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Vegan food has changed dramatically since 2011 when it began to gain national attention as an alternate food diet. While it did not seem feasible at first, surprisingly, many people went 2-3 years without eating any animal products and the talks of the first vegan baby began around 2018. Since then, more food manufacturers are documenting their ingredients and source and asking questions about food preferences and more importantly nutrition. There are still not too many doctors that specialize in vegan diets.
While nutrition data is traditionally important in various diets, its often a low priority item in vegan diets. Eating mostly fruits, veggies, grains, and plant based proteins is inherently healthy, many vegans choose to drink water as a primary beverage, they tend to do light to moderate exercise, and avoid sugars or overly salty snacks. The high priority item is normally ingredient list and source, many value sustainability.
Continuing from the last post, some vegan food products are presented for examination. There will also be a revisit of some of the originally posted items for cognitive reasons and to maintain focus.
Nongshim Shin Green Mushroom & Fried Tofu - this is vegan but the mushrooms would be a concern to some vegans because of the way the mushroom nourishes itself. A better alternative would be green onion and fried tofu and there is a suggestion for the light air dried noodle soup to be vegan by default, just plain noodle and vegetable broth. Spices are also generally vegan, this brand carries the circle v.
Goody Girl Double Stuffed Chocolate Cream Sandwich Cookie - Will do a 25 ingredient breakdown later in the post. The internet says yes, no, maybe and their website gives a hint that may possibly be sarcasm. We'll decide after the breakdown. It may be necessary to email the manufacturer or to think about source.
Back to Nature Double Classic Creme Sandwich Cookies - these are specifically labeled plant based. Although the word plant based is missing from some of the packages.
Cybele's Gluten Free and Vegan, Free to Eat Chocolate Chip Soft Baked Superb Cookies (Cybele's Chocolates Chip Soft Baked Cookies). This are free of 9 allergens, does not contain eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, treenuts, fish, shellfish, dairy, or sesame. Also has other flavors such as Confetti, Snickerdoodle, and oatmeal raisin. Has approximately 35 ingredients including Cream of Tartar and Egg Replacer. Includes Calcium Lactate. Good case study in ingredient names, intent, and market.
BetterGoods Plant Based IceCream - this is the best ice cream so far. Tried it on a whim, liked what they've done so far. Best variety, they went with Oatmilk and Sorbet.
Baby Ray's Barbeque Sauce - has over 12 vegan sauces including original, sweet & spicy, hickory bbq and Hawaiian. The Sweet Golden Mustard is Vegan. None of the honey sauces are vegan and the maple barbeque sauce has honey in it. Interestingly, the honey mustard sauce also has egg, but no honey.
Nissin Soups - Chili or Soy Sauce only.
Tostitos - Hint of Lime
Coke and Dr. Pepper
Strict vegan brands often have a low volume that has more to do with real estate than interest. These should be used for fillers, favorite snacks, and for sampling different recipes. It will be very expensive and inconvenient to use this as a primary source of food for most vegans. Many make seasonal items or vegan editions of name brand items. They may not always be in stock at all times. For new vegans, the produce section is a better choice than vegan packaged food, this will help you get used to the flavors and differences in nutrients. Also try drinking more water than you normally would when switching over. It does not have to be excessive, just a little more than normal. Plants contain lots of water cells and eventually, water consumption can be reduced. Initially, a balance will want to be achieved while transitioning.
Nearly all food products will have some form of cross contamination or trace amounts of animal byproduct due to nature and reasons of Earth science. The amount of animal byproducts is being reduced yearly and when the volume is sufficient many food manufacturers use dedicated vegan food facilities anyways. However, they do not advertise this because if the volume drops below a certain level, they may need to combine food operations. When possible they attempt to keep the facility separate based on source, origin, and retail location as much as possible. Overall, particle isolation is important in manufacturing facilities.
