Vegetarian Foods?

Question

If a product doesn't state that it's suitable for vegetarians (or doesn't have the big 'V' on it) does that mean it isn't? I live in the UK by the way, if this helps. Thanks :)

NB: I've checked the ingredients and there's nothing on there that would suggest it contains any hidden animal products, so you would assume it's okay, but I know some of the other ready meals they do actually say 'suitable for vegetarians' so that's why I was kinda stumped. (Remind me never to send my boyfriend shopping again!) I had no idea companies had to pay for the V logo, so perhaps that's something to do with it - it's been awhile since I've bought ready meals other than Quorn. Thank you to everyone who answered, you've been a massive help :)

Vegon: Apparently some white sugar is unsuitable as during the refining process it's filtered through bone char, although this is a somewhat uncommon process here in the UK. Hope this helps :)

Answer 1

Thats a tricky one. I generally steer clear of anything not marked. Gelatine, animal fat and cheese with retin turn up in the oddest of places. Yogurts, cakes, pies, ice cream, even orange squash...

I find that most UK brands are very good at marking what is veggie, so if they haven't marked something it's a fairly safe bet that it's not.

Imported foods sometimes state whether it is or isn't, but there isn't always a V. For example, one of my favoruite things ever- Ristorante pizzas- the mozzarella ones are veggie, but it only says "Suitable for vegetarians" in tiny writing under the ingredients.

Answer 2

The Vegetarian Society's seedling symbol is the most trustworthy standard to go by, but as Michael H says, not all manufacturers want to use that as they have to pay to use it.

I would say I place 99% trust in the major supermarkets & manufacturers, but I always check the ingredients of any new product, and often check for those products I use regularly (just in case).

What I would like to see is a symbol to denote that the product is definitely NOT suitable for vegetarians. (Any suggestions?) The other day, I picked up a bag of Walkers Sensations Crisps Wild Mushroom flavour (I'm a fungi-holic!), couldn't see a V so checked the ingredients. Can't remember what the exact ingredient was now, but it said "derived from animal sources". That's a bit of a grey area, as it could have been milk or cheese, but it could also have been dried whey which had used calf rennet in the production. I've asked Walkers why I can buy Roast Chicken or Smokey Bacon flavours, but not Wild Mushroom!

Answer 3

No, an item can be totally vegetarian (or even vegan) without billing itself as such. I wish all vegetarian items DID have a V, etc to show that they were veggie... but unfortunately, the only way to know for sure (in absense of such a mark) is to read the label. I assume the UK has similar laws as the US where foods must have ingredient lists. Just browse the ingredient list looking for the words "chicken, beef, pork, fat, broth", or anything else that would be used to describe an animal-derived ingredient. It takes a little longer to shop... but once you get used to it... you'll be able to speed-read right through that label. :)

BTW... www.peta.com has a spot on their site that shows some national-brand products that most people have in their cabinets, which are actually vegan.

Answer 4

Good question.

If it doesn't say, you can't be sure either way.

The seedling symbol, from the veggie society, costs money, about £250 per product, to sign up for, and they have extra criteria such as non GMO products etc. Thats why some manufacturers use thier own symbols.

Its perfectly possible for a food to be veggie and not meet the veggie society standards, because of thier GMO requirements.

If a food doesn't say its suitable for veggies then you have to make your own choice. However you need to be sure you understand the sources of each food ingredients, and the process used to refine them - almost impossble from standing by the supermarket shelf. and its not an answer a supermarket or manufactuurer will give you as they will reserve the right to change the way they do things.

The V symbol is a commitment that they are veggie with that version of thier product. it doesn't mean that the next batch will be veggie. You get into a habit of turning over each item you buy from a supermarket, it only takes seconds as you remember where to look.

Don't assume, for example, that tinned veggies are veggie. an example being that tinned carrots generally have dead beatles in them to colour the carrots.

Many processed, or even just cleaned and tinned, foods are not veggie. White sugar is another example food that you would think was veggie, but isn't.

