Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. VRG exhibited at the Richmond VegFest in Virginia. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. VRG exhibited at the Richmond VegFest in Virginia. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. VRG exhibited at the Richmond VegFest in Virginia. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The VRG has recently noticed several startup companies in the food ingredient space marketing their products with an obvious appeal to vegans and vegetarians, as well as to other consumers with certain dietary restrictions, such as the lactose intolerant.

Here in Part 1 of a series, we look at the whey protein isolate manufactured by Perfect Day.

On their website, Perfect Day is clear about how they manufacture their whey. They start with a piece of a genetic code for beta-lactoglobulin (the scientific name for one form of whey). They found this genetic information available for free on a website.

The actual genetic material on which the virtual genetic code is based was initially taken from the blood of 8-year-old L1 Dominette 01449, a cow living in Montana, in 2009. Her blood was used in the Bovine Genome Project which mapped all 22,000 genes that make up the entire cow genetic signature.

Perfect Day acquired the bovine code from a free online database called UniProt (abbreviation of universal protein resource).

Then Perfect Day inserted the genetic code for beta-lactoglobulin into Trichoderma, a type of fungus. In a large fermentation tank growing on corn sugar, the microbes followed the genetic directions given to it. As a result, Trichoderma produced large amounts of whey that were later separated and purified from the fermentation broth.

The VRG wanted to know if cane sugar was ever used as the growth medium. This could be an additional concern for some vegans and vegetarians if the cane sugar had been processed through a cow bone char filter.

Through email communication in July 2021, Kathleen Nay, Public Affairs and Content Specialist at Perfect Day, informed The VRG:

“At present we use sugar derived from corn. However, our process is feedstock agnostic and can be adapted to local sugar production depending on where the fermentation takes place, to tap into or expand sugar markets. We certainly could use cane sugar if the opportunity were there.”

So far in 2021, this whey protein isolate is an ingredient in the “vegan,” “plant-based,” or “animal-free” ice cream products as marketed by these three brands:

• Nick’s
• Brave Robot
• Graeter’s

Graeter’s indicated on their website that their products contained animal-free whey and casein (another milk protein). We checked into this with Perfect Day and learned:

“At present we only supply animal-free whey protein to Graeter’s, and their on-pack ingredient labels reflect as much (the ingredient is listed as “non-animal whey protein.”)

That said, animal-free casein/caseinates are actively in development. I suspect Graeter’s team developed their FAQs based on our own, which is why theirs mentions casein as well. It’s certainly worth flagging to them – I will pass your note on to our relevant team members here who can touch base with Graeter’s to clarify their website.”

According to Perfect Day’s website, their whey is functionally, genetically, and nutritionally equivalent to the whey in cow’s milk. Consequently, it provides the same texture and taste in foods and beverages as cow’s milk whey. Perfect Day hopes to sell its product to other food companies that will use it in their whey-containing items including soups, sauces, shakes, and snacks.

Since whey is a dairy allergen, federal law requires that it be flagged as such on food labels. The words “Contains milk or milk ingredients” are commonly seen on labels if dairy whey is present.

In the case of Perfect Day’s whey, its presence is indicated on labels by the words “Contains milk protein” or “Contains milk allergen.” It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Is whey from Perfect Day “animal-free”?

The VRG recognizes Perfect Day’s good intentions to move away from a reliance on conventional dairy cows as the source of its whey. We acknowledge the results of a recent lifecycle assessment that quantified how many fewer greenhouse gas emissions are created from its whey production versus those released from raising live cows for milk.

However, on the question of whether their whey is “animal-free,” my personal view is that it wouldn’t be.

The genetic blueprint for the whey is first and foremost bovine. This means there is an animal product (an animal gene) directing the entire process. This is so even if a copy of the bovine gene was used rather than the actual gene isolated from Dominette’s blood. In other words, an animal product is involved in the whey’s manufacture as its initiator.

It is true that the copy of the bovine gene that orchestrated the manufacture does not become incorporated into the whey. Nor is it consumed by the process since the gene is still an integral part of the genetic makeup of Trichoderma fungiwhich are later separated from the whey product. And obviously since genes are so tiny (but are so powerful in their action), only a small amount was needed.