note that ingredients may vary by region
| Ingredient | Vegan ? Y/N | Concerns | Plant based | Animal Based | Synthetic ? Y/N |
| Sugar Palm Oil | 100% Plant Based | ||||
| Rice Flour | Inherently Vegan | ||||
| Oat Flour | Entirely Vegan | ||||
| Tapioca Starch | Cassava Root, Vegan | Anti-Caking Agents | Mineral based | Stearates - Animal Fats | |
| Water | Animal Byproducts | ||||
| Contains less than 2% of the following | |||||
| High Oleic Sunflower Oil | Yes | Sunflower Seeds | |||
| Corn Starch | Most Likely Yes | Modified Corn Starch | Refining or bleaching with bone char, not common. Cross contamination, additives. | ||
| Cocoa Processed with Alkali | |||||
| Cocoa | Inherently, Yes | milk powder, emulsifiers, sugar, sweeteners | |||
| Akali | Most Likely yes | Electric/Ph Balance Process | |||
| Invert Sugar | Must Check Source | bone char | |||
| Soy Lecithin | Yes | Soybeans | |||
| Ingredient | Vegan ? Y/N | Concerns | Plant based | Animal Based | Synthetic ? Y/N |
| Xantham Gum | Usually | Sugar derived from lactose or processed with bone char, rare | |||
| Inulin | Naturally, Yes | Chicory root, garlic or artichokes | |||
| Baking Soda | Yes | Mineral Based | Arm & Hammer tests on animals. | No, naturally occurring compound NaHCO3 | |
| Propylene Glycol | Yes | Verify Source | Propylene Oxide reacted with water or plant derived glycerol or sugars, fermented or catalytic converted | rare, theoretically can be made from animal fat, not common in commercial production | Yes |
| Salt | Yes | Mineral | |||
| Natural Flavors | No - Check Source | Can include milk or eggs | |||
| Glycerin | No - Check Source | Can be plant based, Soybean, Coconut, Palm | Can be Tallow, Cow or Mutton Fat | Yes | |
| Ascorbic Acid Preservative | |||||
| Ingredient | Vegan ? Y/N | Concerns | Plant based | Animal Based | Synthetic ? Y/N |
| Ascorbic Acid | Mostly Yes | Vitamin C from Corn or Potatoes, also strawberries, kiwi, bell pepper, broccoli, or oranges | Gummies, Gelcaps, Tablets made with Stearate, Sugar | Possibly | |
| Preservative | Mostly Yes | sorbates, benzoates, sulfites, nitrates | Yes | ||
| Preservatives | Mostly Yes | Garlic, Vinegar, Lemon Juice | No | ||
| Canola Oil | Yes | Farming Practices | seeds of Brassica napus | Possibly | |
| Ethyl Alcohol | Most Likely Yes | Yeast, microorganisms | Fermentation of plant sugars such as corn, sugarcane or grapes | Beverages with Ethyl Alcohol may contain gelatin, egg whites, milk, or honey | Yes |
| Ammonium Bicarbonate | Yes | produced synthetically, decomposes to ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water | calcium, carbon, ammonium, sulfate | Yes NH4HCO3 | |
| Notes from Examining Product Labels | |||||
Our findings indicate that the product has a high probability of being vegan but that package design, also indicates that the product may have been confused with Back to Nature Double Classic. The manufacturer also indicates a vegan recipe, https://goodiegirl.com/blogs/news/gluten-free-and-vegan-birthday-cake-blondies. Inherently, it does not appear to be sarcastic. It appears to be a hint or surprise.
There are two questions we have. What is in the natural flavors? Is the Glycerin plant based? Asking about the Ethyl Alcohol is rude, its a food manufacturer, why would they use a beverage in their mix? Everything else seems vegan with the exception of the invert sugar. That is a conundrum for many vegans but a choice that is becoming easier to make.
The Letter or email
Dear Goodie Girl,
Thank you for putting your cookies on the market and for the delicious vegan cookie recipe on your blog. I had a question about some of the ingredients, are the natural flavors and glycerin plant based or vegan? Is the invert sugar processed with bone char? Thank you for your time and for reading this email.
Sincerely,
Food Researcher or Consumer
In a product that is not clearly identified as vegan, there is a high indicator that the item is mostly vegan with the exception of 3 ingredients that have been inquired about with the manufacturer. The package does not list milk or eggs as an ingredient which would a question about the filling in the cookies. The list of ingredients that were researched can now be used to screen other items and over time, we will remember a list of items that may not be plant based or are definitely not plant based. New ingredients we encounter will be researched using similar methodologies to the research used to examine this product.
Insights
List of plant based glycerin items was obtained. Synthetic food items were further examined, meaning not naturally occurring. Preservatives are going towards mostly vegan and additives are something to look for in corn meal. Stearate is something to ask about with doctors and at the pharmacy if taking pills. Farming practices and animal testing are still a concern with some brands, to be examined. Minerals and synthetics are generally considered vegan if they are not derived from animal products. Potassium Sorbate is one of the most common vegan food preservative, canola oil contains omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid and monosaturated fats which supports heart and cognitive health. Tapioca is made of cassava root and there are many make at home recipes for vegans looking at alternatives for popular food brands.
Sugar in the Raw, Zulka, and Brown Sugar are generally vegan. Brown sugar contains molasses to give the sugar its taste and color. Most sugars are made from sugar cane or sugar beets and those labeled as vegan or USDA organic will not contain bone char. When in doubt, it is possible to email the manufacturer. They expect one email from a group such as a student from a school system or a blogger that is part of a blog network. Vegan alternatives include coconut sugar, muscovado sugar, and coconut-molasses blend (make at home). There are enough vegan sugars to avoid the list of bone char refined sugars.
Having a varied and healthy diet is as much a consideration as farming ethics and animal cruelty. While shopping for vegan clothing or hygiene products might be a little bit easier, shopping for vegan foods should balance the considerations between health, tastes, choice, and sustainability. Ethics will play a choice on which brands are giving the opportunity to improve their business practices and which ones are determined to have business practices better suited for different markets.
Ultimately, most brands are going vegan and sustainable and have issued statements about difficulties in their product processes or consumer markets when making a transition, or deciding not to. It is up to the person to research and ask questions when selecting products that work well for them and the lifestyle they have selected.