Community: Forum: Vegetarian Discussion
Vegan / Vegetarian Discussion - All Things Veg*n Forum
Why do most food or drink packages say ‘suitable for Vegetarians’? The definition of vegetarian is someone who abstains from eating meat right? So why do things like bread packaging say ‘suitable for vegetarians’, of course it is- the only thing they don’t eat is a dead corpse, they still drink milk, eat eggs etc. I really wish more packaging would say ‘suitable for Vegans’ because it’s easier than looking for gelatin, or eggs and milk- even if it’s obvious it just gives me a reassurance that the thing I’m eating is Vegan. Anyone have any comments on this topic?
Responses (5)
-
Report Abuse
Posted by matimatik at 11/01/15 11:34:47
Well, I suppose gelatin is not actually "suitable for vegetarians". So are a few other additives coming from dead corpses of mammals, fish, birds, and even insects... And the main reason is that other forms of vegetarianism are still more popular than veganism. And that's sad.
In India and sometimes elsewhere in Asia you can easily spot "veg mark" on the packages (green dot in square) but don't even hope to find any kind of vegan labeling in India because there ain't any significant number of vegans out there. In Thailand, on the other hand, you can often find "Jay" labeling (effectively meaning "vegan") just because they have a tradition of annual ten-day lent — despite the fact that the majority of Thais are not any kind of veg*n most of the year.
It's all about market forces. Let's be those forces.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by AndyT at 11/01/15 18:52:30
Unfortunately, a lot of things that you buy and would expect to be suitable for vegetarians, are really not, as the food industry likes to replace natural vegan ingredients with cheaper stuff sourced from animals :-(
ALWAYS READ THE LABELS.
Unfortunately, much of what is "suitable for vegetarians", is not "suitable for vegans", as lots of crap from dairy is used in food production.
But yes, a "suitable for vegetarians" label on a food product is a good first starting point for me...
-
Report Abuse
Posted by Thalassa4 at 11/02/15 00:03:28
Gelatin and chicken or beef broths, as well as fatback or lard flavoring ...none of those things are suitable for vegetarians. ..that's why refried beans have a vegetarian variation,for example, and casseroles or soups may need to swap out a veggie broth base...some seemingly vegetarian soups like broccoli cheddar contain chicken stock. Also pork rind chips are made of pig skin.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by craigmc at 11/17/15 13:08:25
i agree with any t, read the labels. hard to believe in the UK you can advertise suitable for vegetarians, or vegans, halal or kosher and if the product is not suitable there is no comeback. No legislation for false trading, i spent years looking at labels, constantly finding items suitable for vegetarian having things like parmesan.
trust yourself.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by Robinwomb at 11/17/15 18:08:10
Sometimes "suitable for vegetarians" means there is vitamin D3 in the product (which is cholecalciferol and is derived from fish oil or lanolin). Or it might mean there is cane sugar processed from bone char. And of course there are those sneaky ingredients like whey or casein and other scientific names.
If I buy a processed product, I usually stick with companies that are known vegan (such as Daiya) or I choose products labeled "certified vegan". Most of the everyday foods I buy are very simplistic...pure maple syrup, dried or canned beans (nothing else in them), bulk oats, rice, millet, spaghetti/pasta, etc. On occasion I might buy Ezekiel bread or Rudy's breads labeled vegan. I don't really trust labels that say suitable for vegetarians, but if something SEEMS like it would be vegan but is labeled vegetarian, I will call or write the company for clarification.