In all these ways, the copy of the bovine gene loosely sounds like a processing aid. From an FDA document on exemptions to labeling, processing aids are thus partly defined:

“…Substances that are added to a food during the processing of such food but are removed in some manner from the food before it is packaged in its finished form.”

Viewing the genetic code as a processing aid in this way, Perfect Day would be exempt from having to label their whey as animal gene-derived.

While it’s true that on its website the company describes its process as starting from animal genes, the phrase animal gene-derived is not specifically used there nor on the ice cream labels of brands (noted above) using its whey. This term is needed so consumers will know beyond a doubt what they are purchasing.

Many vegetarians and vegans do not buy or consume products manufactured with any animal-derived processing aids or carriers even if the food or beverage is otherwise vegan or vegetarian. Animal rennet in cheese making is the prime example. Another is gelatin in fruit drinks or butter/margarine.

They may not want to use Perfect Day’s whey based on similar reasoning. These individuals may not see this whey as “non-animal” or “animal-free.”

If this whey were added to “plant-based” products or items labeled as “vegan” or “vegetarian,” as it already is (see Nick’s ice cream brand above), it could lead to confusion and discontent. It would make some people feel misled, as if products intended for vegetarians and vegans were now covertly tainted with an animal ingredient. In this case, it’s a microscopic gene inserted into fungi responsible for the very existence of the ingredient.

With more animal gene-derived ingredients under development, such as casein (milk protein) and milk fat in the case of Perfect Day, and other animal gene-derived ingredients from other startups that The Vegetarian Resource Group will feature in upcoming blog posts, vegans and vegetarians are advised to seek more information from companies claiming their ingredients or products are “animal-free” or “non-animal.” Find out if the genes are animal-derived or not.

(Under current circumstances) I predict that companies will eventually drop these terms entirely and just call their originally animal- or dairy-derived product “vegan.” If they do, they’ve supplanted the term vegan and redefined it.

“Animal gene-derived” recommendation for labeling

The VRG recommends that all food and beverage companies be clear about the source(s) of all their ingredients on their product labels, websites, and promotional materials. This recommendation applies also in cases where the only animal ingredient was an animal’s gene used to direct its manufacture.

It is only when companies are totally informative about how their ingredients were made will vegetarians and vegans, as well as others with special dietary preferences, be able to purchase and consume foods and beverages with total confidence about what they’re getting.

Stay tuned to this blog for more posts on other startups producing “animal-free” or “non-animal” ingredients.

NOTE FROM THE BLOG EDITOR: Vegetarians and vegans will have different viewpoints on these issues. The Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture have been asking for testimony for the development of labeling standards re foods from cultured animal cells. With clear labeling, consumers will be able to make their own decisions.

For information on other ingredients, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at vrg.org/donate

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

In January 2021, The Vegetarian Resource Group received an inquiry from a food scientist asking if the microbial enzyme protease is vegan. It’s produced by the bacteria Bacillus subtilis on a wheat or soy growth media (fermentation material/substrate).

     Here is our response:

When categorizing any ingredient as vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, or as “typically” one of those three, it is important to consider each ingredient separately. This is especially true when it comes to microbial enzymes.

     You’re right to take the substrate medium into account. Cane sugar is problematic because of the possibility of bone char processing. Whey, L-cysteine, casein, caseinates, or albumen are possibilities as medium components as well.

     Some other components added to media may be problematic, too. (E.g., lecithin from egg or collagen/gelatin from a mammal or fish – although unlikely, it’s a good idea to ask).

     The strictest vegans would ask about animal-derived genetic material. Has any been engineered into the microbial genome to produce the enzyme? Or is the enzyme truly a bacterial protease (as compared to, for example, porcine trypsin produced by bacteria through genetic modification)?

     Lastly, verifying that separation and purification of the protease from the bacterial cells and medium occurred solely by non-animal-derived chemicals and/or mechanical means is needed.”

Are animal-derived enzymes like the protease, pepsin, used in food today?

VRG readers may be interested to know that there are several companies designing microbes to make proteases that have typically been sourced from animals like pigs and cows. The microbes have been genetically engineered to produce enzymes and other proteins used in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements.

