Fortified Foods Not Vegan

[yemenmocha]

Are fortified foods such as breakfast cereals vegan? Where does all of those B vitamins come from that are in those cereals? And what about the calcium in my fortified calcium orange juice?

Do you make it a point to buy a fortified product over one that isn't?

Thanks

[Teejay]

This is one of those issues where you have to contact individual companies to find out. (Many of them will say, "We don't know.")

You are right to assume that some of the fortifying ingredients may be from animal sources.

I only buy cereals from Barbara's (not all are vegan) but I don't buy them often because they're expensive. I also have bought some vegan cornflakes from Nature's Path. Some of the major brand names might well be vegan but because I am very keen to avoid GM ingredients I tend to avoid them.

As far as flour (white flour at least) goes, I have had it confirmed that Bob's Redmill white flour, though enriched, is vegan -- they confirmed this in writing. So that is what I use when I use refined flour.

The calcium in orange juice I tend to avoid, because I have read conflicting stories on it. Most say it is vegan, but I once read a story about MinuteMaid using calcium from dairy milk to get around having to classify it as a pharmaceutical additive.

The only real way to know is to contact the company and get a response in writing by email or on paper. Phone calls sometimes suffice but you may get any old employee who just wants to be rid of a difficult question. However, in my experience, most companies will tell the truth because they don't want legal problems. If they don't know, they will say they don't know.

It amazes me that companies can manufacture products without knowing where they get the ingredients from -- but that's another story!!! :)

[Erin Pavlina]

Minute Maid and Tropicana both use calcium from limestone, at least according to the phone call I placed to both of them. The people I spoke to seemed like they knew what they were talking about.

Minute maid used to use animal sources for calcium, but not anymore.

[yemenmocha]

Ok well what about B vitamins and iron?

Where do all of those B vitamins in my grape nuts come from? Have you heard? It's one of the few cereals that is higher in B vitamins.

Also iron too I think, but maybe that's my cream of what or malt-o-meal.

[Erin Pavlina]

Grape Nuts are listed as a vegan food. Can't remember where though.

When it comes to the vitamins the one you have to watch out for is usually Vitamin D. There is D2 and D3. D2 is vegan and D3 comes from sheep. When companies list Vitamin D, they don't always indicate if its D2 or D3, so you have to call the company.