Recent topics brought up include:

– Lil’ Gourmets treats babies and toddlers to fresh, whole food ingredients with flavors inspired by global cuisines. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

– Some Middle Schools in Portland, Maine now offer vegan lunch options

– Ever wonder how much protein vegan children need at various ages? Also, do you know how much protein is found in a reasonable size portion of various vegan food items for young kids? See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_protein_vegan_children.php

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In January 2025 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a 27-page document that provides updated guidance for industry on labeling of allergens.

One question which this document addresses is “Are proteins from major food allergens, produced from other sources through the use of genetic engineering and other technologies, subject to the food allergen labeling requirements of the FD&C Act?” The FDA states that “food ingredients that include proteins derived from a major food allergen (e.g. , through chemical, biochemical, mechanical, fermentation, or bioengineering processes) may be capable of eliciting an allergic reaction, and their presence is not obvious without declaration of the allergen.” They provide an example of using a genetically engineered strain of yeast to produce a protein identical (or very similar) to the protein in cow’s milk. A product with this protein in it would have to be labeled to indicate that it contains “milk” (FDA’s word for milk from cows, goats, sheep, or other ruminants). The FDA also says that “additional information may be helpful in some cases to make the source ingredient clear, such as ‘Contains milk-derived protein,’…”

The FDA recognizes milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame as the major food allergens.

Another question that this document addresses is whether a product or ingredient that is derived from a major food allergen but that does not contain the allergenic protein must have a food allergen label. For example, ghee which has been processed so that it does not contain milk protein or lactose (milk sugar) which does not contain milk protein. If an ingredient is derived from a major food allergen and does not contain protein, it is not subject to allergen labeling requirements. The ingredient, such as ghee, or lactose would still have to be listed on the label but would not need to be identified as “(milk)” or “contains milk.” The FDA notes that residual protein is often present in milk-derived ingredients, so manufacturers would need to demonstrate that an ingredient does not contain milk protein in order to avoid having to comply with allergen labeling requirements.

Spice blends that contain additives derived from a major food allergen must declare the allergen on the label. For example, a product label might say “spices (wheat)” or “Contains: Wheat.”

Allergen labeling requirements apply to human food and dietary supplements but not to pet foods, animal feeds, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, or cleaning products.

The FDA states that a guidance document, such as the one discussed here, does not “establish legally enforceable responsibilities” and “should be viewed only as recommendations unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited.”

This post contains my personal understanding of the FDA’s guidance and should not be construed, viewed, or used as legal advice on product labeling to comply with this guidance.

Reference

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5): Guidance for Industry. https://www.fda.gov/media/117410/download. 2025.

photo from I-Tal Garden

New Orleans has several vegan establishments where you’ll certainly find a good meal:

-2 Phat Vegans, 3613 General Meyer Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114 www.zmenu.com/2-phat-vegans-new-orleans-online-menu

-I-Tal Garden, 810 North Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116 https://italgardennola.com/

-Sprouts Organic Café, 1200 Henriette Delille St., New Orleans, LA 70116 https://sproutsorganiccafe.com/

-Sweet Soulfood, 1025 N. Broad St., New Orleans, LA 70119 https://sweetvegansoulfood.com/

-Vegan Snack Shack, 3100 Toledano St., New Orleans, LA 70125 https://vegan-snack-shack.square.site/

Due to the generosity of anonymous donors, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $50,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism in their schools and/or communities. One award of $10,000 and six awards of $5,000, and additional runner-up prizes will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in SPRING 2025

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2025. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications

Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

Adobe Stock photo

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Maybe you made a big pot of soup and couldn’t finish it in one, or even two days. Or maybe you went out to eat and knowing that you couldn’t finish everything that you ordered, brought some food home with you. Leftovers are a part of life for many people. I love having leftovers that I can reheat and eat for lunch or dinner.

While leftovers are great, no one wants to get sick from eating spoiled food. Just how long can leftovers be safely stored?