     On a commercial basis, animal-derived enzymes are not commonly used today, but they are approved for food use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and, so, could be used. Pepsin, a type of protease, is one of them.

     According to the FDA, “Pepsin is an enzyme preparation obtained from the glandular layer of hog stomach. It is a white to light tan powder, amber paste, or clear amber to brown liquid.”

     Creative Enzymes, an enzyme company, states this information about pepsin on its website:

“Pepsin can be used in the food industry. Pepsin is a component of pancreatic curd that condenses and twists during cheese production. Pepsin can be used to modify soybean protein and gelatin and provide whipping qualities. It can also modify the plant protein used in non-dairy snacks and make pre-cooked cereals into instant hot cereals. Pepsin can also be used to prepare animal and plant protein hydrolysates for seasoning food and beverages. In the leather industry, it is used to remove hair and residual tissue from leather and to recover silver from abandoned photographic film by digesting the gelatin layer in which silver is stored.”

     When pepsin is used to make food and beverages, it serves as a processing aid and, as such, does not have to be labeled. Consumers who want to know if an animal-derived pepsin was used in a food or drink must request this information directly from companies.

     Most manufacturers today wish to avoid animal sources (especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic), present clean labeling on their packaged foods, and/or manufacture consistently pure, plentiful, and sustainable products. For these reasons, they are turning to microbial enzymes instead of animal enzymes.

     Many of the most common enzymes used today as processing aids or in supplements are called digestive proteases that break down proteins. Pepsin may be used to prepare plant-based protein hydrolysates and bioactive peptides. Both are widespread in packaged food, beverages, and dietary supplements.

     Clara Foods recently introduced to the market a yeast-derived pepsin using microbial fermentation technology. The company is also set to offer a chicken-free egg white and is poised to launch similar products manufactured in the same way this year. According to the company, all of their products have the same texture, taste, or functionality in food and beverages as their animal-derived counterparts.

The contents of this posting and our other publications, including The Vegetarian 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.

The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, environment, ethics, and world hunger. Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthy changes in schools, workplaces, and the community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer questions about the vegetarian and vegan diet. For the past 25 years, we have commissioned polls exploring vegetarian-related issues, results of which are often used by researchers, the food industry, and the media. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, contributions, and book sales.  

We welcome the opportunity to comment on Horizontal Approaches to Food Standards of Identity Modernization. We commend FDA for their commitment to protecting consumers against economic adulteration; maintaining the nutritional integrity of food; and providing flexibility to encourage manufacturers to produce more healthful foods. As a consumer organization, we also prioritize providing clear, helpful label information that consumers can use to make an informed choice and to be able to find the foods that they are looking for. It is important for Standards of Identity to be modernized so that label information is relevant to today’s consumers.

We recognize the need to update Standards of Identity. Regardless of the approach used to update these Standards, it is important to meet the needs of a variety of consumers.  We have both specific and broader suggestions for meeting the needs of vegetarians, vegans, and those who wish to eat vegetarian and vegan foods.

According to our most recent poll (1), about 4% of adults in the United States consistently follow a vegetarian diet, about half of these are vegan and do not eat any animal products. People choose to follow vegetarian or vegan diets for a variety of reasons including health, ecological, and religious concerns, dislike of meat, compassion for animals, belief in non-violence, and economics. Many other people avoid dairy products and/or meat products due to environmental concerns; health issues such as allergies, lactose intolerance, or hypercholesterolemia; or for other reasons. Our most recent poll (1) finds 46% of American adults sometimes or always eating vegetarian (including vegan) meals. This segment is likely to increase since 60% of 18-34 year olds always/sometimes eat vegetarian (including vegan) meals when eating out. Clearly, a large and growing segment of the population needs products to be labeled in a way that meets their needs as consumers of plant-based products.

Vegetarians and those interested in reducing animal product consumption commonly use plant-based products (milks, cheeses, yogurts, meats) in place of animal-based products. The plant-based products are used to add variety, to enable users to prepare foods similar to those made with animal-based products, and, in some instances, to supply nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and protein. Label information should allow consumers to recognize plant-based products that replace meat or dairy products using familiar words like “burger,” “milk,” “cheese,” or “bacon.”

