What specifically is in imitaion bacon bits, aside from the sodium? Isn't pork in some way an ingredient?

Question

What's the sense in flavoring my veggies/tofu with "meat" flavoring if : #1) that flavor is a derivative of the actual ingredient, and #2) one is opposed to eating meat because of the cruelty to the animal factor; would ya want to be reminded of the slaughter as you chew?

Answer 1

Besides salt the other major flavoring ingredient in the veggie safe bits (like Fakon) is yeast. Several strains of Torula yeast are commonly available to food manufacturers and have a meat-like smokey taste. I don't eat things that don't confirm a veggie safe source of flavorings and I don't associate Fakon with slaughter! I *do* however like the smokey crunch factor they add to my salads, sandwiches and other foods I use them on.

Answer 2

According to wikipedia, they're either small pieces of bacon, or flavored bits of flour (and the flavoring isn't always from pork, or other meat. There are vegan brands of bacon bits, believe it or not), depending on what brand you get.

The point is that some people actually like the flavor of meat, but make the choice not to eat it because they oppose the conditions imposed on animals that are raised in cruel environments. It's not like when you eat a veggie burger you have scenes of the slaughterhouse flashing through your mind, unless you're an uptight psycho, you're just eating, a simple act most of us engage in several times a day and that doesn't automatically lend itself to philosophical thought, any more than the act of taking a crap lends itself to visions of just where your waste is ending up when you flush and what part of the environment it may be contaminating.

I'll agree that using bacon bits actually made of bacon would defeat the purpose of eating a vegetarian meal.

Answer 3

Bacos brand imitation bacon bits are vegetarian. It's even included in PETA's list of everyday things that vegetarians (or maybe vegans?? I'm not sure) can eat.

The flavoring is not derived from an animal or it wouldn't be vegetarian. It clearly states "artificial flavors from non-animal sources".

As for why you'd want to have meat "flavor"... that's just a personal choice (comparable to why people drink diet pop or decaf coffee). Some people enjoy the flavor of meat, but go vegetarian because they dont' want to kill animals or for health reasons. If you can get the flavor without the guilt, why not?

Answer 4

Do you want an answer, or are those rhetorical? I think it's so the big doesn't slaughter the man with a massive heart attack :).

Answer 5

They are made of soy.