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA, leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. One helpful trick is to write a date 3 to 4 days from the time a leftover was first refrigerated on a sticker or a piece of masking tape that you place on the container of food. That way you’ll know that this is the last date to eat the food. If you prefer, you can set up an alert on your phone to remind you to either eat the food or discard it.

If you don’t think you’ll eat all of the food within 3 or 4 days, you can freeze all of it or freeze the amount you don’t think you’ll eat. According to the FSIS, properly packaged leftovers can be stored in the freezer for 3 to 4 months without a loss in quality. After that, the food is still safe to eat but may be dried out and not as flavorful. I keep a list of frozen leftovers on my refrigerator to remind me that they are there waiting to be used for an easy meal.

For the sake of food safety, leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours of being cooked. If it’s a hot day, and the food has been sitting out in a place where the air temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the food should be refrigerated within an hour of being cooked.

Cold perishable foods such as hummus or tofu salad should be discarded if they’ve been left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours at room temperature or for more than 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

To read more about food safety see:

Food Safety for Vegan Parties

A Quick Food Safety Review

Nutrition Hotline (see page 2)

The spread of Avian Flu has led to the killing of many birds and a sharp increase in egg prices. You can make scrambled “eggs” without using eggs from birds. Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, says, “Soft tofu makes a good scramble. Scramble soft tofu with a sprinkle of hot sauce or Tabasco, soy sauce, or miso if you’d like a smooth dish. Pile on the chopped tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, chilies, mushrooms, and green or yellow onions for a hearty scramble.”

Vegan Journal Senior Editor Hannah Kaminsky offers, “Some Americans consume eggs in the morning, but have you heard of the Indian street food sensation taking the world by storm? Bread Omelets wrap up a fusion of French toast, scrambled eggs, and an egg sandwich all in one neat package. My vegan version is made with chickpea flour seasoned with black salt for the same sensation, without the eggs or dairy. Find her recipe in this article: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue1/2021_issue1_breakfasts_savor.php

photo from Under The Mango Tree

If you’re visiting Miami Beach, Florida, this winter, stop by these vegan restaurants:

-Full Bloom Vegan, 1670 James Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 https://fullbloomvegan.com/

-Planta, 850 Commerce St., Miami Beach, FL 33139 https://www.plantarestaurants.com/location/planta-miami/

-Under the Mango Tree, 737 5th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139 https://under-the-mango-tree.square.site/

Russ Kaufman says: On Sunday we were in the Chiyoda-Marunouchi area of Tokyo. We went to a small typical Osaka-style Okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancake) shop. Usually the only options in the past would be a seafood or meat option (or combination option—most popular are probably octopus or pork). Now it is common at these shops for an all-vegetable option on the menu. It’ s much easier than when I lived in Tokyo decades ago. Here’s the Tokyo Vegan Ramen Center. https://www.instagram.com/tokyo.vegan.ramen.center/?hl=en
The Tokyo vegan vegan and vegetarian restaurant guide should be helpful. https://www.gotokyo.org/book/en/list/5175/

Another member Steve said:
When I was in Japan way back in October-November 1987, a useful trick was to say “Shai shoku shugi shaa desu,” which roughly means “I am a Buddhist vegetarian.” If I just told them that I was a vegetarian then they didn’t take it seriously, but the Buddhist part made them believe that I was committed for religious reasons and therefore they shouldn’t sneak in something.

From our former intern Hiroko from japan
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue3/2003_issue3_noodles.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99nov/1999_nov_japanese_holiday.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001jul/2001_jul_kyoto.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000may/2000_may_japanese_restaurant.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99sep/1999_sep_vegetarianism_japan.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99sep/1999_sep_shizuka_tsuruta.php

Mushroom Marsala photo by Rissa Miller

Chef Joseph Solar shares a wide variety of noodle dishes in his recipe piece in Vegan Journal. Start cooking Stuffed Shells with Basil, Golden Beet Japchae, Mushroom Marsala, Classic Vegan Pad Thai, or Vegan Carbonara!

Find the complete article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue4/2022_issue4_noodling_around.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php