By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The BevVeg! Label for vegan beverages, food, and consumer products was created in November 2017 by Founder and CEO, Carissa Kranz, Esq., a vegan from birth. She, along with fellow vegan lawyers, Alyse Bentz and Penny Furr, hope to set a higher standard for companies wanting to call their products vegan. BevVeg! is an intended play on words to imply BE VEG.

“BevVeg! certification logo means our research reveals: No animal ingredients or animal by-products used in the processing, clarification, filtration, de-acidification, or manufacturing before bottling or packaging. We also investigate whether the product manufacturing, bottling, and packaging is from a shared facility, or outsourced or sub-licensed to a facility that may compromise the vegan integrity or cause cross-contamination. If sugar is used, we require proof that manufacturer uses zero bone char (often disguised as “natural charcoal”). Likewise, we require proof from source ingredient manufacturers to ensure those listed parent ingredients also maintain vegan integrity. No animal testing on the BevVeg! certified product.”

Kranz elaborated on her Group’s vegan standard by adding: “…we look into all source ingredients without outlining different subsections of ingredients allowed or disallowed, and without breaking down eligible products or enzymes, etc. We research every ingredient and every product and each new product is in its own universe of evaluation. We separate out each file and investigate that file according to our standard. We are constantly surprised at labels and ingredients and processes and truly feel our standard, as is, is what we are comfortable working with as it allows us to set a standard and use an attorney’s mind to make sure it’s aligned…we look into all flavors, colors, agents, enzymes, etc. I think our standard is clear that all of that is considered, and not rounded down to zero, like the law allows.”

In describing The BevVeg! logo, Kranz wrote to The Vegetarian Resource Group that the BevVeg! Label is “different from all other vegan labels in that ours is the only one created and administered by attorneys.”

She stated in an email:
“We are a law firm. Lawyers, by nature, are regulators. We bring credibility and legitimacy to the vegan standard. We raise the standard.”

BevVeg! was founded to provide consumers with much needed transparency. Ms. Kranz said: “If you see the BevVeg! logo on a product, the consumer can trust that the product has been cross examined and investigated as part of a legal disclosure process.”

In October 2018, The VRG spoke with Kranz & Bentz about their label and methods. Kranz elaborated:

“BevVeg! is a law firm that researches and certifies vegan food, beverage, and product claims. Right now, the law does not regulate what is claimed ‘vegan’… As attorneys, we drafted a vegan standard for an industry that is in need of a vegan definition…We require disclosures that the law, as of today, does not [demand]. A vegan would say those disclosures are [necessary].

“BevVeg! certification is based on a high standard of vegan integrity. Use of the BevVeg! logo is only licensed to products in alignment with our vegan standard based on our extensive due diligence…and certification process. We have made the paperwork and disclosure process a legal process. There is no simple form to fill out. This is about tracing product ingredients, source ingredients and manufacturing processes. Furthermore, this certification requires diligent documentation of these practices…The BevVeg! label signifies that attorneys have completed their due diligence and audited the products.

“Companies seeking the BevVeg! vegan certification mark establish an attorney-client relationship with us, which gives rise to attorney-client privilege…We are not here to expose them…We must have full disclosures about all ingredients, processing, bottling, and packaging before we certify and license use of the BevVeg! logo.

“Consumers…want truth, transparency, and authenticity in labeling…[They] should feel at ease when they see the BevVeg! certified logo knowing that those products have been audited by attorneys and determined to be in alignment with the BevVeg! vegan standard based on extensive due diligence, research and cross examination.”

The VRG asked if BevVeg! requires details on how companies manufacture their products or if they simply ask for a signed statement declaring “no animal ingredients or animal byproducts involved.” Kranz informed us:

“The law firm asks for details and we ask for signed affidavits. We encourage companies to be forthcoming in describing their methods…”

Bentz elaborated on this to The VRG by stating that BevVeg! must know all details about how the product was manufactured, “including, for example, the names of the yeast or bacterial strains involved in production; ingredients in any growth media used to grow microbes; or if any animal-derived genetic material were used…Without knowing the details…BevVeg! will not certify a product as vegan.”

Below are written responses from BevVeg! to our questions:

The VRG: Which types of products do you certify?
BevVeg!: We certify all types of products (e.g. beverages, food, soaps, makeup, etc.) We have two distinct trademarked logos. One for all products and one specifically for beverages.

The VRG: How long have you been certifying beverages?
BevVeg!: Our company was founded in 2017 and has been certifying beverages since its inception.

The VRG: How many beverages are currently certified by you?
BevVeg!: We have certified beverages worldwide from South Africa to Italy to America, and our list is growing daily. For the most up-to-date information on our certified beverages, we encourage consumers to download our free app. Through the app, consumers can access our searchable database, which identifies certified beverages as “BevVeg! Certified Vegan.”

The following are some examples of recently certified with the BevVeg logo found on the app:
• wines from Connecticut winery Priam Vineyards
• O.R.E. Raw Vegan Gin
• The Vice Wine from Napa
• United Nations of Wine (Leopard Frog) from South Africa
• Bellissima Prosecco, Christie Brinkley’s wine line from Italy.

The VRG: Do you certify vegan only (not vegetarian)?
BevVeg!: At this time, we certify vegan only.

The VRG: Do you perform any ingredient verification beyond a company’s signed list? If you use a checklist of any type, please attach.
BevVeg!: Any statements by company representatives in connection with their application are considered legal representations…We require that company representatives sign an affidavit certifying that all of the information contained in the application is true and correct under penalty of perjury.

We do not have a simple checklist, nor do we have a simple application. Each application is custom tailored …That’s what makes us unique.

The VRG: Since you are mainly basing your label on legal representations, what is the penalty for false information? What remedy would you pursue? What is in the legal agreement?
BevVeg!: As part of the application process, companies must sign an affidavit swearing that all information provided to us for purposes of certifying their products as vegan is true and correct.

… Any companies that knowingly submit false information in connection with an application are banned from bearing our certification mark or applying for certification in the future. Furthermore, in the event we discover that a company has lied on their application, we would immediately rescind our authorization to use the BevVeg! certification mark. Per our application, in the event any information submitted as part of an application for vegan certification is found to be incorrect, the company must immediately publish a correction on their websites letting consumers know that their vegan certification has been rescinded. [VRG note: Italics are Ms. Kranz’.]

As a law firm, we are able to establish attorney-client privilege with our clients (i.e., the companies who apply for certification). The attorney-client privilege is intended to enable companies to be completely transparent with us as they seek certification. We do not penalize companies who fail to meet our standard. Rather, we seek to counsel them and advise them on way to improve their ingredients and processes so that they will be able to meet our vegan standard in the near future.

