By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The city of New York has developed new standards for meals and snacks meals and snacks served by 11 city agencies. These standards, which go into effect July 1, 2023 will regulate the nutritional content and type of food served to schoolchildren, older adults, NYC Health + Hospitals patients, and others who get meals or snacks from city agencies.

The standards emphasize reducing sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat and increasing fiber. They call for a reduced use of red and processed meat and cheese and greater use of whole or minimally-processed plant protein. The standards include:

• A requirement that processed meat (for example, deli meat or ham) be phased out by 2025.
• A requirement, for sites serving three meals per day, that no more than 2 servings of beef be served per week and for sites serving one to two meals per day, no more than 1 serving of beef be served per week per meal type.
• A requirement, for sites serving three meals per day, that no more than 1 serving of processed meat be served per week per meal type and for sites serving one to two meals per day, that no more than 2 servings of processed meat be served per month (or no more than one serving every other week) per meal type.
• A requirement that at least 1 serving of plant-based entrées featuring a whole or minimally processed plant-based protein (for example, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, edamame or tofu) be served per week per meal type (except breakfast).
• A recommendation that 2 servings of plant-based entrées be served per week per meal type.
• A recommendation that cheese be served as a primary protein no more than once a week per meal type.
• A recommendation that seasonal and locally sourced foods be the focus when developing menus.

You can see the complete standards here. The standards are a starting place for moving towards healthier diets. Hopefully, other communities will be inspired to create their own standards that emphasize whole plant foods.

Callie went vegan at age 12 after watching a documentary. During high school, she led several climate strikes, where she spoke, detailing the ways that going vegetarian or vegan can mitigate climate change. Callie invited 2 local veggie food trucks to be at the rally, as well as set up a vegan information stand. She also gave a speech at an animal rights rally and did events for the Northwest Animal Rights Network.

As a local vegan food truck volunteer, Callie helped prepare food, experimented with new products, and marketed the food truck online. She volunteered at a community meals program as a floor manager recruiting new volunteers, managing the making and serving of food, and personally baking vegan desserts each month from freshman through senior year.

Callie said, “It was a huge challenge to get my school to implement vegan cafeteria meals, primarily because adding new foods was more expensive for them … and (I was) told the school would likely not add new options because not enough students were vegetarian… I asked for the help of my school’s environmental club in order to create a petition to show the school how important vegetarian meals are for the students. We got almost 260 student and staff signatures … which was enough to show the school that we needed vegetarian options.”

“The implementation of vegan options required getting up to the district level, because the superintendent and district staff have most of the control over all of the decisions made in the district, including cafeteria food. The vegan options added have included: a daily salad bar, daily rotation of a vegan soup or chili, vegan pasta options, and usually a grain/rice bowl including veggies and tofu. These have all worked well, and students seem to love them. I have tried them all and I like them a lot, especially the chili. These options are still being served in the high schools as of now, and the middle/elementary schools also continue to have vegan options—which are slightly more limited than the high schools—such as vegan pastas and sandwiches.”

Callie’s reference said she does all the above, in addition to working at a local supermarket and taking AP courses. Callie said her “plan is to get my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science … My goal is to improve U.S. policy in order to improve our treatment of animals, including eliminating the modern factory-farming system.”

For information on other winners and applying for the next Vegetarian Resource Group college scholarship contest, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Deadline is February 20th of each year.

To support additional VRG scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate, call (410) 366-8343, or mail your contribution to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

By Gabriella Walker, VRG Volunteer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), also known as the Summer Meals Program, allows kids and teens who come from low-income areas to get access to food in the summer. This means free meals or snacks. Program participants need to be at least 18 or younger (1).

Those 18-years-old or younger should have access to food regardless of their diet or lifestyle. According to polls, veganism has been increasing over time, especially within this age range (2). More and more schools are serving vegan-friendly options to fit their demographics (3). Today we will be talking about how to get your hands on vegan-friendly food from the SFSP.

