Answering common questions about what foods and products are vegan.
I’ve been vegan for over twelve years, and until recently, I honestly never really knew what “malt” was. I heard it was vegan, and that was enough for me! But I recently dug deeper into this subject, so now I can explain it to you guys! Is malt vegan? “Malt” just refers to malted barley … Read more Is Malt Vegan? (Malt Vinegar, Malt Liquor, and More)
You may have experienced this yourself: You’re checking whether a certain cereal is vegan. It looks good until you get to the end of the ingredient list and you see: “Vitamin D.” No other details…. What’s a vegan to think? Is the vitamin D in cereal vegan? The vitamin D added to cereal is usually … Read more Is the Vitamin D in Cereal Vegan? (And Does It Matter?)
One of the surprising examples you might hear of a non-vegan product is latex condoms. But it can be difficult to find more information on this. What about latex gloves, balloons, or mattresses? Is latex never vegan? I decided to find out. Is latex vegan? Latex itself is vegan, as it is made naturally (from … Read more Is Latex Vegan? Condoms, Gloves, Balloons, and More
Chemical names in our food can be unsettling—especially as vegans. When I saw “sorbitan monostearate” listed as an ingredient recently and then struggled to find good information on it… I knew I had to do some research and write an article to help others out! So, is sorbitan monostearate vegan? Sorbitan monostearate (E491) is a … Read more Is Sorbitan Monostearate Vegan? (E491)
Sugar can be a perplexing subject for new vegans because a lot of white cane sugar gets processed using animal bone char. There’s a whole big vegan debate about refined sugar and whether we need to boycott it or not. But luckily, there are many kinds of sugar that get a 100% green light. Is … Read more Is Turbinado Sugar Vegan? (“Raw Sugar”)
The other day, I saw the ingredient “croscarmellose sodium” listed on the package for some multivitamins. Besides that one ingredient, all the other ingredients seemed very simple and straight-forward… So as a label-reading vegan, I became curious. Is croscarmellose sodium vegan? Croscarmellose sodium (E468) is considered vegan. It is mainly a product of cellulose, which … Read more Is Croscarmellose Sodium Vegan? (E468)
For vegans and those with lactose/dairy issues, any ingredient including “lacto” in the name tends to raise concerns. But as we’ve seen with other ingredients (like lactic acid), it doesn’t always mean the food contains milk. So what about lactobacillus probiotics? Is Lactobacillus vegan? Lactobacillus probiotics are generally vegan, as they are bacteria—not an animal … Read more Is Lactobacillus Vegan? Does It Contain Dairy?
To combat the idea that vegans are small and weak, many of us like to cite the fact that elephants, gorillas, and other big animals eat vegan diets, too. But in my 12 years of being vegan, I’ve actually heard some debate around this issue. So, are elephants vegan? Elephants do not eat meat. Technically, … Read more Are Elephants Vegan?
I remember when I first went vegan, I went to the grocery store and read the ingredients on all the bread. I remember being stumped by this ingredient: Sodium stearoyl lactylate. “Lactylate” sounds like it could be from milk… But is it? Is sodium stearoyl lactylate vegan? Sodium stearoyl lactylate (E481) is typically vegan. It … Read more Is Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate Vegan? Does It Contain Dairy?
I recently saw “potassium sorbate” listed in the ingredients for some apple cider I was drinking. Turns out, it’s a common food preservative. But since I’m a nerdy vegan who likes to know what I’m actually eating, I decided to research it some more. Is potassium sorbate vegan? Potassium sorbate (E202) is considered vegan. It … Read more Is Potassium Sorbate Vegan?