We make it clear to companies seeking certification that there is no penalty for not meeting our vegan standard. Because of the attorney-client privilege, we do not disclose which companies are seeking certification and which companies have failed to meet our vegan standard. Also, we keep our application fees minimal so that companies don’t feel any sort of financial pressure to lie on their applications. In the event a product does not meet our vegan standard, the annual licensing fee will be completely refunded for that product.

We believe this creates a strong incentive for companies to be transparent and forthcoming on their applications.

The VRG: Do you perform an on-site inspection? Do you announce it at the start of the certification process?
BevVeg!: Yes. At the start of the application process, companies are notified that we reserve the right to complete an on-site inspection, and that we do not have to provide any prior notice…If we believe pertinent information may be gleaned through a site visit or if we feel that an on-site inspection is necessary to verify the company’s claims, then an on-site inspection will take place. Inspections are unannounced. However, out of respect for our clients, inspections typically take place during normal business hours. Many new account leads begin with on-site visits…before the application process even begins. Also, all certified products are subject to random on-site inspection, as necessary, and we trace the ingredients…to the manufacturer that supplied those ingredients…

The VRG: You said: “… all certified products are subject to random on-site inspection…” Can you please clarify?
BevVeg!: We have completed inspections. For many of our recently certified products, we have conducted an on-site inspection at the time the company applied for certification, or immediately after. In addition to this initial inspection, we require that companies agree to random on-site inspections.

That being said, on-site inspections are only a small part of the process, and, in our experience, only yield so much information. While an on-site inspection can be helpful for evaluating practices at a particular facility, many food manufacturers use ingredients from third parties. A site visit would yield little to no valuable information regarding whether these outsourced ingredients meet our vegan standard. Because we are able to establish attorney-client privilege with our clients, they feel more comfortable disclosing their suppliers to us so that we can thoroughly investigate each and every ingredient used.

The VRG: Do you have a food technologist who evaluates company information?
BevVeg!: We are a law firm, and each application is reviewed by a team of attorneys. Like many law firms, we reserve the right to engage outside consultants and experts when we believe it is appropriate to do so. These consultants may include food technologists and other specialized personnel.

At this time, however, we do not feel a full-time food technologist is necessary for our purposes. There is no litmus test to determine whether a product is vegan or not. No scientific test exists to confirm trace animal products. At BevVeg!, our focus is on disclosures and transparency into processes and ingredients that are not currently investigated under the law.

Furthermore, many of the larger companies seeking certification have their own certification team. Together, we research and strategize with those teams to figure out how these companies can best meet the BevVeg! vegan standard, without it being cost prohibitive. For these types of major accounts, we do not need our own food technologist as those accounts are well staffed with in house liaisons.

The VRG: How often do you make sure a product formulation or processes hasn’t changed?
BevVeg!: If we determine that a product meets our vegan standard, we grant them a license to use our certification mark for a one-year period. Companies must apply for certification every year, and notify us immediately if anything changes in the meantime.

The VRG: Is it in the contract that companies have to notify you immediately of changes?
BevVeg!: Yes. The affidavit certifies future intent to uphold the BevVeg! vegan standard. In other words, companies must swear that they will uphold the BevVeg! vegan standard. In the event a company elects to modify any ingredients or processes used in the creation of the certified product, the company is instructed to notify BevVeg! immediately.

The VRG: Do you charge fees (based on annual revenue and/or number of products)?
BevVeg!: For new applications (i.e., applications for product not previously certified by BevVeg!), the application fee is $150 per product. For renewals only (i.e., applications for products certified by BevVeg! during the preceding 12-month period), the application fee is $50 per product. If approved, the annual licensing fee for use of the BevVeg! certification logo is $250 per product certified.

The VRG: Are meat, fish, poultry or animal slaughter byproducts used in products or manufacturing?
BevVeg!: No.

The VRG: Do you inquire about cow bone char as a filter? Are gelatin & collagen also screened for? Do you specifically ask about any others? Which?
BevVeg!: Yes. We require that companies list all ingredients and their manufacturers. We then independently verify whether or not those ingredients are vegan…Research into the…ingredients, [manufacturing) processes and packaging are key.

The VRG: Do you specifically refer to “processing aids” in your questions or just ask if certain ingredients are IN the final product?
BevVeg!: We require detailed disclosures regarding the entire process used. For example, while fining agents are typically filtered out before bottling, we require that companies identify any and all fining agents. If shared machinery is used, we also require that companies describe processes used to clean the equipment to prevent cross contamination. We do not want any trace animal products in the final product, so processing aids are absolutely part of our certification deliberations.

The VRG: Are eggs or egg products permitted?
BevVeg!: No.

The VRG: Do you specifically ask about albumen as well as eggs as processing aids which may or may not be in the final product?
BevVeg!: Yes. We ask companies to provide a complete list of ingredients and processing aids. The use of albumen or egg whites at any stage of the manufacturing process is not permitted.

The VRG: Are milk or milk products permitted?
BevVeg!: No.

The VRG: Do you specifically ask about casein and whey as well as milk as processing aids which may or may not be in the final product?
BevVeg!: Yes. We ask companies to provide a complete list of all ingredients and processing aids. The use of whey, casein or any milk products at any stage of the manufacturing process is not permitted.

The VRG: Are animal-derived genetically modified organisms (GMOs) permitted?
BevVeg!: No.

The VRG: Have any microorganisms, fruits, grains, etc. used to make the final beverage product undergone any modifications through the insertion of genetic material that originated from animals, animal or dairy products and/or animal byproducts?
BevVeg!: [GMO] ingredients that may have involved animal genes or substances are prohibited.

The VRG: Are contaminated equipment safeguards taken?
BevVeg!: Yes. As noted above, in the event shared equipment is used, companies must describe in detail any cleaning methods used to prevent cross contamination. After careful review, we determine whether such methods are acceptable.

The VRG: Are any of the beverages that you certify manufactured on equipment (including fermentation tanks) that is used to make non-vegan products or products that are processed with animal or dairy ingredients although nothing non-vegetable remains in the final product?
BevVeg!: If any shared equipment is used, companies are asked to describe in great detail the measures taken to prevent cross contamination. These questions are asked as part of our cross examination and the answers are considered during our certification deliberations.