The USDA acknowledges that not all foods available at SFSP sites are appropriate for all diets and lifestyles. Site supervisors have the option to accommodate special dietary preferences whether these are religious, moral, or personal preference, but these accommodations are not required; therefore, the possibility of getting vegan food can be low, especially if veganism is not commonly practiced in your community. Accommodations are only required for disabilities and requests must be accompanied by a medical statement. It also comes down to your own state’s rules and regulations for how they go about modifications for vegans. This means there can be some liberalization to the food choices if your state and site participate in making these accommodations available. For example, nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, and beans/peas (legumes) can replace the meat (M) component as a meat alternative (MA) component of a meal or snack. For milk to be substituted with a non-dairy option there is a list of requirements including the amount of protein, calcium, and other nutrients that a product must fulfill which is made available to sites. From a practical standpoint, only certain brands of soymilk and pea protein-based milk fit the requirements. Fruits and vegetables are usually vegan, but grains and breads may not be depending on the product (4).

Different meals have different food requirements. For example, breakfast must include one food item from each of the milk, fruit/vegetable, and grains/bread components. Lunch/Supper must contain one food item from each of the milk, grains/bread, and M/MA components and two food items from the fruit/vegetable component. Snacks must contain one food item from two of the four components (milk, fruit/vegetable, grains/bread, and M/MA). This can present different challenges based on what food components are required. For example, if nuts and seeds are served, they must be combined with another M/MA to fulfill the minimum serving size requirement. An example of this is that if sunflower seeds are served at lunch, they need to be paired with hummus, or another meat alternative option. Another issue is if certain food products are vegan. For instance, pastries like biscuits, rolls, or muffins are served frequently for breakfast. Sometimes these products are not vegan, and another grain alternative is needed (4).

It comes down to researching your state and sites rules and regulations and communicating your diet preferences with the SFSP site person in charge. This usually includes a dietary accommodation request form that needs to be approved. Sometimes sites are not able to accommodate, so they allow kids to get the regular meal as served and pick out the foods that do appear to be vegan. If this is the case, I suggest that kids bring additional food to the site to supplement for missing components.

There are many different routes sites take around the country. Overall, the potential barriers of getting vegan food from SFSP include the program supervisor not being willing to accommodate, the cost of getting vegan options sent to the site may be too costly compared to the non-vegan options, and a lack of support by the state government with SFSP accommodations. While these are challenges, there may still be a variety of foods to choose from.

What can be requested? Here is a list of options (not complete) for each component:

Milk: dairy-free milk

Vegetable/Fruit: raw, cooked, or canned fruits/vegetables liked bananas and carrots, or applesauce and canned peaches

Grain/Bread: bread, cereal, pastry, pasta, noodles, crackers, pretzels, granola, oatmeal, cereal, tortilla chips

Meat/Meat alternative: beans like hummus, baked or refried beans, peanuts/soy/nuts/seeds, or their butters (4)

So where can you sign up for this program? Use the USDA’s SFSP website tool “Summer Meals Site Finder” (https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/). From here, you will type in your location and be able to view the sites closest to you. Once you have a site picked out, you will be able to find the contact information for the site lead and let them know you or your child’s dietary preferences. If they are able to accommodate, the site supervisor will have the vegan meal prepared separately and given to the correct child. From there, you or your child will be able to get free vegan food in the summer.

Supporting those who are vegan unfortunately is not a top priority for the SFSP program right now. To make vegan meals more assessible, groups like the Coalition for Healthy School Food are taking a step. They have been advocating for more plant-based meals in schools. On a local level, you can take a step too. Visit https://healthyschoolfood.org/wp/create-change/in-my-school/ make an impact (5).

References:

1. How to Participate in Summer Meals Fact Sheet.https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/SFSP-Fact-Sheet.pdf
2. How Many People Are Vegan? How Many Eat Vegan When Eating Out? Asks The Vegetarian Resource Group. https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2019_adults_veg.htm
3. Vegan Fridays for All? More Schools Offer Plant-Based Meals. https://civileats.com/2022/03/21/vegan-fridays-for-all-more-schools-offer-plant-based-meals/
4. Meal Pattern Requirements. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/smt-meal_pattern_requirements.pdf
5. Create Change in My School.https://healthyschoolfood.org/wp/create-change/in-my-school/

Gabriella volunteered to write this article while completing a dietetic internship rotation with the Indian Health Services in Arizona. She is working towards becoming a registered dietitian.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Mary Jane Flats from Ten Little

The following online stores offer vegan baby and toddler shoes.

