Think of this vegetable soup, wineor even a pack of tortillas is automatically safe for your herbal Or vegan diet? You may want to take a closer look at the label.
It turns out that a shocking number of everyday foods that appear completely animal-free are secretly hiding animal byproducts. These sneaky ingredients can be in everything from your snacks to your drinks, and you’d probably never know it. We spoke with food and drink experts to get the real story behind 10 common foods that aren’t always as vegetarian-friendly as you think.
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Cheese
Real Parmigiano-Reggiano is not a vegetarian product, due to the use of rennet during production.
Fear-mongering headlines specifically like to denounce Parmigiano-Reggiano as a non-vegetarian cheese, but Parm is far from being the only culprit of cheese category that contains more than milk.
“Cheese is often not vegetarian due to the use of rennet, which helps milk coagulate and separate into curds and whey,” explained Emily Monaco, international cheese judge and journalist. “Traditionally, rennet comes from the stomach of a baby animal: calf, kid or lamb. Although similar, [plant-based] enzymes can be used for similar effects, many cheeses rely on animal-based rennet, particularly in France and throughout Europe.
Check your ingredient lists or ask your cheesemaker if you’re unsure. “Rennet” will almost always indicate animal rennet, but “vegetarian rennet,” “microbial rennet,” “thistle (cardon) rennet,” or another coagulant such as lemon juice, acid, or vinegar indicate a truly vegetarian cheese.
White or processed sugar
Some types of white sugar are produced from bone charcoal.
Yeah, even something as basic as sugar could have non-vegetarian aspects. “Some sugars are processed from bone charcoal, made from charred animal bones,” said Maricel Gentile, cooking instructor, chef and owner of Maricel’s Kitchen. “Bone charcoal whitens the sugar in the process.”
Fortunately, this doesn’t apply to all sugars, but some brands or sugar processing plants may use bone charcoal, which should rightly give some vegetarians pause. “Not all white sugar is processed this way. Some use filtration methods that use charcoal instead,” Gentile said. “Check the label or look for organic or beet sugar, which generally does not use bone-charring methods.”
Wine
If you’ve ever seen a label on a bottle of wine saying the wine is vegan and wondered why that had to be mentioned, surely all wines have to be vegan, right? — well, there’s a reason. “Although it may sound strange, not all wines are suitable for vegans,” said wine journalist Vicki Denig. “Some producers will use animal products to ‘refine’ – which essentially means clarify – wines.”
Depending on the method chosen by the producer to refine their products, many wines will still be considered vegetarian, but not always. “During the bonding process, these products bind and remove unwanted sediment or substances and are then filtered,” explained Denig. “These products include, but are not limited to, egg whites, casein, gelatin and much more.” Ichthyocolla, another element sometimes used to filter wine, is actually a byproduct of fish.
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The surest way to know that a wine is vegan is to look for wines labeled accordingly. Otherwise, until legislation requires winemakers to include ingredient lists on bottles, you may need to do an in-depth look at a producer’s website to find out.
Tortillas
Traditional tortillas are often made with lard.
You don’t necessarily need to be too careful about the tortillas you bring home from the grocery store, but when dining out for Mexican food, it’s good to know that a staple ingredient in many Mexican dishes isn’t automatically vegetarian. “Traditionally, Mexican tortillas, especially flour tortillas, are made with lard, which adds a rich flavor and desirable texture,” explained Wes Avila, chef at MXO in Los Angeles. Lard is a processed animal fat and its use may vary by region.
“In contrast, most grocery store tortilla brands, especially mass-produced varieties, often use vegetable oils or no fat at all, to cater to a broader audience,” Avila said, “including those who prefer vegetarian or vegan options. Always check the ingredients list if you’re looking for a specific type of tortilla.”
Refried beans
Beware of lard or bits of pork in this basic Mexican side dish.