The VRG: Besides equipment mentioned in the preceding question, are there separate preparation utensils (spoons, bowls, etc.) for vegan-only products?
BevVeg!: If any non-vegan products (products that either contain animal ingredients or products that are made using animal ingredients even though the animal byproduct is not present in the final product) are made in the same facility, the company must describe in detail all measures taken to prevent cross contamination. If the product is bottled off site, the company must provide the name of the facility used to bottle the product so that we can research the risk of cross contamination prior to bottling. All representations are made by legal representatives, signed, notarized, verified and made under penalty of perjury.

For more information and an up-to-date list of certified products, readers may refer to the BevVeg! app available for download and on their website. [For app download, the following link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bevveg-vegan-beverage-guide/id1359972316?mt=8. For website, www.bevveg.com]

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.

See more labeling information here:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue3/2006_issue3_labels.php
https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
With over 15 locations in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland, Perfect Pita is a family-owned business founded in 1994. Today Perfect Pita also operates Perfect Daughter®, a catering service run by the founder’s daughter. Viewers may learn more about the family business through the video on the site’s About Us page: http://theperfectpita.com/about/

Perfect Pita restaurants and catering company offer a Mediterranean-American cuisine. For locations, visit: http://theperfectpita.com/locations/

Perfect Pita’s menu http://theperfectpita.com/menu/ has a special vegan section including:
•white bean salad
•shepherd salad
•tabouli
•stuffed grape leaves
•falafel
•navy bean soup
•hummus

Between August and November 2017 The VRG spoke and communicated by email with Rosario Castro and Fatih Altun at Perfect Pita about their menu. Here are excerpts from the exchange.

VRG: Does your pita bread contain milk or dairy ingredients such as whey?
Perfect Pita: Our pitas don’t contain any milk nor whey.

VRG: Is the Hummus Sandwich all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: Our Hummus Sandwich is vegan.

VRG: Is the tzatziki sauce made with yogurt?
Perfect Pita: Our tzatziki sauce is made with sour cream, not yogurt.

VRG: Is the Falafel Pita all-vegetable without the tzatziki sauce?
Perfect Pita: Yes, it is vegan without the tzatziki.

VRG: Do you make the hummus in your restaurants starting with dry beans?
Perfect Pita: We do make our hummus starting with dry beans.

VRG: Are all hummus varieties all-vegetable? Do any varieties contain cheese?
Perfect Pita: All our hummus (all flavors) is vegan (no meat, no dairy).

VRG: Is the falafel all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: Our falafel is vegetarian and it can also be vegan since our tzatziki sauce comes on the side and you don’t have to necessarily get it. Tzatziki can also be substituted by our vegan hummus.

VRG: Has the falafel been fried in fresh oil? Which kind?
Perfect Pita: We use canola oil.

VRG: Is anything else prepared in the oil used to cook the falafel? If so, what?
Perfect Pita: No, just falafel.

VRG: Is the tabouli all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: Tabouli is vegan.

VRG: Is the white bean salad all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: The white bean salad is vegan.

VRG: Is the navy bean soup all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: The navy bean soup is vegan.

VRG: What are the grape leaves stuffed with?
Perfect Pita: Our grape leaves are stuffed with rice.

VRG: Has the rice in the grape leaves been seasoned with animal flavors or cooked in animal broth?
Perfect Pita: No. The rice in the grape leaves are not flavored with any kind of animal flavor nor animal broth.

VRG: Do you have any salad dressing which is all-vegetable and made without honey?
Perfect Pita: Our homemade red wine vinaigrette doesn’t contain any honey or animal product.

VRG: Has the red wine in the red wine vinaigrette been clarified with an animal ingredient such as albumen or gelatin?
Perfect Pita: We don’t clarify it with gelatin.

VRG: Does the red wine vinaigrette contain sugar?
Perfect Pita: No sugar is added.

VRG: Do the vegetable components of your menu come into contact with dairy products or meat/fish?
Perfect Pita: We do allergen separation and our veggies don’t come into contact with any meat/fish or dairy.
Perfect Pizzas:
VRG: Are the crusts all-vegetable?
Perfect Pita: Pizza crust is vegetarian.

VRG: Is there L-cysteine in the crust?
Perfect Pita: There is no L-cysteine in our crust.

VRG: Is there sugar in the crust?
Perfect Pita: Yes. We do add sugar to our pizza dough.

VRG: Are there any animal-derived ingredients in the red sauce?
Perfect Pita: No.

VRG: What is in the “spinach mix” pizza topping?
Perfect Pita: The spinach mix is cooked spinach mixed with feta cheese and onions.

VRG: Does your feta cheese contain animal rennet?
Perfect Pita: Our feta cheese contains vegetable-based microbial rennet.

VRG: Does the feta cheese contain animal lipase?
Perfect Pita: It contains animal-based lipase from goat.

VRG: Are your mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses made with animal-derived enzymes?
Perfect Pita: Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses [are made with] cow’s whole milk and animal-derived enzyme.

Perfect Pita® Bagel and Pita Bread Are Vegan
Perfect Pita’s Bagel
L-cysteine
Rosario Castro of Perfect Pita told us in August 2017 that L-cysteine served as a dough conditioner in their bagel. We wanted to know its source and contacted her supplier, Soft Stuff Distributors® http://www.gosoftstuff.com/ who in turn asked us to contact the bagel manufacturer, Always Bagels®.

Anthony Pariti of Always Bagels wrote to us in September 2017 that “the cysteine is sourced from vegetable fermentation.” When we asked for more explanation, he in turn directed us to speak with the R&D department of his supplier, Puratos®, who sells the dough conditioner that he uses to make the bagels. After speaking with Puratos we confirmed that Perfect Pita’s bagels are made with microbially-derived L-cysteine manufactured by Wacker®.] https://www.wacker.com/cms/en/products/product_groups/cystein.jsp

SUGAR
Always Bagels: There is no bone char in the filtration. It comes to us white and again the process they described to me is the white color happens during the filtration of the sugar at their facility.

The sugar supplier emailed us a letter from Mark Rudolph, the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Manager at Sweeteners Plus® dated February 2017 regarding “Bone char use in the production of refined sugar /vegan statement”: “Although natural charcoal, or bone char, is sometimes employed as a filter media in the production of refined cane sugar, Sweeteners Plus is not currently sourcing bulk Granulated Sugar manufactured using bone char.

Currently all sugar products, organic and conventional, sold under the Sweeteners Plus label including bulk Liquid Sugars and bulk and packaged Granulated Sugar are manufactured without the use of bone char from sugar beets or sugar cane, neither of which is derived from an animal source.

Our Lakeville, NY facility is certified Kosher, Halal suitable, and uses no additives that contain animal sources.”