Clamfeet: Offers adorable baby shoes and matching shoes for mothers. They have an eco-canvas exterior, organic cotton lining, and rubberized grip sole. They are washable. https://clamfeet.com/

Happy Little Soles: This UK company offers a vegan section of shoes for boys and girls. They ship to the US. https://www.happylittlesoles.co.uk/

Pediped: Offers a large selection of vegan shoes for kids of all ages that can be shipped internationally. https://www.pediped.com/vegan

Ten Little Shoes: Offers vegan shoes for kids. https://tenlittle.com/

Tom’s: Sells vegan shoes for children worldwide. Search under the word vegan. https://www.toms.com/us/kids/shoes

Vegan Chic: Offers a few options for children including The Kid’s Ramos by Keep. https://www.veganchic.com/kids/vegan+shoes/search.aspx

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The USDA, FDA, and NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements recently developed a database of the iodine content of about 425 foods, including some vegan foods. The amount of iodine is given for a serving size of food and for 100 grams of foods.

Iodine is an essential mineral that is needed for the thyroid gland to work properly. An iodine deficiency can cause thyroid problems and poor growth and development in infants and children.  Many people get iodine by using iodized salt. A quarter teaspoon of iodized salt provides about half of the Daily Value for iodine. You can read more about iodine in the vegan diet here.

The RDA for iodine for adults is 150 micrograms a day. According to the USDA, FDA, and ODS-NIH Database for the Iodine Content of Common Foods, Release 2,

• A 2 ounce soy-based veggie burger has 5.4 micrograms of iodine
• 3 cups of raw spinach also has 5.4 micrograms of iodine
• A cup of canned black beans has 2.4 micrograms of iodine
• A cup of almond milk has 0.9 micrograms of iodine
• 2 Tablespoons of nori has 116 micrograms of iodine

You can check some of your favorite foods here by downloading a zipped folder that contains an Excel file with iodine values per serving and another with per 100 gram values.  You can read more about the database here.

To read more about iodine see:

Iodine in the Vegan Diet

Perchlorate Controversy Calls for Improving Iodine Nutrition

Iodine in Prenatal Supplements

Iodine in Plant Milks

Victoria Erickson (a VRG volunteer), who is finishing her degree in biological science at Chapman University, looked at several articles concerning the Environmental impact of cultured meat and wrote the following.

Environmental Impacts of Cultured Meat Production

Tuomisto, H. L., & de Mattos, M. J. T. (2011). Environmental impacts of cultured meat production. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(14), 6117–6123. https://doi.org/10.1021/es200130u

https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.chapman.edu/21682287/

Summary:

This paper compared the environmental impact of mass cultured meat production to the environmental impact of typical meat production from livestock. This study concluded that “in comparison to conventionally produced European meat, cultured meat involves approximately 7-45% lower energy use (only poultry has lower energy use), 78-96% lower GHG emissions, 99% lower land use, and 82-96% lower water use depending on the product compared.” Overall cultured meat shows great promise for feeding the growing population and reducing the environmental stress that current meat production imposes.

My response:

Overall, this does seem like a reliable source with no biased agenda. My main critique to this paper is that there were several variables of energy expenditure and resources that were excluded from the study. The variables I noticed they excluded included bacterial culturing of E. coli for hormone and vitamin production, resources required to obtain and harvest the STEM cells, and the indirect land used for land use change. Although I do not think that the exclusion of these variables would have had a severe enough impact to the data to change the overall conclusion of the paper, I do feel that their data may be slightly skewed in the direction favoring how “environmentally friendly” cultured meat may appear. I am making this critique based on my knowledge of bacteria culturing which requires growth broth and antibiotics which could accumulate to a substantial number of resources. Furthermore, their exclusion of the resources required to obtain the STEM cells concerns me because to obtain the cells you would first need to grow actual livestock and then slaughter them or at least perform a biopsy to harvest the STEM cells. Growing the livestock would still require water, feed, and land even though you would be growing substantially less livestock than would be required for typical (non-cultured) meat production due to the STEM cell’s ability to endlessly proliferate. Overall, I still trust their overarching conclusion that cultured meat requires fewer resources and may have a less severe negative impact on the environment. However, I feel that cultured meat may consume a bit more resources than what is concluded here.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Anticipatory Life Cycle Analysis of In Vitro Biomass Cultivation for Cultured Meat Production in the United States

