Calling all vegetarians!?

Question

Are you a vegetarian? If so, how strict are you? Do you check every food to see what E numbers are in it, or as long as you can see nothing obviously meaty do you give it a go? What do you do if there is no vegetarian symbol on the box?

Answer 1

Thanks to a few bad experiences when I was first vegan (I had a pure fruit bar which had milk protein in it! How is milk a fruit?!?), I am extremely thorough when shopping and have been since the age of fifteen.

Whenever I'm out shopping I carry with me "Animal Free Shopper", which lists all products suitable for vegans available in the UK. I have learnt to find things very quickly. If it's not there (and not labelled vegan), I don't buy it, simple as.

If I'm looking through fruits I'll check to see if they appear unnaturally shiny - if so I'll avoid them in case shellac (insect secretion) has been used as a glazing. There are quite a few pure apple juices I've avoided in case they contain shellac.

Even if a food appears to be completely vegan, the appearance of the word "flavourings" in the ingredients list without listing what they are automatically makes me put down the item - I can't tell if it's vegan if the ingredients aren't listed!

The "Animal Free Shopper" lists e-numbers as well, so if a product lists all of the flavourings / preservatives etc, I'll look through all of the e-numbers. If then it's a "could be vegan, could be animal derrived" scenario, I still won't even think of getting it.

It's not just food. Last year I saw a coat I really liked which the shop had labelled as fake suede, but the coat did not say what material it was made of - I didn't get it even though it was the middle of winter and I didn't have a coat, just in case the shop labelling was wrong (I always have to confirm this stuff).

My only let down has been with shoes, as I'll buy them only if the materials are vegan, but in mainstream shops it's a pretty safe bet the glues used were animal based.

I feel utterly repulsed if animals were used at any point in the production of something I use (a toothpaste I used to use was made by animal-testers GSK, and I hated it so much that I would spend ages making sure I had brushed and rinsed it out of my mouth) - indeed I find it somewhat distressing, and as a result I am very careful about what I use / buy.

Answer 2

I'm a vegetarian, although for me it has always been a taste thing. When I was a munchkin my dad always wanted steak, or lamb chops or sausages or something like that.

The smell used to drive me nuts, I hated it so much.

It was easy to give up red meat, it was all about being grown up enough to say no. Fish and eggs I never could stomach and poultry was only ever a Christmas thing for me anyhow, so that followed a couple of years later.

It's funny though, even though it's a taste thing, stay away from meat long enough and eventually just the thought that there might be some beef stock in there somewhere will make me feel a bit woozy.

That said, I know there is egg in that slice of bread, and the cheese on my pizza is probably not made with a veggie rennet, but sometimes you just have to close your eyes and think of England. Otherwise you'll starve.

So my rule is, I try to avoid it, I'll do all I can to check before I try anything, but if I can't taste it, and I'm not 100% sure I will sometimes give a dish the benefit of the doubt.

Answer 3

yes, I'm very strict now. i always have to check if there is any gelatin in or whatever. The veggie symbol is often used only on foods that people would see as potentially not being, but not having it there doesn't mean it's not. Look at the ingredients. If there is no gelatin or meat extract flavourings you're fine. depending on how strict you choose to be depends on you yourself. me, I don't even like my food be cooked on the same tray as meat, or under in case the juices drip onto it. I also hate eating at a restaurant or anything cos you never know if they are using different utensils for the separate foods. Subway is awesome though, cos they ask you and they will make sure they don't touch the meat at all. Lol, I'm a bit eccentric with it though lol

Answer 4

Of course vegetarians check the ingredients.

You cannot say you are a veggie if you don't, it would just be guesswork.

There is no such thing as a "strict vegetarian", you are either a vegetarian, or not.

If there is no veggie label, and i dont recognise all the contents as being veggie-safe, i leave the product, as would all vegetarians.

The definition is someone who does not eat meat, fish, poultry or slaughter by-products.

It doesn't make any allowances for not checking labels if you don't want to .

These sites may help:

General "where does this come from list"
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm

EU list of e numbers:
http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/additive.htm#3

Veggie soc list of Es
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/enumbers.html

These Es are claimed to be harmful:
http://www.earthways.co.uk/enumbers.html

A list of non-veggie e numbers:
http://www.veggieglobal.com/nutrition/non-vegetarian-food-additives.htm

Someone above said checking the enumbers wasn't a priority to them. If you are veggie, it would be. If an e number is made from a dead cow, its still dead, wether its a priority to you or not.

If you eat an e-number made from a dead animal, its the same as eating the dead animal - you have contributed to killing it.

If someone does not eat meat because they don't ike the taste and don't care about e-numbers, then they are not a vegetarian and would do well to not be so disrespectful to those of use that are.

Its not just my opinion. Its about the definition, commitment and integrity.

It can be tough and take a few minutes more, but thats being a veggie. Its no hardship if you have commitment to your belief and are honest with yourself.

and finally, "and the cheese on my pizza is probably not made with a veggie rennet, but sometimes you just have to close your eyes and think of England"....NO you don't you just have to say no thasnk, i'm veggie.....

life is so simple people, there is no need to make it confusing for yourself.

Answer 5

I check to make sure theres no gelatin in foods that I eat, I never new about E numbers until just now. Unlike England (or the UK for that matter) we sadly don't have the "Vegetarian friendly" symbol on our foods...so it's kind of tougher to make sure I'm not eating something with animal by-products. If I do know that there is then I'll avoid it at all costs.

Answer 6

You can get a list of vegetarian E numbers from the vegetarian society website, or just put 'e numbers' in Google.
I tend to look for vegetarian signs on prepared food, though I don't buy if it includes egg, but doesn't state free range. Lot's of vegetarian foods contain eggs from birds in cages.
If I buy free range eggs, and I don't see the hens (ie in supermarket) I also look for RSPCA monitored sign, which has stricter rules than the minimum freerange conditions.
I choose vegetarian cheese if I see it.
I have assumed things were vegetarian, such as smarties, when I discovered which Smarties were coloured using Cochineal beetles I separated those Smarties. Now three colours are coloured using cochineal, I no longer buy them. I think Nestle should state when their products are vegetarian (they do not do so), or state which items are not suitable for vegetarians.
E-120 is the Cochineal beetle.
I assume all vegetables, and fruit I buy are vegetarian.
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/enumbers.html

Answer 7

I'm the mum of a 16 year old veggie, she turned veggie at 7.
She's very strict and so my shopping trips take longer as I have to check the ingredients on everything.
Things like E471 which can be either veggie or non-veggie are an example of what I have to look for, also Lecithin (good if it's soya, bad if it isn't) and gelatine.
If there's no "V" on the box, then I don't buy it unless she's with me and has given the ingredients list a good check!

Answer 8

I'm lacto-ovo vegetarian and I DO check every label. I've never seen an "E number"... but I avoid anything with gelatin, chicken fat, broth, etc. Very few of the items in our grocery stores are labeled as vegetarian... sure would make it simpler! I'm sure I'll continue to find out new things that I've been thinking were veg, that actually aren't (like my yogurt, dammit!!) and I'll discontinue them as I find that out. :(

It takes a little more time to read labels, but I've learned to "quick scan" the label. The animal-related words tend to jump out at me, so it doesn't take that much longer.

Answer 9

I am pretty strict. I check my food, but I mostly know if the food is gonna have meat in it or not. I basically try to eat the same things but once a week.

Answer 10

i don't check the E numbers but i don't eat anything with things like beef gelatine in etc, although i know some one who is a vegetarian but still eats things like harribo. I also do but things with the vegetarian label on them if it's a food company that does that, they don't all show it.