Perfect Pita Pita Bread
The VRG learned from Rosario at Perfect Pita that there is no L-cysteine in their pita bread which they make in their restaurants starting from dry flour. She also furnished to us a no-cow bone char vegan declaration from their sugar supplier. There are no dairy ingredients in the pita bread at Perfect Pita.

For more information on Perfect Pita catering: http://theperfectpita.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/New-Catering-Menu-May.pdf

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 more chain restaurant information, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

Hindus want the Food and Drug Administration to change labeling laws so that labels indicate if gelatin contain beef or pork.

For more information, see:
https://www.globalmeatnews.com/Article/2017/12/14/Hindus-have-beef-with-US-gelatin-law?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Dec-2017&c=yazB%2FDHFv2UdsB3XG%2FKgkw%3D%3D&p2=

Lieber’s jel contains: Ingredients: Sugar (non-bone char), adipic acid, carrageenan, potassium citrate, locust bean gum

Order from Vegan Essentials.

https://store.veganessentials.com/liebers-unflavored-jel-p1760.aspx

Also sold in many kosher stores.

We also saw Geff and Glicks brands in a nonkosher supermarket, which caters to the Jewish community.

Note that not all kosher gelatin is vegetarian, so you need to read the label or ask the company.

For more information on gelatin, see:
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php#gelatin

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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

In 2006, three Greek childhood friends opened full-service Cava Mezze http://www.cavamezze.com/ in their Rockville, MD hometown followed by other locations in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The restaurants featured small plate (mezze) Greek dining.

As a spin-off on Cava Mezze, the founders launched in 2011 Cava Grill http://cava.com/, a fast-casual, Greek- and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant chain with locations in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia region. Since then DC-based Cava has expanded to the New York City area and California with plans to open locations in North Carolina, Texas, and Massachusetts by 2018. As of December 2017, there are approximately forty Cava Grill locations in the United States according to their website: http://cava.com/locations

Since late 2008, Cava’s dips & spreads are sold at specialty markets nationwide: http://cava.com/products/where-to-buy

The VRG corresponded by email with Megan Vlasho, Customer Experience Manager, and Zach Korte, Food Safety Quality Engineer at Cava Grill, to find out more about its vegan menu items. Here is what we learned between July to November 2017. Our questions are arranged by Cava’s menu item categories as they appear on the chain’s website.

Base:
The VRG: Does your pita or mini-pita contain milk, whey, or any dairy ingredient?
Cava: No, none of our pitas contain dairy.

The VRG: Does your pita or mini-pita contain sugar?
Cava: They contain sugar.

The VRG: Do you use organic sugar in your pita breads making them from scratch? If you use a premix or premade dough, do you know if the sugar in the pita is non-cow bone char processed?
Cava: We get our pita bread from a third party, so I’ll have to ask them about their sugar.

Zach wrote: I’ve been in contact with our pita supplier. They state that they are 100% vegetarian, and they are halal-certified, which ensures no animal products are present in the final product. Their suppliers, including sugar, are confidential, so they could not share the information about bone char processing.

The VRG: Is L-cysteine used as a dough conditioner in your pita or mini-pita?
Cava: Our supplier … (said) In the past it was made from sugar beets; however this has recently changed and they are now using the ingredient which is made from feathers.

The VRG: Do you use meat stock or broths to cook the rice?
Cava: Vegetable broth.

Dips + Spreads:
The VRG: Do you make your hummus starting from dry garbanzo beans?
Cava: We use canned chickpeas in our hummus.

The VRG: Is the hummus all-vegetable?
Cava: We have a number of hummus options.
[VRG Note: Complete hummus ingredient information is presented by clicking on entries shown here: http://cava.com/products.]

The VRG: Does the roasted red pepper hummus contain cheese?
Cava: No.

The VRG: Does the harissa sauce contain mayonnaise or any dairy?
Cava: No.
[VRG Note: Cava’s other menu offerings in this category: Tzatziki Sauce, Eggplant & Red Pepper Dip, and Crazy Feta contain dairy.]

The VRG: Is your feta cheese made with animal rennet?
Cava: I spoke with our feta supplier and they use vegetarian microbial rennet.

The VRG: Does your feta cheese contain animal lipase?
Cava: [It contains] an animal-based lipase.

The VRG: Does your feta cheese contain any other animal-derived enzymes?
Cava: [The lipase is] the only animal-derived enzyme in the product.

The VRG: Does the yogurt in your Tzatziki Sauce and the Eggplant & Red Pepper Dip contain any animal-derived enzymes or cultures?
Cava: The yogurt in our dips & spreads is manufactured using non-animal enzymes and cultures.

Protein:
The VRG: Is the falafel all-vegetable? Is it prepared away from all meats?
Cava: Our beef meatballs, lamb meatballs, and falafel are prepared using the same prep equipment (bowls) but they are thoroughly washed and sanitized between their use with different recipes.

The VRG: Is the falafel fried in fresh oil? If so, which type of oil?
Cava: The falafel is fried in canola oil, which is changed on a regular basis and only used to fry our falafel, pita chips, and pita crisps toppings.

The VRG: Are the pita chips made from the pita bread?
Cava: Yes.

The VRG: Are the roasted vegetables prepared in animal fats or in contact with meats during storage and/or preparation?
Cava: No.

Toppings:
The VRG: Are the pickled onions and/or pickled banana peppers made with vinaigrette?
Cava: No, but our pickled onions do contain sugar.

The VRG: Does the cabbage slaw contain vinaigrette?
Cava: No. It uses olive oil and lemon juice.

The VRG: Are the tomato + cucumber and the tomato + onion salads all-vegetable?
Cava: Yes.

The VRG: Is the Cauliflower Quinoa Tabbouleh all-vegetable?
Cava: Yes, with the addition of olive oil, herbs, and seasoning.

The VRG: Is the White Bean Salad all-vegetable?
Cava: Yes, with the addition of olive oil, herbs, and seasoning.

Dressings:
The VRG: Are the following dressings all-vegetable?
•Apricot Dill
•Greek Vinaigrette
•Lemon Herb Tahini
•Green Harissa
Cava: Yes.

The VRG: Do they contain added sugar?
Cava: Yes to all but our Summer Spicy Apricot contains agave.

Later we asked for a sugar update:
The VRG: Has Cava begun using 100% USDA Organic sugar that is never filtered through cow bone char?
Cava: We switched to organic sugar, which does not use bone char, about a month ago.
[VRG Note: We received this reply on October 10, 2017.]