Mattick, C. S., Landis, A. E., Allenby, B. R., & Genovese, N. J. (2015). Anticipatory Life Cycle Analysis of In Vitro Biomass Cultivation for Cultured Meat Production in the United States. Environmental science & technology, 49(19), 11941–11949.

https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1021/acs.est.5b01614

https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.chapman.edu/26383898/

Summary:

This paper makes the conclusion that cultured meat utilizes fewer agricultural inputs and land than typical meat production using livestock. However, they identify that this is accompanied by a tradeoff of higher energy requirements as a result of industrialization of the process that was once naturally occurring inside an organism. The industrial energy needed to culture meat comes from running the general facility energy and maintaining the various functions performed by the bioreactor. Note that this study excluded the energy embodied in capital equipment and buildings because they claim that this energy expenditure is negligible.

My response:

Overall, I do trust the results of this study claiming that cultured meat has less of an environmental impact than typical livestock meat production but will require more industrial energy input. Something to keep in mind with these results is that it is all based on models and predictions. When everything is said and done and cultured meat is commercially produced, these numbers may not hold up due to the nature of the cell culture being unique to what has been done in the past. For example, what if the STEM cells require more energy input than expected because they are being cultured to form myotubules, and eventually muscle tissue, as opposed to producing a biomolecule or virus like most tissue culture experiments do? What if the STEM cells release more heat from their heightened metabolic rates and therefore require the bioreactor to utilize more energy input to regulate the temperature and keep it within optimal range for cell culture? These are of course hypothetical examples, but this is what comes to mind for me when considering the variables that could differ from the models.

 ——————————————————————————————————————-

Cultured Meat: Promises and Challenges

Treich N. (2021). Cultured Meat: Promises and Challenges. Environmental & resource economics, 79(1), 33–61. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1007/s10640-021-00551-3

https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.chapman.edu/33758465/

This paper is a review that discusses many aspects of cultured meat commercial production. In regard to the environmental impact they list many arguments both for and against cultured meat. I will not summarize their points as each of the papers cited in this paper can be read as primary literature. However, I still wanted to provide you with this link because this seems like an extensive review of the environmental impact of cultured meat. They also touch on other interesting components of commercial production of cultured meat such as economics.

 Another student reviewer said:

Overall, I agree with Victoria’s responses on the first two articles listed. She mentioned about several variables not being considered in both articles and I have the same opinions. Even though I’m not familiar enough with cultured meat processing, extra steps might be needed, especially in the early stages of scaling-up and they definitely would require extra resources apart from possible concerns with STEM cell culturing she mentioned. I agree with the argument in both articles that cultured meat could utilize fewer agricultural inputs and generate less environmental impact. That being said, I would be more conservative on numbers and percentage regarding the environment impact between cultured meat and conventional agriculture as at the moment we’re still in the early stages and more data is needed to validate (or disprove) these models.

We asked Cierra Peterlin, a dietetic intern from the University of Maryland dietetic internship program who is with The Vegetarian Resource Group for 4 days to spend at least 4-6 hours reviewing the VRG website, back issues of Vegetarian Journal/Vegan Journal (available on the website), and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the American Dietetic Association)’s current and earlier position papers on vegetarian diets. After that, we asked Cierra to write about what she found especially interesting and why and what she’d like to learn more about. Here’s what she said.

