains everything from vitamins to moisturizer ingredients.
amniotic fluids, animal and fish glues, carmine/carminic acid, catgut, chamois, cochineal, crushed snails or insects, fixatives (eg musk, civet, castoreum) hormones (eg. estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) ivory, lanolin(e), oil of mink, parchment, placenta, silk, shellac, snake venom, some vitamins (eg D3), urea, vellum
Phew! Quite a list.
I know this is a lot to take in, and may seem overwhelming, but I promise veganism is not that hard, and it's definitely worth the little extra effort.
The three easiest ways to avoid these nasty products are to 1) look for the vegan logo (a circle with a V inside of a heart and the words "certified vegan" in it), 2) eat whole, unprocessed foods when at home (fruits, veg, beans, whole grains) and 3) go to restaurants that specifically cater to vegans and vegetarians.
Failing that, when you end up at a restaurant serving a mostly omni-menu, be clear with the wait-staff and don't be afraid to ask as many questions as it takes. And at the grocery store, when shopping for items that are a little more processed, you'll quickly become a savvy shopper, knowing which brands you can eat, which you can't and which you don't want to--a great side-effect of being a label-reader is that you learn how bad for you many (vegan-friendly) processed treats are, such as Oreos and Tortilla chips.
2 comments:
This drives me nuts. Thanks for including the E numbers though, I knew to look for E120 but the others are sneaky!!! I must remember to keep a list in my wallet for when I'm shopping.
It's so frustrating, I agree, but you almost have to admire their inventiveness.
As always, the easiest way to avoid undesirable additives is to eat whole-foods in their natural state. Also, remember to look for the vegan symbol when you're treating yourself to processed foods!
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