The VRG: Looking again at your allergen page and menu, I noticed “mezze” on the allergen page (in the “base + extras” table) but did not see it on your menu. What specifically is “mezze” and how is it vegetarian?
Cava: “Mezze” on our menu refers to your choice of three dips + pita chips, which are all vegetarian. Ingredient specifications for each of our dips can be found on our Allergens page.

Cava offers some seasonal menu items. Viewing its Fall 2017 menu, The VRG asked the following about fall menu offerings.

The VRG: Are the following all-vegetable?
•Greek Minestrone Soup with Harissa
•Juices: Apple Cinnamon Sage, Cucumber Mint, Blackberry Orange Shrub, Rosemary Limeade
•Seasonal Roasted Vegetables
•Carrots & Currants topping
•Yellow Pepper Tahini dressing
Cava: Yes, all those menu items contain only vegetables/vegetarian ingredients.

The VRG: Do the fall menu items listed in the previous question contain sugar?
Cava: The rosemary limeade contains organic cane sugar. The shrub and cucumber mint juices contain agave.

The VRG: Do any of your menu items contain honey?
Cava: None of our menu items contain honey.

Interested readers may find out more about Cava Grill:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/meggentaylor/2016/07/13/is-cava-grill-the-next-shake-shack-for-fast-casual-mediterranean-inspired-cuisine/#5081a21366de

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

With over 20 locations mostly in Colorado but also in Texas, Virginia, Georgia, and Minnesota, Garbanzo offers several Mediterranean-inspired vegan menu options. See: http://www.eatgarbanzo.com/menu/

The Vegetarian Resource Group first spoke with Joe Chum, Director of Support Services at Garbanzo, in May 2017. We noted a few changes in their website soon after and followed up with Joe between June and October 2017.

Based on our multiple phone discussions and emails, we generated the following list of Garbanzo’s vegan menu options (excluding raw vegetables) according to the website menu scrolling from top to bottom:

Vegan Menu Options at Garbanzo
•pita bread* (white, wheat, gluten-free)
•tortilla* (white)
•falafel
•portobello mushrooms
•original hummus
•seasonal hummus
•tabbouleh salad
•tomato cucumber salad
•seasoned rice
•baba ganoush
•cilantro sauce
•red chili sauce
•Greek vinaigrette*
•tahini sauce
•homemade fries
•homemade chips
*Item contains sugar although information received from this chain differed during the months The VRG was conducting research. In the list above, the latest information obtained during October 2017 is presented. See Q&A below for more information.

According to page 5 of Garbanzo’s allergen sheet the Mediterranean garlic sauce contains egg (mayonnaise) and the Tzatziki sauce contains milk (yogurt). See:
http://www.eatgarbanzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/16-2300506_garbanzo_allergen_sheet_04-2016.pdf

In May 2017, Joe told us:
•“The pita bread does not contain milk.”
•“The seasoned rice used to contain chicken broth but it no longer does.”
•“There is no L-cysteine in the pita bread.” (L-cysteine is a dough conditioner that is most often derived from poultry feathers although microbial alternatives exist).
•“The flatbread contains dry milk.”
•“The portobello mushrooms are prepared in their own sauté pan away from meat products.”

Garbanzo’s Grab & Go Menu
Also in May 2017, Joe informed us that the Vegetarian Wrap on the Grab & Go menu (see their allergen sheet given above) “is usually made with the white or whole wheat tortilla and anything can go in it,” stated Joe. [VRG Note: In October 2017, Joe told us that Garbanzo offers only white tortillas.]

Also on the Grab & Go menu are
•Hummus & Veggie Snack Pack
•Greek Vegetarian Salad
[VRG Note: In September 2017, Joe told us this about the Greek Vegetarian Salad: “We no longer offer this item. It was just salad with Greek Vinaigrette dressing.”]

The VRG: Which bread is used for the Mediterranean Wrap?
Garbanzo: Usually tortilla bread is used.

The VRG: Is the flatbread ever used for the Mediterranean Wrap?
Garbanzo: Usually tortilla bread but if the locations use flat bread, sugar is in the flat bread.

The VRG: Are white or whole wheat tortillas available to make the Mediterranean burrito?
Garbanzo: Yes, but it depends on location. In general, only white is available.

Microingredient Questions for Garbanzo
The VRG: Is there any added sugar in the Greek vinaigrette (including sugar in its components)?
Garbanzo: There is sugar in the Greek vinaigrette.

The VRG: Is there any dairy including whey, casein, etc. in the Greek vinaigrette?
Garbanzo: There is no dairy in the Greek vinaigrette.

The VRG: Is there any added sugar in the baklava (including sugar in its components)?
Garbanzo: There is no sugar in the baklava but there is honey.

The VRG: Is there any dairy including whey, casein, etc. in the baklava?
Garbanzo: Yes, there is dairy in the baklava.

The VRG: Is there any added sugar in the tortillas?
Garbanzo: No.

The VRG: Is L-cysteine used as a dough conditioner in the tortillas?
Garbanzo: No.

The VRG: Does the seasonal hummus vary from time to time?
Garbanzo: Yes.

The VRG: If so, could there be dairy such as feta cheese in the seasonal hummus?
Garbanzo: There’s no plan to use feta cheese in our seasonal hummus at the moment. We are very careful on adding dairy to any of our menu items.

The VRG: Does your feta cheese contain rennet, an animal-derived enzyme? If not, what is its enzyme source?
Garbanzo: From our supplier (manufacturer): “Microbial enzymes and an animal lipase are used in the manufacturing of the [feta cheese].”

The VRG: Could there ever be animal ingredients or flavors in the seasonal hummus?
Garbanzo: No. We try to maintain most of our items to be gluten-free or vegan or at least vegetarian.

The VRG: You stated that there was no milk in the pita. Is there whey or any other dairy ingredient?
Garbanzo: There is no dairy in the pita.

The VRG: Is there added sugar in the pita?
Garbanzo: Yes. There has to be sugar to feed the yeast.

The VRG: Is the falafel deep fried in fresh oil away from all meats?
Garbanzo: Yes. We don’t use the fryers for any meat or animal products.

The VRG: Is the baba ganoush an all-vegetable dish?
Garbanzo: Yes, it has only roast eggplant purée, tahini, garlic, and salt.

The VRG: Is your sugar from sugar cane, beet sugar or some combination? [Note: Non-USDA Certified Organic cane sugar may have been processed through cow bone char.]
Garbanzo: Our sugar is from beet.

We followed up in June-October 2017 with these questions and emails.

The VRG: Are the gluten-free pita and the gyro pita all-vegan? No L-cysteine, whey, honey or other animal-derived ingredients in either of them?
Garbanzo: Gyro is not; pita is vegan.