EDIT: Adding to your sugar comment. 95% of UK sugar is not veggie. I'm a bit confused by Vegons statement now. I hope I'm wrong but we had quite a clear letter from T&L last year about this. Anyway, i guess i'll write to them again. I was told they use bones and shellfish in the process.
EDIT2: I've just found this:
....25% of all white sugar is refined using the animal bone-char process. Since this sugar is often sold under generic store-brand labels, it’s often impossible to know what you’re getting. Also, the process that turns sugar crystals from their original, lovely tan color to white is not only unnecessary, the bleaching process is quite polluting. Please note that supermarket brands of light or dark brown sugar are actually bleached white sugar with a little molasses added back.

I'm guessing that some manufacturures will think that using bones to process food is ok for veggies, as opposed to including it as an active ingredient. It would take a veggies mindset to realise that this is just plain nonsense.

MikaP (above ) is wrong. You don't get what it says on the tin, as with my 2 examples above. trace contents ( colourings ) and foods used during the refining process ( oyster shells, geletine, fish oils etc ) are not included on the tin abel.

The only safe way to ensure you eat veggie is to rely on the symbol, or cook from raw ( not tinned ) ingredients.

by the way, I recently wrote to Saisnburys about the reduction is V lavelled prodcuts. If you notice only 2 of thier juices are veggie, the cheapest and most expensive !. Anyway, thier reply said it was a concious decision to reduce the V marking as a cost cutting exercise. They did not confirm if this meant the products were no longer veggie or not. They just seemed happy to ignore the veggie £££

Its easy once you get used to it....and food tastes so much better.

Answer 5

Food manufacturers are not consistent so the labelling is a joke.

More often than not, foods that are not labeled suitable for vegetarians are not suitable. Even after checking the ingredients you may think they are suitable when in fact they are not. Always call customer services, make them aware that vegetarians are out there and want better labeling.

Oh, and the seemingly obvious are not always suitable either. Many supermarkets for example sell fruit that has been waxed, eg. apples. These are usually not suitable, also watch out for shellac, found even on hot cross buns.

Asda sells vegetable spring rolls, now guess who would usually buy veggie spring rolls, right vegetarians. But ASDA uses seafood inside the "vegetable" spring rolls.

Anything that has yellow, green, blue or red colouring in it is usually derived from an animal.

Alcohol doesn't need to state its ingredients, most wines and beers are not suitable.

Answer 6

Some Brands mark stuff with a leaf or their own logo if it is suitable for vegetarians. If in doubt check things out with the Vegetarian Society!!! Like everyone else has said if it is'nt marked treat it as a non vegetarian item! Tinned Veg is vile, yuk! like Michael H said - stay away from it!

Answer 7

I would assume not. Even the unlikeliest food can have meat products in (basically any product which has cheese in it but does not have the vegetarian logo should be treated as non-vegetarian). It's a bit of a pain but most stuff is labelled now, Cauldron ready meals are particularly nice!

Answer 8

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Have a lot of seeds left over after carving pumpkins? Use them up in this simple recipe. Make sweet and savory versions of this healthy treat and store them in an airtight container for a quick snack.

2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 qt. water
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance margarine, melted
1 tsp. cracked pepper

• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• Discard any cut seeds, then remove the stringy fibers from the remaining seeds.
• In a medium pot, combine the water and the salt. Bring to a boil.
• Add the seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and dry.
• Place in a bowl and combine with the melted Earth Balance and the pepper.
• Spread the seeds on a baking sheet. Stirring every 10 minutes, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Variation: For spicier seeds, add 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce, and 1 Tbsp. salt to the melted Earth Balance margarine.

Makes 2 cups

Answer 9

I always err on the side of caution. Read the ingredients carefully. If you still think something might be 'hidden' don't risk it. The V sign or the Soil Association marks are the best guidelines.

Answer 10

There's are some things you can safely assume don't contain animal products even without the label, but I always check.