Our understanding of dairy terms like milk, yogurt and cheese, and meat terms like burger, sausage, or bacon, when they are used to label plant-based products is that these products are plant-based alternatives to animal-based products. In many, although not all cases, plant-based products can be used in food preparation and will behave similarly to animal-based products. For example, plant-based cheese may be used to top pizza; plant-based milk used to make a cream soup. Just as different dairy milks and cheeses have different tastes, characteristics, and uses, so do plant-based milks. For instance, chocolate milk, even though it’s labeled as milk, would not be used to make a savory dish. Similarly, replacing Cheddar cheese with ricotta cheese in macaroni and cheese would result in a very different product. Despite these differences, these products are all identified as milk or cheese. Considering the wide variety of animal-based products identified as milk, cheese, or yogurt, it does not seem incongruous to also identify plant-based products as milk, cheese, or yogurt with a modifier identifying the main plant ingredient (e.g. soy milk, cashew cheese, almond milk yogurt). Similarly plant-based meat replacers could be identified as “soy burger,” “tempeh bacon,” or “tofu-based sausage.”

The Nutrition Facts and ingredient list on food labels along with front of label information allows consumers to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of plant-based products. Our website, and those of other vegan organizations, encourage consumers to seek out plant-based products that are fortified with nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 if they rely on these products as a source of these nutrients. Consumers are aware that there are nutritional differences between plant-based and animal-based products. We note that terms such as coconut milk and peanut butter have been used for many years without confusion as to their plant origins or to these products’ nutritional differences from cow’s milk or dairy butter.

We believe that prohibiting plant-food labels from including words like milk, cheese, burgers, sausage, and yogurt in the name of these products would lead to consumer confusion. We urge you to permit the labeling of plant-based products with names that include milk, cheese, burgers, sausage, and yogurt.

Our suggestion for allowing for increased flexibility and for providing useful information is to use standardized label terminology. The following terms are proposed:

• Plant-based: Used to indicate a product that contains exclusively ingredients not originating from animals
• Mainly plant-based: Used to indicate a product that contains mainly ingredients not-originating from animals
• Animal-based: Used to indicate a product that contains mainly or exclusively animal-based ingredients
• Vegan: Used to indicate a product that
  • Does not an contain animal products (meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs, and honey) or ingredients derived from animals such as vitamin D3 from lanolin
  • Is not produced with animal-based processing aids or with processing procedures using animal products such as bone char for cane sugar
  • Does not contain insects or insect-derived ingredients, or insect secretions
  • Does not contain animal genes and is not genetically derived from animals

Nutrient Content Claims such as “high in” or “good source of” could be used to indicate plant-based or vegan products that provide significant amounts of key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12 that consumers may expect to be in animal-sourced products.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this issue.

References

1. Stahler C. How many adults in the U.S are vegetarian and vegan? How many adults eat vegetarian and vegan meals when eating out? Asks the Vegetarian Resource Group. https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2019_adults_veg.htm Published 2019.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an inquiry from a reader asking for a sugar update. She wanted to know if cane sugar is still mostly processed in the United States through cow bone char as it was when we last reported on it.

We first asked the American Sugar Refining Group (ASR Group®), maker of C&H®, Domino® and Florida Crystals® Sugar. The company had told us in 2013 that the cane sugar processed in 2 of their 9 plants, in Yonkers, NY and in Orlando, FL, was bone char-free. We wanted to know if this was still accurate information, and if any other of their plants had converted to non-cow bone char methods of cane sugar decolorization in the last few years.

In July 2019, we emailed Domino these two questions through their web contact form:

1. How much of your sugar is whitened through cow bone char?
2. Can I know how your sugar has been processed from your package codes?

Here is the response we received from Domino Foods. [VRG Note: Please note that in this response, ASR Group refers to “bone char” as “animal-derived natural charcoal.”]