The VRG: Is it true that you now offer the following breads:
•pita
•gluten-free pita
•gyro bread
•flatbread (some locations)
•tortilla (white, whole wheat)
Garbanzo:
•pita Yes
•gluten-free pita Yes
•gyro bread Same as Flatbread below
•flatbread (some locations) Correct
•tortilla (white, whole wheat) White only

The VRG: Which, if any, contains dairy including whey, casein or their derivatives?
Garbanzo: Flatbread

The VRG: Which, if any, contains sugar?
Garbanzo: They all have sugar.

The VRG recommends contacting this chain directly if diners have any additional questions for further clarification. Note that ingredients at all restaurants can change over time and there may be conflicts with what is on the website.

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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

For information on other restaurant chains, see:
www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, see:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

An email forwarded to The VRG in August 2017 from online reader Ben had been delivered to his inbox from a “Nutrition Analyst” at Papa John’s in response to his Papa John’s online inquiry.

This is how Ben introduced the following Papa John’s information to us:

“I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian who has frequently visited your site, reading about information such as disambiguated food ingredients and specific food content from name-brand restaurants. I wish to donate information in the hopes of helping to update such regarding the Papa John’s pizza chain.”

Here in its entirety is the forwarded email from Papa John’s addressed to Ben in response to his “…inquiring whether or not their Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks were vegetarian (lacto-ovo).” Papa John’s responded to Ben within 12 hours of his inquiry.

Papa John’s email:

“The majority of our products contain bio-synthesized and/or vegetable-derived enzymes, including our mozzarella cheese.

However, the cheese blend used on our Tuscan Six Cheese Pizza does contain animal-derived enzymes.

Our pizza dough contains fungal or bacterial derivatives.

Our garlic sauce contains lactic acid, which is not classified as an animal derivative because it has been fermented.

Blue cheese and ranch DO contain animal-derived rennet.

The rennet that is used in the Papa John’s Parmesan cheese is a GMO-free microbial rennet. It is not animal-derived. It would be suitable for vegetarian consumption.”

The VRG appreciates Ben taking the time to forward this email.

It appears from the website that the breadsticks are made with pizza dough that does not contain L-cysteine (most often derived from poultry feathers). L-cysteine is not listed on the website menu nor on the allergen page.
http://www.papajohns.com/company/papa-johns-ingredients.html#pizza

http://www.papajohns.com/allergens/papa-johns-allergen-guide.html

Unlike many restaurant chains, Papa John’s includes “vegetable” as the source for their mono- and diglycerides in the ingredients list for the Garlic Parmesan Sauce. However, this chain does not specify if the “natural flavors” in this sauce are vegetable-derived. (They may or may not be.)

There is sugar in menu components which appear otherwise vegan (the original and pan doughs and the pizza and pan sauces but not the Garlic Parmesan Sauce).

Concerned readers may wish to contact Papa John’s for more information on whether the natural flavors are vegetable-derived and if the sugar had been processed using cow bone char.

See our previous reports on cheese enzymes and sugar for more information:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue3/2008_issue3_update_renet.php

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php

Here are a couple of our past reports on Papa John’s:

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/03/12/update-on-papa-johns-vegetarian-and-vegan-menu-options/

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/04/07/papa-johns-dough-enzyme-stearic-acid-and-cookie-ingredients-are-vegetarian/

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 additional information about quick service chains, see:
http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about vegetarian and vegan restaurants and where you might be able to order vegan pizza, see:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

One Poll conducted a U.S. online survey July 11, 2017 to July 14, 2017 of 1,000 individuals. When asking, “I think a plant based diet means,” with only one choice allowed per person, the responses were:

A Vegetarian Diet: 20.3%
A Vegan Diet: 16.9%
A vegetarian or vegan diet that is composed of whole foods: 17.8%
A whole foods diet, but can include animal products: 13.4%
I don’t know what a plant-based diet is: 23.8%
Other options: 7.8%

In this survey, 35.5% ate one or more vegetarian meals per week. However, only a total of 8.5% said they would describe themselves as a vegetarian, vegan, or eating a plant-based diet.

Of the people eating one or more vegetarian meals per week, when making food choices, most important to them to them was:

Taste: 48.5%
Personal Health: 22.3%
Cost: 13.2%
Convenience: 6.5%
9.5% (Other choices including ethics, religious beliefs, the environment, animal welfare, and not any of these)

From our observations, the people that caused the vegan and vegetarian movement and growth of products to happen had ethical, religious, environmental, and animal welfare beliefs. However, the great success of vegetarian festivals and growth of vegan products in almost every store is because of appealing to people’s taste, cost, and convenience, as well as investors wanting to make money. At vegetarian festivals, the longest lines are often for vegan baked goods or other desserts. People flock to the free or inexpensive festivals as they are low cost. A turning point in vegan products in supermarkets was when Silk Soy Milk moved soy milk from an asceptic package on the shelf to the refrigerator case next to cow’s milk, which made it much more convenient.

Of those that eat one or more vegetarian meals per week, 29.6% said they would buy “Your Favorite veggie burger cooked on the same grill where meat is cooked, if the grill is cleaned first. 26.8% said they would buy a veggie burger from the store. 11.8% said they would buy a meat alternative grown from animal cell DNA obtained ten years ago, which does not currently involve the raising of animals.

Of those that eat one or more vegetarian meals per week, 32.7% stated they would buy “Your favorite dessert containing sugar, if the source of the sugar isn’t specified.” However, only 11.6% would buy “Your favorite dessert containing sugar whitened through a bone char filter, if bone char is not in the sugar.” This seems to indicate that consumers say they will make different decisions based on knowledge. We would recommend clear labeling of sources on packages and on company websites so consumers can make their own informed choices, and have confidence in the business.

So when the respondents think about a plant-based diet, they can have very different ideas of what it means or what is important to them. If a business wants to cater to people on a plant-based diet, based on this survey, the business would need to do more research on their customers to find out what they want. If a dietitian is counseling a patient who says he/she is on a plant-based diet, that health professional would also have to ask more questions.

Note there are always sampling errors in surveys. Since the One Poll was not weighted towards the actual makeup of the U.S. population, we wouldn’t extrapolate these results to make conclusions about numbers in the U.S. population. One Poll surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults online July 11, 2017 to July 14, 2017. One Poll is MRS and ESOMAR accredited.

For information about additional polls, see:
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Moe’s FAQ page presents some relevant information for its vegan guests (scrolling down to the last question under “Menu Inquiries” on this page): http://www.moes.com/faqs/

Q: I am a vegetarian/vegan. What are my menu options at Moe’s?

