Veg*n Unexpected Animal Encounters

Okay, so when I first became a vegetarian I thought that I just wouldn't eat beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc, etc. But after a while of becoming acquainted with all of the ingredients labels at the store, I'm really amazed at how much stuff has animal products in it. I mean, chewing gum? Gelatin? Alcohol? Juice? Some of the stuff is really unexpected! So, I'm really trying to be careful and censor what I eat and what goes into what I eat, but it's hard, especially when you're in a restaurant, you know? I've always loved gum, and it was horrible when I found out it was made with animal products. It's been one of the hardest things for me to give up. Anybody have any other quirky foods that have animal products that they want to share, so that other people will know about them? Or does anyone know certain brands of these weird foods that don't have animal products in them?

And secondly, since things like gum base and gelatin don't actually have physical meat in them, but are made with animal parts (bones and muscle for gelatin, for example), are they considered meat products? I avoid anything that has gelatin, gum, riboflavin, etc, in the ingredients list, but where is the line drawn? Do they "count" as meat? Are you a true vegetarian if you eat these things? How many of you eat Jell-O or pudding or chew gum? What do you guys all think? I'd like to hear your opinions.