12 ingredients vegans should avoid

By Gloria Stovall

Before I became a vegan, shopping was effortless and swift as I was not obsessed with reading product/food labels multiple times before making a purchase, but after making the commitment to the vegan lifestyle, I invest as much time as needed to thoroughly read labels to guarantee I am not buying products with ingredients derived from animals.  This is not as trouble-free as one would think as there are ingredients that appear to be vegan but are not; and to make things even more complicated, there are products labeled “plant-based”, but still contain additives and ingredients derived from animals, so vegans must be extremely careful when reading labels and making sure they are truly vegan and not just plant-based.  For example, Beyond Meat, is a popular plant-based meat that is 100% vegan, but there are products on the market containing Beyond Meat in addition to eggs and dairy, which are listed in the ingredients, thankfully.  I can recall a time I was in the grocery store and so excited to see in the plant-based isle a breakfast sandwich made with Beyond Meat, but the excitement quickly vanished once I read the label, “contains eggs.”  Yes… it is true, Beyond Meat itself is vegan, but that does not guarantee every company using Beyond Meat in their products are not adding ingredients derived from animals, including but not limited to eggs and dairy.  

The bottom line is, it is crucial to thoroughly read the labels of every product you are buying, whether you are vegan, or not, as there are harmful ingredients the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows companies to add to their products.  The following is a list of ingredients/additives vegans should avoid at all costs as they contain animal cells, but are usually masked, hidden, or not well known.   

1. Isinglass:  Do you drink alcohol?  If so, you should know isinglass is a gelatin-like substance made from fish bladders and is commonly used in the making of alcohol including beer and wine. 
2. Natural flavorings:  Be careful about products containing natural flavorings as most of the ingredients in natural flavorings are animal-based! A popular natural flavoring, castoreum, which is usually labeled as “natural flavor,” comes from the secretions of beavers’ anal scent glands. 
3. Gelatin:  Gelatin is derived from the skin, bones and connective tissues of pigs and cows. Many vitamin supplements contain gelatin, so be sure to always buy certified vegan vitamin supplements to guarantee you will not be consuming animal cells. 
4. Carmine/Cochineal: Ground cochineal scale insects are used to make carmine, which is a natural dye used to give the red color to numerous food products.  
5. Shellac: Shellac is a waxy substance secreted by the female lac insect and is used to make food glaze for candy and used as a wax coating for produce.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids:  The majority of products containing omega-3 fatty acids are not vegan as most omega-3s are derived from fish.  The good news is vegans can get the omega 3s from algae as a vegan alternative. 
7. Vitamin D3:  Did you know that the majority of vitamin D3 is derived from the lanolin in sheep’s wool and fish oil?  As an alternative, vegans can vitamin D3 and D2 from lichen. 
8. Casein:  Casein is a protein found in dairy milk and used in high-protein foods to produce the required texture and nutritional fortification.  Surprisingly, beer brewing and winemaking often includes the use of casein and is also used in paper coatings, glues, paints, plastic, and man-made fibers. 
9. L-cysteine:  L-cysteine is an amino acid derived from poultry feathers and often used in bagels, breads, and bakery products. 
10. Olive tapenade:  Numerous varieties of olive tapenade contain anchovies. 
11. Non-dairy creamer:  This may shock you, but many “non-dairy” creamers contain casein, which is a protein derived from milk.  
12. Refined Sugar:  Did you know that manufacturers often lighten sugar with bone char or natural carbon, which is made from cattle bones. 

I cannot stress how vital it is for vegans to read the labels of the products before purchasing as there are additives and ingredients derived from animals in plant-based foods and plants.  As mentioned above, produce often contains shellac, which is a waxy substance secreted by the female lac insect and grocers love using this to make their produce appear shiny, fresh, and appetizing.  The next time you are at your grocery store in the produce section, ask them what substance they use on their produce to make it look so shiny.   The most effortless way to determine if a product is vegan is looking for labels that clearly state ‘suitable for vegans’ or the ‘certified Vegan’ logo.   

I pray you are well, thriving and having a fantastic summer.  I truly appreciate you and thank you for following my blog and always welcome your comments and suggestions.  I can honestly say going vegan 14 years ago has been one of the greatest decisions I have ever made, and I have never regretted it.  Please know I am here for you if you have any questions about the vegan lifestyle or need prayer and encouragement. Thank you again for stopping by and I wish you a blessed week!