Many of us assume that products are prepared as per the claims made in the labels. However the hard fact is that not all of the products are true to the information provided on the labels. This may not actually constitute a deliberate attempt to offer wrong information, but the fact remains that buyers get carried away by this information.
In the recent past, there has been considerable public opinion regarding this, and products began to be marked as vegetarian or non-vegetarian. However many individuals are still unaware of certain processes and by products that originate from animals.
Charred Bone In White Sugar Manufacturing
Do you know white sugar, which is a common ingredient in most food products, is manufactured using animal products. Commonly known as bone char, this is a reference to the use of charred bone being used in processing sugar. Bones of cattle are sourced from nations including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Afghanistan, and find their way to the sugar industry. This is used for decolorization, which is necessary for transforming the colour of sugar cane to the clear white colour of white sugar.
For more information check out https://biogreen.life/8-best-vegan-bread-brands/ for other processes that are used in decolorization, which do not rely on charred bone. For instance granular carbon and ion exchange system can do away with the need for charred bone.
Bone Char In Brown Sugar too…
It is also important to understand that white sugar is used even for making brown sugar. The addition of molasses to refined sugar is a part of the process of making brown sugar. It is therefore right to assume that brown sugar also has the possibility of using charred bone. Additionally, refined sugar which is mixed with cornstarch for making confectioners sugar, clearly indicates that the possibility of bone char being used in the making of confectioners sugar, cannot be ruled out.
Most of the information about white sugar will not be available on the labels. It will be necessary to check out detailed specifications of the brand owner to understand if the manufacturing process involves use of bone char.
Commonly Available Animal Derived Products
There are many animal derived products that are commonly used in food. Awareness of this will help to make better informed purchases. For instance, albumen refers to the use of ingredients commonly found in cakes, cookies, bread and candies. This is sourced from eggs, milk, blood, fluids and muscles. Egg whites are also used to make some wines.
Animal fats and oils are used extensively in food products. There are multiple alternatives to this which offer similar, if not better results. For instance wheat germ oil, coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil and flax seed oil are very good alternatives to animal fats and oils.
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If you happen to be a vegetarian it would be a good idea to stick to a 100% vegetarian diet, which means avoiding food products that are also made from by products of animal derived products. This will call for choosing products carefully. Take a good look at all the ingredients and ensure that none of the ingredients are sourced from animal products.
