Many animal-derived ingredients lurk in products that seem to be made for vegetarians and vegans. These are anchovies in Worcestershire sauce, and milk in milk chocolate. Gelatin and lard can be found in marshmallows, cookies, crackers, chips, candies, and cakes.
Vegetarians who eat cheese should be aware that most cheeses are made with pepsin, which coagulates enzymes from the stomachs of slaughtered cows. An alternative to dairy can be soy cheese, which does not contain animal by-products. But most soy cheeses are made with casein, which comes from cow’s milk.
Vegans should be aware that many foods labeled as vegetarian contain egg and dairy ingredients. While avoiding foods that contain butter, eggs, honey, and milk, vegans should be aware of the presence of casein, albumin, whey, and lactose.
Fortunately, virtually every animal ingredient has a plant-based alternative. There are desserts and puddings, based on agar and carrageenan instead of gelatin.
The best advice on how not to unwittingly buy products with animal ingredients is to read the labels. Generally, the more processed a food is, the more likely it is to contain animal products. Tip – eat more fresh food, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and make your own salad dressings. Not only will this help you avoid animal products, but it will also make your food taste better.
Below is a list of hidden animal ingredients and the foods they are found in.
Used to thicken and bind pastries, soups, cereals, puddings. Albumin is a protein found in eggs, milk, and blood.
Red food coloring, which is made from ground beetles, is used to color juices, baked goods, candies, and other processed foods.
Protein derived from animal milk is used to make sour cream and cheese. It is also added to non-dairy cheeses to improve texture.
Produced by boiling the bones, skin and other parts of a cow. Used to make desserts, marshmallows, sweets and puddings.
The so-called milk sugar is produced from cow’s milk and is found in baked goods and processed foods.
Pig fat, which is part of crackers, pies and pastries.
Derived from milk, often found in crackers and bread.