To begin this write-up, I would like to describe what I learned and found interesting in the 3 ADA/AND position papers addressing vegetarian diets (1-3). I found it very interesting to read through these 3 papers consecutively and be able to compare different statistics and statements made over the course of the 12 years between publishing. While I had been aware of the increase in people following vegetarian diets in the US, it was really encouraging to see this on paper and see the actual statistics around the increase. The three papers each documented the percentage of US adults who were vegetarian stating that in 2000 2.5% of US adults were vegetarian and by 2016 3.3% were (1,3). In terms of protein, each paper described how complementary proteins did not need to be consumed in the same meal and that a diet with various plant-based protein sources would meet adequate protein needs over the course of a day (1-3). I think this is an important point to address because many people, health professionals and everyday vegetarians alike, are still in the mindset that protein combining is necessary at each meal. In the 2016 paper, the words complete and incomplete protein were used to debunk the misconception that complete proteins are more adequate from a dietary perspective (3). I was not aware that wheat protein may only be about 50% as available as other sources of protein such as soy or animal proteins (1). In the 2009 paper the Academy mentioned that nutrition professionals should be aware that depending on food choices, needs for protein may be higher in vegetarians (2).

I hadn’t previously realized that non-heme iron was more susceptible to inhibitors as well as enhancers than compared to heme iron. In the 2003 paper, it was stated that vegetarians have iron needs that are 1.8x greater than those of nonvegetarians due to lower bioavailability of non-heme iron; however, in the consecutive two papers, an exact amount of increased need was not given (1-3). The mechanism of decreased iron needs related to a physiological adaptation to lower iron intake was described in all three papers suggesting that some vegetarians may have significantly lower needs than others in terms of their bodily adaptations and ability to absorb iron more or less readily (1-3). Zinc was also noted to be physiologically adaptive to lower intakes and susceptible to certain inhibitors of absorption as well (1-3). I learned how the conversion of n-3 fatty acids to DHA and EPA is inhibited when n-6 fatty acid consumption is higher and vice-versa (2). Within the three papers I also liked how the vitamin D subsection was expanded upon in each consecutive paper. In the first paper, vitamin D-3 was described as being strictly derived from animal products and being the more bioavailable source beyond low dose supplementation. In the 2009 paper the difference between vitamin D3 and D2 was described, and it was stated in the 2016 paper that vitamin D3 can be derived from plant sources and provide the same bioavailability in supplements (1-3).

I found it interesting that iodine was recommended as a supplement for women of childbearing age in the 2016 paper only and how different aspects of vegetarianism during pregnancy were built upon substantially from the 2003 paper and on (3). In all papers, infants who are not breastfeed are recommended to consume soy infant formula if following a vegetarian diet as well as pregnant and lactating mothers making sure to consume adequate food sources or to supplement with folic acid, vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12, as well as consideration of an omega-3 fatty acid supplement (1-3). Maternal weight gain and risk of gestational diabetes was mentioned only in the 2016 paper as well as risk of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity risk; both reduced by vegetarian diets (3). Consistently in all three papers, the idea that a vegetarian diet can establish lifelong healthy eating habits in children was conveyed.

In the 2003 paper, the ADA mentioned how traditionally scientific articles about vegetarian diets questioned the adequacy of the diet but more recently the research published had been suggesting vegetarian diets were a way to prevent and treat certain diseases. In terms of disease prevention and treatment, position paper 1 of 2003 presented the research supporting an overall lower BMI in vegetarian subjects which was then stated more directly in the 2016 paper that obesity risk can be reduced by vegetarian diets and to make nutrition professionals aware of this treatment option for overweight and obesity (1,3). The other disease state that I am interested in mentioning in this write-up is diabetes: The 2003 paper supported vegetarian diets as able to meet treatment guidelines for diabetes as well as be able to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (1). The 2009 paper dove deeper into specific research that supported an increase in consumption of plant foods, especially legumes, can lead to greater glycemic control in the treatment and prevention of diabetes (2). Lastly, the 2016 paper reported that vegetarian diets can lower risk of developing diabetes as well as be used as therapy to manage diabetes when there is emphasis placed on nutrient-dense, high fiber foods (3).

In the evolution of the position of the AND on vegetarian diets, the most recent paper also addressed the environment and the environmental sustainability of vegetarian and vegan diets. Whereas in the previous 2 papers, human health was the only topic addressed, the 2016 paper briefly discussed some environmental impacts of consuming vegetarian and vegan meal patterns as compared to diets containing meat. The future of our environment is something I care deeply about and so do many people interested in following a plant-based diet. I think addressing the environment in this paper is very important because it brings in another piece to the puzzle as well as a pull from a different string for support and adherence to a plant-based diet.