“…At ASR, we utilize natural charcoal to remove the color and impurities from the sugar liquor at our Chalmette (LA) and Crockett (CA) refineries. Natural charcoal is not used for decolorization at our Baltimore (MD) and Yonkers (NY) refineries…

The…refined sugar products manufactured from our process do not contain any actual impurity from the natural charcoal. We also market…Demerara Washed Raw Sugar and a certified organic sugar which are crystallized from pressed/filtered cane juice and not filtered via natural charcoal….”

In answer to followup questions, a Consumer Relation Specialist at Domino Foods said:
“…The production or lot code would determine which refinery our sugar is manufactured. Baltimore’s code starts with a 4 and Yonkers starts with a 1…”

“The code numbers for Chalmette, LA start with a 5, Crockett, CA starts with a 7.

Our refinery in South Bay, FL starts with a 6, which also does not use bone char.”

“C&H® Sugar from California is mostly in the West and some of the Midwest. Domino is largely in the East and Southeast. Florida Crystals® is South and East Coast.”

Based on all of the responses above, The VRG has assembled information received by the American Sugar Refining Group in the following table:

Table 1. ASR Group Processing Method and Plant Codes – August 2019

Plant Location Production (Lot) # Cow Bone Char Used U.S. Regions Where Sold
Crockett, CA 7 yes West, Midwest
Chalmette, LA 5 yes –
Yonkers, NY 1 no –
Baltimore, MD 4 no East, Southeast
South Bay, FL 6 no South, East Coast

Interested readers can check back to our website for more updates on cow bone char decolorization in cane sugar processing as we survey major sugar companies.

For information on other ingredients, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Chobani introduced a coconut-based non-dairy yogurt to its product line in January 2019.

The VRG reported soon after that the natural flavors in Chobani non-dairy yogurt are all plant-derived.

We followed up with Chobani by email and phone about their non-dairy yogurt with these questions:

1. Has the cane sugar in your non-dairy products been filtered through cow bone char?
2. Are your cultures microbial? Have they been genetically modified in any way? If they have, is there any animal- or dairy-derived genetic material that’s been incorporated into the microbial genome?
3. Are there any animal-or milk-derived ingredients (like lactose) or sugar that has been processed through cow bone char used in the growth media for your microbial cultures? If you are unable to tell us what is in the media could you tell us what is NOT in it?

The VRG spoke several times with the Community Loyalty Team at Chobani between February and May 2019.

We learned that in the non-dairy yogurt products:
•Cane sugar is the type of sugar used. (In other products, Chobani previously used evaporated cane juice which, incidentally, is never processed through cow bone char.)
•The cane sugar in the Strawberry and Mango drinkable Non-Dairy Chobani products has been processed through cow bone char. (There are 4 drinkable products and 5 spoonable ones made with non-dairy coconut purée.)
•In all other non-dairy products, the cane sugar has not been processed through cow bone char.
Regarding the cultures, Chobani employees told us that they use “all non-GMO ingredients in vegetable cultures.”

Because the phrase is vague, we rephrased the question by asking them if they use bacterial cultures grown on vegetable-based media.

They confirmed this and added that “lactose is not present in the media.”

The VRG received this email:
“Our food science team confirms that the live and active cultures found in Non-Dairy Chobani products are suitable for vegetarian diets…Chobani has rejected the use of genetically modified organisms, including in our yogurt cultures. Due to the competitive nature of the yogurt industry, our team declines to comment on the specific materials and processes used in the maintenance and proliferation of our live and active culture strains.”

Because the meaning of the term “vegetarian” varies among companies as well as people, The VRG followed up with a phone call for more clarification. We asked specifically if cane sugar or corn served as the carbohydrate source in the culture medium.

We were told that Chobani doesn’t call any of their products “vegan” as that term is not legally defined.

The VRG agreed and added that since the term “vegetarian” is also legally undefined, we ask companies for ingredient information or at least information on what is not present.

Then our readers can decide for themselves whether a food product meets their definition of “vegetarian” or “vegan.”

Again, Chobani declined to tell us the component(s) of its culture medium and also would not say if cane sugar or corn is absent from it.

The VRG recommends that consumers who want to know more, especially vegans and/or people sensitive to corn-derived ingredients (which are common in culture media), contact Chobani for more information.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

For information about various ingredients, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php