Tricky Vegan Foods

[aNiMaLsAmArItAn]

For the first post on this thread, I ask if white sugar has any animal by products. So, does it?

[ArtisticRainey]

A lot of the time sugar is refined into white sugar by using bone char (animal charcoal). While there isn't any actually in the sugar, animal products are used to refine it.

[Justin]

Originally Posted by ArtisticRainey

A lot of the time sugar is refined into white sugar by using bone char (animal charcoal). While there isn't any actually in the sugar, animal products are used to refine it.

It's shocking! I heard that brown sugar nowadays are made back from white sugar. Maybe then there is no vegan sugar?

[ArtisticRainey]

You can get vegan sugar in specialty shops, though it's usually brown. I mostly drink 'coffee' (made from dandelions!) so that suits me. I guess you'd just have to be very careful and check the labels more closely.

[thalestral]

If sugar is unrefined then it is vegan. I'm not sure what it is like in other countries, but it's very easy to get unrefined sugar in any shop here in the UK. Better for baking too

[aNiMaLsAmArItAn]

Many of you probably know this already, but I just wanted to remind you all that Eggo Waffles have whey powder in them, which is NOT vegan.

[Alusdra]

As another interesting tidbit- traditionally made maple syrup is also not vegan (animal fat is used to keep the syrup from boiling over when they are condensing it). Some use this synthetic veggie oil, instead.

[ArtisticRainey]

Quorn products also for the most part have eggs in them, or at least egg whites. They don't market themselves as vegan, just vegetarian, but just so people know. I didn't realise for quite some time.

[Weatherlight]

Ask Carla

And yes, brown sugar is white sugar plus molasses.

Reading labels is a good thing. At least look for the most common, significant ingredients. Many "vegetarian" items are not vegan. Quorn is entirely non-vegan, I think. Lightlife, Gardenburger, Yves, Boca, Morningstar, etc have some non-vegan products.

Alusdra, I never heard of that before, thanks for posting. Eesh, animal products for defoaming -_- I'll ask companies before I buy more.

[StrawberryField]

Originally Posted by Alusdra

As another interesting tidbit- traditionally made maple syrup is also not vegan (animal fat is used to keep the syrup from boiling over when they are condensing it). Some use this synthetic veggie oil, instead.

I have to also thank you for that post. That's definitely one that I haven't heard. Although I hardly eat maple syrup, I know some vegans that do.