While I could write more about various other points I drew from the 3 position papers, to keep this write-up closer to two pages I am going to now discuss what I discovered and what piqued my interests while exploring the VRG website and the archives of the Vegan Journal and Vegetarian Journal.

I found exploring the VRG website and the archives of the Journal so inspirational and informative. There is so much to read and discover on this site and I definitely will spend my free time in the future continuing to dive into the group’s articles and archives as I feel that I’ve barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. I started my search by looking into the history of VRG and the work that has been done and is ongoing. I read about the first publication of the Vegetarian Journal and the initial projects of the group. Reading of the cooking demos, school talks, community events, donation efforts, fundraising events, group trips, and outreach was inspirational and gave me so many ideas of things I would love to be a part of in the future. I was especially interested in the work that has been done with educating educators such as health professionals and teachers about vegetarian nutrition and the impacts it has on human health and environmental health. I liked the article that brought vegetarianism to the forefront of environmental issues that addressed the Chesapeake Bay and the pollution facing that natural space. The reporter on the issue mentioned the effects of land use and animal pollution and how choosing to eat vegetarian may be a helpful factor in preserving our natural lands. I liked reading about the projects where VRG had booths at medical conferences and how they worked with foodservice establishments to increase availability of vegetarian options in schools and other settings. Coming off of a rotation with the USDA, I realize how many students rely on the National School Lunch Program for their meals and believe that the option of a vegetarian/vegan meal should be given at every meal and in every setting that provides free meals. I am interested in this issue and how to best enact change and work toward more diverse and healthful meals in schools that provide food to students. I also loved reading about VRG’s work in schools and would love to see the I Love Animals and Broccoli coloring book!

The last point I will bring up in this write-up is the completeness and comprehensiveness of the various guides on vrg.org. The vegetarian guide to food ingredients is so full of information on pretty much every common ingredient in foods. I had previously used vrg.org to look up certain ingredients for my own sake but looking at all the ingredients in that guide was so eye-opening. I have not yet read through all of the ingredients listed but I plan to and hope to have this as a tool to use in my personal life as well as in future practice as an RDN providing nutrition education and working with clients and groups. The other guide I was particularly struck by was the restaurant guide! This was so vast and such a wonderful resource for anyone looking to eat plant-based while dining out. The compilation of options in every state and city is so amazing. Another list was the lists of vegan businesses which goes way beyond just products but even into services and travel accommodations and is something that I will refer back to as well! the various resources on the webpage are also something I loved viewing. It made me think of how I can use them in future practice when working with people interested in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

References

1. American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103(6):748-765.
2. Craig WJ, Mangels AR; American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(7):1266-1282.
3. Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(12):1970-1980.

Chen Zeng wrote this based on his experience as a student researcher while pursuing his Master of Food Science at Cornell University.

Yeasts are microorganisms classified as fungus and they have different uses compared to bacteria. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast that are commonly used in brewing, winemaking, and baking. Although this species is used in many different occasions, each S. cerevisiae strain can vary a little, producing unique taste and flavor.

There was a story about how a yeast strain at Phaff Yeast Culture Collection was used in the food industry.

Boston Beer Company once wanted to recreate a vintage recipe from the 1970s using a yeast strain called 36C4 but the company that supplied the brewery went out of business a long time ago. Fortunately, a student intern that worked at the brewery in 1977 had also worked with the yeast collection at UC Davis and preserved the original yeast 36C4 strain. Therefore, they were able to produce this beer with the original yeast strain.¹

This is part of what Phaff Yeast Culture Collection is doing: collecting unique yeasts from all over the world, and it all started with a scientist named Herman Phaff.² Today, it has become the one of the largest public collections of wild yeasts in the world and 80% of them are not available from other sources.