Many bean preparations use visible pieces of pork, but another element of Mexican cuisine that may seem vegetarian but is not is refried beans. “In traditional Mexican recipes, refried beans will often be prepared with lard,” said Mexican-American chef and cookbook author Kristyn Merkley. Check labels when you buy packaged refried beans and don’t make assumptions when dining out – be sure to ask.
You may find that chefs are tailoring their refried beans for the vegetarian crowd. “A shortening like Crisco also works,” Merkley said, and you can easily adapt a refried bean recipe that calls for lard. “Home cooks can use vegetable oil instead to make it vegetarian, or use plant-based milk or cheese,” she said for a completely vegan version.
Pie dough
The reason pie crust is so good has a lot to do with the lard.
Lard is also a traditional ingredient in something you might find on the dessert menu. “Pie crust often uses lard,” Gentile said. “It gives a nice flaky texture.” Meat pies are one thing, but yes, lard is frequently preferred by pastry chefs, even for sweet pies. Although it’s meat-based, lard has a neutral flavor, so you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between a pie crust containing lard and one using a different type of fat.
Lard is not universal, however, neither in restaurants and bakeries, nor in crusts prepared in grocery stores. “Some use butter and some use shortening,” Gentile said. “If you’re not making the crust yourself, check the label or ask your baker.”
Caesar Dressing
Caesar dressing often contains anchovy puree.
There is a special element to Caesar dressing that gives it its rich flavor. If you’ve never witnessed Caesar dressing being made, you might be tempted to believe that it’s just the cheese (which, again, may not be entirely vegetarian either) that gives Caesar its distinctive character. No offense to the cheese, but the depth of Caesar dressing goes far beyond what cheese alone can accomplish.
“Caesar dressing surprises a lot of vegetarians because it’s made with anchovies, which aren’t always obvious in the ingredient list,” said Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis. “Many people think it’s just a creamy vinaigrette made with parmesan, garlic and lemon, but traditional recipes rely on anchovies for that deep, savory umami flavor.”
Worcestershire sauce
Another common condiment that may currently be in your refrigerator is also a hidden source of anchovies. (Or not so hidden, as long as you read the label carefully.) “Many people don’t realize that Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies, because it just adds a rich, flavorful depth to the food rather than a fishy taste,” said Rena Awada, owner and chef de cuisine of Healthy Fitness Meals. “Since you don’t really taste fish, it’s easy to forget about it,” she said, “until you check the ingredients and realize it’s not vegetarian after all.”
Additionally, Worcestershire sauce is a common ingredient in other products—dressings, steak sauces, barbecue sauce, or marinades—whose bold flavors may not make it clear that they may also contain unexpected seafood.
Gelatin
Jell-O and similar products get their agitation from gelatin.
You may already know that gelatin itself is an animal byproduct, but otherwise, “gelatin is made from the collagen found in the cartilage, bones and skin of animals,” Gentile said. “Cows and pigs are the most common source. When these parts are simmered, the collagen breaks down into gelatin.”
Avoiding gelatin means more than just avoiding Jell-O, if you’re a strict vegetarian. “Things like marshmallows, gummy candies and fruit snacks are probably what we all think of when we think of gelatin, but even yogurt, ice cream, sour cream and cream cheese can contain gelatin to stabilize them,” Gentile explained. “‘Diet’, ‘light’ or ‘low-fat’ foods also often use additives like gelatin to make up for the lack of natural fat binders,” she said. Even the coating of some vitamin capsules may be made of gelatin.
Vegetable soup
You’d be surprised how many vegetable soups use chicken broth as a base.
Soup can often be a source of hidden animal products, as many use an animal-based broth like beef or chicken, which provides deep flavor. Check soups like cream of broccoli, mushroom, carrot, etc. They can all have a fleshy base.
Even a simple vegetable soup, which appears to have a tomato base, can have animals as its base. Many brands that produce vegetable soups are vegetarian or vegan, but the soup should still have a label check.