A: Do you like your tofu medium-rare or well done? Just kidding, but our commitment to vegetarians and vegans is no joke. We use only soybean oil and vegetable stock. Our organic tofu, beans, tortillas and rice are all vegan. Also there is no gelatin in the guacamole.

On the interactive nutrition page of Moe’s website, visitors select ingredients for burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, stacks, burrito bowls, salads or breakfast offerings. The nutritional profile of their customized menu choice automatically populates in a template as they add components (such as tofu, black beans or guacamole). Increasing values in each nutrition category (for example: calories, grams of fat or protein) appear as guests add each component to their entrée: http://www.moes.com/food/nutrition/burritos/

Patrons may determine if there are animal allergens such as eggs or dairy in their menu preferences: http://www.moes.com/public/pdf/allergen.pdf

Moe’s general statement on potential cross-contamination of menu components also appears on the allergen page: http://www.moes.com/food/allergens

The VRG wished to learn more about the vegan menu options at Moe’s. We corresponded with Guest Relations Specialist Michael Corbett at Moe’s corporate office in March 2017. Here are our questions and Michael’s responses:

Q: Is your tofu prepared on a surface away from meat products?
A: Yes, it is cooked on a completely different grill than our meats and fish.

Q: Are your grilled vegetables prepared away from meat products?
A: Yes, they are cooked on a completely different grill than our meats and fish.

Q: Are your shells and/or chips fried in oil used to prepared animal products?
A: Our shells and chips are not prepared with the same oil or tools as our proteins. [VRG Note: Bolded and underlined “not” is Michael’s.]

Q: Do your tortillas contain any animal ingredients such as L-cysteine (which is usually animal-derived)?
A: No, they do not.

Q: Does your whole-grain tortilla contain honey?
A: Honey is not an ingredient in any of our products.

Q: Does your seasoned rice or beans (pinto and black) contain any animal-based flavors or fats?
A: No, they do not contain any animal-based flavors or fats.

Q: Is calcium stearate (which could be from animal fat) still an ingredient in Moe’s beans?
A: Yes, it is still an ingredient but it is not from animal fat.

Q: Which dressings and salsas contain only vegetable ingredients?
A: Moe’s Southwest vinaigrette, Hard Rock & Roll Sauce and all current salsas on the salsa bar are considered vegetarian friendly.

Q: When you call them “vegetarian friendly,” do you mean that the dressing, the sauce and the salsas are vegan (no animal ingredients at all; made only with all-vegetable ingredients)?
A: Our dressings, sauce, and salsas absolutely contain no animal ingredients.

Q: Is there any added sugar in the salsas, Southwest vinaigrette or in the Hard Rock and Roll Sauce?
A: Additionally, the dressings, sauces and salsas do not contain any added sugar.

Q: Which foods at Moe’s contain added sugar?
A: Moe’s desserts, rice, and beans contains added sugar.

Q: Do you know how your sugar’s been processed? Has it been filtered through cow bone char?
A: In the U.S., sugar companies use bone char derived from cows for this filtering and bleaching process. To make bone char, animal bones are heated at incredibly high temperatures and are reduced to carbon before being used in a refinery. The sugar does not actually contain bone char particles, but it does come into contact with them. “Refined sugar does not contain any bone particles and is therefore kosher certified. The bone char simply removes impurities from the sugar, but does not become a part of the sugar,” Caroline Pyevich reports in The Vegetarian Journal.

Q: Do you mean that the added sugar could have been filtered through cow bone char but you just don’t know for sure? 
A: Any added sugar in our products has been filtered through bone char. This is the most common method used by sugar companies in the U.S.

Q: Your FAQ page states that there is no gelatin in Moe’s guacamole. Does it contain any animal flavors or added sugar?
A: No, it does not contain any animal flavors or added sugar.

Since complete ingredient statements of entrée components do not appear on Moe’s website, guests with any other ingredient questions should contact this restaurant chain directly.

A feature of Moe’s website that we have not found on the sites of other fast casual chains is their presentation of how to find a Moe’s location in the US. To see a clickable listing of all restaurants with additional information on special offers (such as Moe Monday or if kids eat free) and services (such as Wi-Fi or catering) available at each one, guests should visit and scroll down to “Find a Moe’s”: http://www.moes.com/site-map/

For information on more restaurant chains, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

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

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

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
The 11th General Question on the Noodles & Company FAQ page http://www.noodles.com/faq/ viewed in April 2017 appeared as follows:

Q: I am a vegan. What menu items can I eat?

A: While there is no commonly accepted definition for vegan*, we define it as menu items that don’t contain meat, fish, dairy, eggs or other animal products. If your definition matches ours, try these menu items:
• Japanese Pan Noodles
• Tossed Green Side Salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Penne Rosa without cream and cheese
• Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca without cheese
• Spaghetti with Marinara without cheese

*Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine.

From this FAQ answer on vegan entrées, Noodles & Co. provides a link “for more information” titled Watching What You Are Eating? http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/3634-WEB-NUTRITIONALS-0716_r2.pdf

Page 1 of this 11-page document repeats the FAQ information. On page 2 there is a chart titled “Here’s what you are eating” which displays a vegetarian icon “v” next to certain entrées and/or entrée components which are…“defined by us as dishes excluding meat and fish.” (The icon’s definition appears at the bottom of page 2.) This icon also appears on print menus in this chain’s restaurants. There is no analogous vegan icon at Noodles & Co.

At the end of the same FAQ answer there is a second link http://www.noodles.com/made-different/ that leads to a red rectangular button labeled “See our full ingredient list” (which appears on the left after a little downward scrolling from the page’s top). The ingredients are listed alphabetically by component in a seven-page document (which is a shortened version of the 11-page document mentioned above). This listing is the most up-to-date; the longer PDF lists ingredients of dish components and entrées which have recently been removed from the menu (see below for details).

http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/INGREDIENT-STATEMENT_03.01.172.pdf

The first five pages consist of the ingredient statements for individual dish components. The remaining two pages comprise the Dish Reference Chart. Thus it is necessary to scroll up and down or to open the document in two separate tabs and move between them when analyzing the ingredients in each component of entrées in order to determine their vegan status.

Appearing on the bottom of pages 1 and 3 of the 11-page document under the subtitle “Of Interest” is this disclaimer:

We have peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and wheat/gluten in our restaurant, and there may be cross contact with your food because of shared cooking equipment. In addition, because we offer so many unique flavors, not every ingredient we use is listed in our menu descriptions.

