So you’ve stopped eating meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, and now you are eating only plant-based foods, and maybe to some extent you’re also including some processed and even refined foods such as breads, crackers, cereal, pasta, baked goods, and/or candy. Have you really stopped eating all animal-based foods? Not necessarily. That’s because there are many hidden animal products in foods that you don’t know are there because you don’t know what many of the ingredients listed on a package label are. Here’s a guide to help you decipher from the ingredient list on food labels what you are actually eating in order to help you decide if it’s something that you really want to eat:
Carmine – red food coloring made from ground up cochineal beetles. Used in fruit drinks, sauces, bottled cherries, colored pasta, and frozen pops.
Casein – milk protein. Used as a binding agent in bread, processed cereals, instant soups, instant potatoes, margarine, salad dressings, sweets, and cake mixes. Found in some soy cheeses. Also in some medication. Can be in products labeled “lactose-free”.
Gelatin – made from collagen (protein) from by-products of the slaughterhouse, including animal skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, hooves, claws, and fish skins. Used in gel caps, yogurt, cereals, marshmallows, some candies, and as a colorless, flavorless thickening agent to set molded salads and desserts.
Isinglass – from air bladders of freshwater fish (Beluga sturgeon). Used to clarify some wine and beer. Also used in some jellied desserts. Vegan wines use carbon, limestone, silica gel, etc instead.
Albumin – protein in egg whites. Found in processed foods.
Glucose – from animal tissues and fluids (also can come from fruits). Found in baked goods, soft drinks, candies, frosting.
Glycerides (monoglycerides, diglycerides, and tryglycerides) – glycerol is from animal fats or plants. Found in processed foods.
Lactose (saccharum lactin, D-lactose) – milk sugar used as a culture medium in processed foods.
Lactic acid – acid formed by bacteria acting on lactose (milk sugar). Used in pickles, olives, sauerkraut, candy, frozen desserts, and fruit preserves
Tallow – solid fat of sheep and cattle separated from the membranous tissues. Used in margarine.
Oleic acid (oleinic acid) – animal tallow. Used in synthetic butter, vegetable fats and oils, candy, beverages, condiments.
Stearic acid (octadecanoic acid) – tallow or other animals fats and oils. Used in vanilla flavoring, baked goods, beverages, candy.
Lactylic stearate – salt of stearic acid. Used as a conditioner in bread dough.
Lecithin – phospholipids (phosphorylated fats) from animal tissues, plants, and egg yolks. Used in breakfast cereal, candy, chocolate, baked goods, margarine, vegetable oil sprays.
Lutein – deep yellow coloring from marigolds or egg yolks. Used as a commercial food coloring.
Suet – hard white fat around kidneys and loin of animals. Used in margarine and pastries.
Vitamin A (A1, retinol) – vitamin obtained from vegetables, egg yolks, or fish liver oil. Used in vitamin supplements and fortification of foods.
Vitamin B12 – vitamin produced by microorganisms and found in all animal products; synthetic form (cyanocobalamin or cobalamin on labels) is vegan. Used in supplements and fortified foods.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – from fish liver oils or lanolin. Used in supplements and fortified foods.
Whey – watery liquid that separates from the solids in cheese-making. Used in crackers, breads, boxed cereals, granola, cakes, and processed foods.
You may have noticed that some of ingredients on this list can come from either animal or plant sources. While the label won’t tell you the source of the ingredients in a product, you can always contact the company that makes the product to find out if any particular ingredients are animal or plant based. Then you can decide if it’s something you want to eat.
Resources
Carmine – red food coloring made from ground up cochineal beetles. Used in fruit drinks, sauces, bottled cherries, colored pasta, and frozen pops.
Casein – milk protein. Used as a binding agent in bread, processed cereals, instant soups, instant potatoes, margarine, salad dressings, sweets, and cake mixes. Found in some soy cheeses. Also in some medication. Can be in products labeled “lactose-free”.
Gelatin – made from collagen (protein) from by-products of the slaughterhouse, including animal skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, hooves, claws, and fish skins. Used in gel caps, yogurt, cereals, marshmallows, some candies, and as a colorless, flavorless thickening agent to set molded salads and desserts.
Isinglass – from air bladders of freshwater fish (Beluga sturgeon). Used to clarify some wine and beer. Also used in some jellied desserts. Vegan wines use carbon, limestone, silica gel, etc instead.
Albumin – protein in egg whites. Found in processed foods.
Glucose – from animal tissues and fluids (also can come from fruits). Found in baked goods, soft drinks, candies, frosting.
Glycerides (monoglycerides, diglycerides, and tryglycerides) – glycerol is from animal fats or plants. Found in processed foods.
Lactose (saccharum lactin, D-lactose) – milk sugar used as a culture medium in processed foods.
Lactic acid – acid formed by bacteria acting on lactose (milk sugar). Used in pickles, olives, sauerkraut, candy, frozen desserts, and fruit preserves
Tallow – solid fat of sheep and cattle separated from the membranous tissues. Used in margarine.
Oleic acid (oleinic acid) – animal tallow. Used in synthetic butter, vegetable fats and oils, candy, beverages, condiments.
Stearic acid (octadecanoic acid) – tallow or other animals fats and oils. Used in vanilla flavoring, baked goods, beverages, candy.
Lactylic stearate – salt of stearic acid. Used as a conditioner in bread dough.
Lecithin – phospholipids (phosphorylated fats) from animal tissues, plants, and egg yolks. Used in breakfast cereal, candy, chocolate, baked goods, margarine, vegetable oil sprays.
Lutein – deep yellow coloring from marigolds or egg yolks. Used as a commercial food coloring.
Suet – hard white fat around kidneys and loin of animals. Used in margarine and pastries.
Vitamin A (A1, retinol) – vitamin obtained from vegetables, egg yolks, or fish liver oil. Used in vitamin supplements and fortification of foods.
Vitamin B12 – vitamin produced by microorganisms and found in all animal products; synthetic form (cyanocobalamin or cobalamin on labels) is vegan. Used in supplements and fortified foods.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – from fish liver oils or lanolin. Used in supplements and fortified foods.
Whey – watery liquid that separates from the solids in cheese-making. Used in crackers, breads, boxed cereals, granola, cakes, and processed foods.
You may have noticed that some of ingredients on this list can come from either animal or plant sources. While the label won’t tell you the source of the ingredients in a product, you can always contact the company that makes the product to find out if any particular ingredients are animal or plant based. Then you can decide if it’s something you want to eat.
Resources
- Mickey Z., Planet Green, 7 common hidden animal-derived ingredients to avoid; recipes.howstuffoworks.com
- For Dummies, www.dummies.com
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