How vegan is vegan enough?
I was fascinated by this article about the hidden non-vegan ingredients in some foods. Who knew bread was such a danger?
[…] last week Britain’s leading organic baker, Andrew Whitely, wrote to me to warn of what he calls of “baking’s big secret” – the use of enzymes. Andrew describes the use of these enzymes as secret because they do not appear on the label. Industrial bakers use a loophole to classify them as “processing aids”. The problem for a vegan like me – or for that matter for Jews, Muslims and vegetarians – is that some of these enzymes are manufactured from animals, including pigs.
I am a label-reader, and I usually won’t ingest anything that I know contains something non-vegetarian. But I also don’t often go far out of my way to make sure something is really, really vegetarian. If I don’t know it’s there, and I can’t taste it, then fine. How far would you (or do you) go to avoid non-vegetarian or non-vegan foods in your diet?
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POSTED IN: Becoming Vegetarian, Tales From the Veg Side
2 opinions for How vegan is vegan enough?
Lieke
Feb 7, 2007 at 11:19 am
In the UK, most breads will say whether they are vegetarian - thereby acknowledging the use of any animal by-products in the production process.
Jul
Feb 7, 2007 at 12:10 pm
That’s great! I have a feeling that my local baker would look at me like I were crazy if I asked about whether the bread was vegetarian. But the next time I’m in there and there isn’t a giant crowd waiting in line behind me, I might try asking about it. First I need to figure out how to say “animal byproducts” in German…
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