In order to find out what these novel yeasts can do, it is important to know who their ancestors are. Before gene sequencing technology was available, this identification process involved up to 80 characterization tests so that we could compare the physiological data. Now, this can be done by doing a DNA sequencing on a specific region. My job was to trim out the noise and identify if there is a similarity within this region. If there is a large identical section, it is very likely that there are evolutionary relationships between the sequences. Once this information is obtained, we can verify our predictions on a strain’s physiological behavior by a series of lab tests. Currently, these yeast strains are distributed for both academic and industrial research. Besides possible applications in food industry,³ they have “commercial value for industrial fermentations including ability to consume inexpensive feedstocks such as xylose or pectin, produce enzymes, or tolerate stresses such as temperature, pH, or salinity.” These novel yeasts can very possibly be solutions to a more sustainable food and farming system.

¹What is it like to be a yeast collection curator? United States Culture Collection Network. 2020. https://usccn.org/what-is-it-like-to-be-a-yeast-collection-curator/

²History of the collection. Phaff Yeast Culture Collection. 2022. https://phaffcollection.ucdavis.edu/history-collection

³Phaff yeast culture collection grows by 6,000 strains – new NSF award. BFTV Cluster News. 2021. https://news.bftv.ucdavis.edu/food-science-and-technology/phaff-yeast-culture-collection-grow-6000-strains-new-nsf-award

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own

A Vegetarian Resource Group member recently told us that they were thrilled to see a separate vegan menu available on a Royal Caribbean Cruise they were taking. Royal Caribbean states on their website: “we offer a 7-day rotation vegan menu onboard all of our ships. Please note that the vegan menu is only available upon request exclusively at the Main Dining Room.” Vegan options are also available in other dining locations on ships.

Vtopian Aged White Cheddar photo from Vtopia

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

One trend that I’ve been excited about is the proliferation of vegan cheese products. I can sprinkle shreds on pizza, spread vegan cream cheese on a bagel, and savor a wedge of vegan cheese with apple slices. I’ve enjoyed sampling vegan cheese at Vtopia in Portland, OR and Riverdel in New York City. While I am a fan of vegan cheeses, I’m also aware that these products are not necessarily the healthiest products on the market.

Dr. Winston Craig of Loma Linda University, Dr. Cecelia Brothers of Walla Walla University, and I recently investigated the nutritional content (as reported on the product label or website) of 245 vegan cheeses sold in the United States. Our results appeared in a scientific journal, Nutrients.

Coconut oil, either alone or with cashews was the most common product base. Products were also based on cashews, oats, almonds, soy, palm fruit oil, and other blends. According to the package or website a serving of cheese was between 14 grams (about 0.5 ounce) and 40 grams (almost 1.5 ounces) depending on whether the product was shreds, slices, blocks, or other forms.

A serving of cheese generally had between 60 and 100 calories. Only 3% of the cheeses had 5 grams or more of protein; typically they had 0 to 3 grams of protein. Thus, most of these commercial cheeses could not be considered a good source of protein. This is not a problem since there are many other foods that vegans eat that are good sources of protein. The only concern would be if someone was eating a lot of vegan cheese, thinking that they were getting a lot of protein and ignoring other protein sources like beans and nuts.

Almost 60% of the vegan cheeses surveyed had high levels of saturated fat (more than 20% of the Daily Value). Excessive dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Close to a third of products were classified as high sodium, having more than 10% of the Daily Value for sodium. Some products had vitamins or minerals added; 19% were fortified with calcium, 14% with vitamin B12, and 1% with vitamin D.

Our published article concluded with some recommendations to manufacturers encouraging development of “products with a better nutritional content and a healthier profile.” We suggested increased use of legumes for producing vegan cheeses as a way of reducing saturated fat and boosting protein. We also called for increased consideration of fortifying vegan cheeses with nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12

Knowing what I do, I plan to continue to use vegan cheeses to add interest and flavor to dishes. I’ll be moderate in the amount I use and will look for products with lower amounts of saturated fat.

To read more about vegan cheese see:

The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Guide to Vegan Cheese (2017)

Cheese-Less Sauces

Vegan cheese (about a Facebook group)

Fava Bean Cheese

Reference

Craig WJ, Mangels AR, Brothers CJ. Nutritional profiles of non-dairy plant-based cheese alternatives. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1247.