? about a couple of ingredients

[capersmama]

thiamin mononitrate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate....are these possibly animal by-products/ dairy I have missed on the lists? I have a couple of bags of french fries left in my freezer..and hate to throw them out if they are ok. HELP!

[Erin Pavlina]

Did you already look em up on the animal ingredient list?

http://www.vegfamily.com/lists/animal-ingredients.htm

[capersmama]

yes..I looked them up..and didnt find them..but just wondered if Ive over looked them.

[Erin Pavlina]

They're probably okay, but I would call the company phone number and ask them if those ingredients are of animal origin. Let us know what you find out.

[capersmama]

Well..I sent an email asking about the ingredients..Ill post if I actually hear back from them.

[Teejay]

The sodium bicarbonate and monocalcium phosphate should be all right. The one with thiamin could be animal-derived. I hope the company gives you the information soon! Isn't it frustrating when you just can't tell?

[capersmama]

I cant believe it..but I think I have actually stumped the companies..lol..I keep getting emails saying they have forwarded my questions to "so and so" and so on..lol..

I sure wish more people would go through the trouble of asking these companies...so they will become accustomed to answering these questions.

[Teejay]

In the UK, the Vegan Society sends out a yearly questionnaire to manufacturers and retailers, giving them a list of all animal-derived or possibly animal-derived ingredients, and asking them to state which of their products is suitable for vegans according to these criteria. From the responses, the Vegan Society then compiles a "Vegan Shopper" which they publish and update regularly.

You still have to check the products before buying, in case they change them in the meantime -- but it makes a huge difference to shopping -- and because the companies have put it in writing they are reasonably accurate -- they don't want to be sued for saying something is what it isn't!

I've often thought how great it would be to have that in other countries too. But the whole of the food industry in the USA is so big, I don't know how it could be done. Maybe on a state or regional level...

I have often had the experience of companies saying "we don't know" when I push them to specify what something is. I can't understand how anyone in conscience can make a product when they don't know what is in it. I rang Cadbury's here in Australia once to ask about their cocoa as it said "natural flavours" -- I thought cocoa was just cocoa, but not always, it seems! -- and ultimately they had to admit they just didn't know what those natural flavours were, and didn't know how to find out.

Sometimes smaller companies have a better idea. I found a soap the other day that looked vegan -- "no animal fats, not tested on animals" -- but didn't state the source of the glycerin. So I rang them and they said, "We get it from coconuts". Assuming this is correct, I think it was the fact of its being a small company -- the people you talk to are the people who make it -- that helped, whereas so often you are just talking to a "customer info line" whose purpose is PR and little else.

[capersmama]

I HATE calling a company to get info on their "natural flavoring" and get the "ITS PROPRIETORY INFORMATION". <gripes my hinney>