From January 2017 through March 2017 The VRG corresponded with Danielle Moore, Director of Communications at Noodles & Company, for more information about this chain’s vegan menu offerings. For this article quoted information is from Danielle except if otherwise noted.

The VRG asked Danielle if the last disclaimer sentence implied that some ingredients were not listed on the chain’s website. She explained that “In the description of each dish we are highlighting the unique ingredients of each dish. However, under the ingredient list on the “Made Different” tab of our website we disclose the full ingredient list for each dish we have in our restaurants. Keep in mind we are always updating and changing our menu and there may be some delay between updates.”

Besides the asterisked reference to sugar and wine in their vegan FAQ placed immediately below their vegan entrée suggestions, (“*Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine”), Noodles & Company states nothing else about sugar or wine (such as the sugar whitening method or wine clarifying agent) on their website.

We asked “When you state in your definition of ‘vegan’: ‘Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine’ are you implying that your sugar and/or wine may have been processed with animal products or definitely have been so processed? Would your response differ on a case-by-case basis?”

Danielle replied:

“Based on the complexity of our supply chain we cannot guarantee which items on our supply chain may or may not contain sugar that has been processed through bone char or wine that had been processed through isinglass. This applies to all items [we serve containing sugar or wine].”

Readers may note that all of the dishes Noodles & Company lists in its vegan FAQ response contain sugar. The Penne Rosa and Fresca entrées are made with white cooking wine.
In the ingredient statement for the Japanese Pan Sauce used in the Japanese Pan Noodles dish, “sugar” appears three times. “Organic cane sugar,” which by definition has never been whitened through cow bone char, appears once. “Natural flavour” appears twice.

When The VRG asked if these natural flavors could have originated from animal sources, Noodles & Co. told us that
“Unfortunately, there are instances where supplier partners won’t disclose that level of detail with us so we cannot guarantee the source of all of our ingredients.”

Readers may note that natural flavors are also present in the balsamic vinaigrette for the side salad that is listed by Noodles & Co. in its vegan FAQ.

The VRG noticed in several places in the ingredient statements “natural flavor/flavour.”

We learned:
“As for the spelling of “flavor” this is merely to remain compliant with both Canadian and US labeling at the same time so our products may cross the border. This doesn’t mean that we have product coming from Canada.”
Noodles & Company offers seasoned tofu on its menu. We asked if, apart from its sugar and natural flavors (both of unconfirmed processing method or source) the seasoned tofu were vegan. Danielle replied “Correct.” Furthermore she added, “You can substitute or add tofu to any dish on our menu.”

The VRG wondered if a vegan guest could order unseasoned tofu, simply sautéed in oil with vegetables and possibly soy sauce or a few spices. Noodles & Company replied: “NO. We currently do not have restaurant procedures for this.”
At our request, Danielle later explained further: “Regarding the tofu, we cook all of our tofu in our Japanese Pan Noodle sauce which contains gluten. The restaurants do not prep tofu without it, so there is no way a guest can custom order the tofu without the sauce.”

(By saying this, Danielle also explained why “organic tofu” listed on the allergen chart on p. 2 of their 11-page PDF is marked as containing both wheat and gluten allergens. This listing is for seasoned tofu.)

Here is the complete ingredient statement for the Japanese Pan Sauce used on Noodle & Company’s tofu:
Water, Soy Sauce (Water, Salt, Sugar, Soybeans, Wheat, Molasses), Molasses, Rice Vinegar Dressing (Rice Vinegar, Water, Sugar, Salt), Lemon Juice (Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate and Lemon Oil), Sesame Oil, Sriracha (Chile, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Natural Flavour, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum and Citric Acid), Ginger, Natural Vegetable Base (Vegetables and Concentrated Vegetables [Carrot, Celery, Onion, Tomato], Yeast Extract, Salt, Organic Cane Sugar, Maltodextrin [from corn], Natural Flavour, Canola Oil, Barley Malt Extract [gluten], Dried Onion, Dried Potatoes, Dried Garlic), Modified Corn Starch, Garlic and Citric Acid as a Preservative
Also on page 2 of Noodles & Company’s informative PDF http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/3634-WEB-NUTRITIONALS-0716_r2.pdf Bangkok Curry and Thai Curry Soup are listed with the vegetarian icon next to them. The Bangkok Curry contains sodium caseinate (a dairy derivative). One formulation of the Thai Curry Soup contains lactose (milk sugar). They both contain sugar and natural flavors.

In March 2017 The VRG noticed that these two dishes were no longer on the menu although they were still listed on p. 2 of the PDF file. Danielle relayed to us: “Yes, we did remove the Thai Curry Soup and the Bangkok Curry from our menu on February 15 [2017].”

As we were finalizing this article we noticed that the Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca no longer appeared on the website menu although this dish when ordered without cheese still appeared in the list of vegan entrées on the FAQ page under the 11th general question as mentioned in the first paragraph of this article.

We asked Danielle about the Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca and received this reply in March 2017: “It is no longer on the menu and cannot be ordered. That being said, we are bringing Pasta Fresca back on May 3.” For more information on Pasta Fresca please contact Noodles & Company directly.

Interested diners may note that the Pad Thai at Noodles & Company contains fish sauce.

Lastly, we inquired about kitchen protocols at Noodles & Company:

Q: Do your restaurants have specially-designated prep areas, cooking utensils, grilling surfaces and storage bins for all-vegetable ingredients vs. meat and/or dairy products?
A: Due to the nature of our menu and back of the house procedures we cannot guarantee complete removal of cross contact.

Ingredient-minded readers may note that Noodles & Company is one of the few fast casual restaurants that has a Prohibited Ingredient List. Carmine and cochineal (always insect-derived) and L-cysteine (usually animal-derived) appear on it. http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Prohibited-Ingredient-List_0716.pdf

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 more information on quick service chains, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htm

For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.htm

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

Join at http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Pizza Pizza in Canada has launched a vegan cheese, a new dairy-free menu option that allows their customers to customize their pizzas with a cheese-like product that respects the vegan diet.

They say: “Our Classic and Whole Grain Dough do not contain any animal by-products. Any Mono or Di Glycerides or Enzymes are not derived from animals. However, our Gluten Free Crust does contain Kosher Beef Gelatin. We are continuing to evaluate options as to how we can transition this to a vegan and vegetarian friendly option. All of the enzymes (Lipase, Rennet) that are in our cheese offerings are derived from non-animal, microbial sources. No, we do not use any sugar refined through the use of animal bone char.” They also indicate: “Our dough, tomato sauce and cheese do not contain any egg product.”

See:
http://www.pizzapizza.ca/

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