Vegan F.R.O.G. Soap®
Using used cooking oil, glycerin and cardboard from landfills
By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Diverting tons of used cooking oil, glycerin, and cardboard from landfills since she began four years ago, Laura Heibert, founder and owner of F.R.O.G. Soap creates her products “From Reclaimed Oil and Glycerin.” See: http://frogsoap.com. Laura told The VRG in January 2017 that she uses “a little over a ton of reclaimed material each year. That number keeps growing!” Every bar of F.R.O.G. Soap contains at minimum 4 oz. of waste vegetable oil.

Since some vegetable oil may contain animal-based residues if meat products had been fried in the oil, we asked Laura about her oil. She replied by email “We know the source of oil and exactly what has been cooked in the oil we reclaim: potatoes. No animal fats involved, save the butter fat in our goat’s milk bars.”

As stated on her website: “We make all of our beautiful soap by hand in small batches, for purity and freshness. Our earth-friendly ingredients are sourced locally when available.

Laura’s soaps contain the glycerin (also called “glycerol”) produced in her soap-making process (i.e., saponification). Glycerin is also a “waste” by-product of biofuel production. Laura told us in January 2017 “At times I make a special run of soap using glycerin that is created in the making of biodiesel fuel. The process separates the glycerin from the fuel. I do not have a source for it right now so will not be making any in the near future.” [VRG Note: Approximately one gallon of glycerin is produced for every three gallons of biofuel.]

We also asked Laura if she used carmine, a common red colorant derived from beetles. She replied: We do not use any animal-derived ingredients at all. All of our scents are essential oils and plant-based. Our colorants are oxides and plant- based. We use sea lettuce, dandelion greens, clay, activated charcoal and some of the oldest used colorants on the planet: indigo, alkanet, and madder root. I also use spices for color including paprika, turmeric, and cumin…The only red I use is madder root, which is plant-based.

Since activated charcoal could be derived from animal bones (usually known as “biochar”) we asked about F.R.O.G.’s charcoal and learned that “The activated charcoal is made from various hardwoods and coconut shells.”

The vanilla in some F.R.O.G. products “…is not an extract, and comes from the beans. It does not come from animals. I use it in several bars. I also use it in some of the cupcakes I make. “

The VRG inquired if the palm oil in F.R.O.G. products had been reclaimed. Laura informed us that “I source my palm oil from Bramble Berry® Soap Making Supplies. See: https://www.brambleberry.com Their Palm oil supplier is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organization that supports sustainable palm oil production.”

On the Bramble Berry website it states that “Currently, Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil in the world…Palm oil…is typically replaced for tallow in all-vegetable oil recipes.”

We wrote to Bramble Berry to find out the country of origin for the palm oil which it sells. We received an email reply from Matt in Bramble Berry Customer Support: “Our palm oil is farmed in Indonesia. :)” [Note: All FROG Soap contains palm oil but some other products do not. Beeswax is present in some products.]

Laura reuses cardboard to package her products. Interested readers may view this process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSYcoM00Eok

The VRG asked Laura if the shredded paper which she repurposes as packaging can be recycled. She replied: Shredded newspaper is not usually accepted for recycling. You can, however, use it in the garden as mulch. You can also use it as fire starter or reuse it for packing.

Related Links:
An infographic illustrating how much waste vegetable oil is produced by fast food restaurants in the US: http://www.waterindustry.org/Water-Facts/FOG-1.htm

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) FAQ: https://www3.epa.gov/region9/waste/biodiesel/questions.html

A listing of U.S. Companies which accept waste cooking oil for biofuel production: http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/plants/listplants/USA/

To learn more about ways in which waste vegetable oil is repurposed: https://www.rit.edu/affiliate/nysp2i/sites/rit.edu.affiliate.nysp2i/files/biodiesel_workshop_presentation_2012-10-05.pdf
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/renewable-energy/waste-not-used-cooking-oil-energy-source

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.

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

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

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG received a question in February 2013 from a supermarket which asked if gelatin derived from the bones and hides of cows, pigs or fish was used to clarify (fine or make clear) apple juice. We contacted several companies for an answer. They all said “no gelatin.”

A customer service representative at Apple & Eve told us by phone that “no gelatin or anything from animals is used at all in clarification.” A representative at Mott’s Apple Juice informed us that “no animal substance including gelatin is ever used in clarification…we use ultrafiltration techniques with ceramic membrane cartridges.”

Juicy Juice stated through a live chat that “Our product is a 100% juice product; therefore there is no gelatin in our product.” Another Juicy Juice consumer response representative replied to us by email with further information:

We use a variety of filters as well as thermo processing… During the filtration process, Juicy Juice does employ enzymes to clarify our juice. However, all enzymes are extracted from bacteria and do not contain animal byproducts.

The VRG found a 2004 article from the Indian Journal of Biotechnology that stated mostly fungal polygalacturonases (pectinolytic enzymes that break down the cloudiness-stabilizing pectins in the juice) are used today in industrial processes for juice clarification. The article described on page 573 the preparation of the fungal growth medium used in the experiments as containing a small amount of casein hydrosylate (a dairy ingredient): http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/5903/1/IJBT%203%284%29%20573-576.pdf
It is not known how common dairy ingredients are in the preparation of microbial enzymes used in juice clarification.
More information on the types and uses of enzymes in fruit juice production may be found here: http://www.enzymes.co.uk/fruit-juices.php

Additional information about the juice clarification process may be found in a 2007 article published in Latin American Applied Research: http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/laar/v37n4/v37n4a06.pdf According to this article, fining (clarifying) agents

modify clarity, color, flavor and/or stability of juices. They are grouped according to their general nature in (i) Earths (bentonite, kaolin); (ii) Proteins (gelatin, isinglass, casein, albumen); (iii) Polysaccharides (agars); (iv) Carbons; (v) Synthetic polymers (PVPP, nylon); (vi) Silicon dioxide (kieselsols); and (vii) Others, including metal chelators, enzymes, etc.

Readers may be interested in a related VRG blog post on gelatin used in some UK beverages: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/02/15/beta-carotene-in-us-beverages-not-stabilized-with-gelatin-unlike-some-products-in-the-uk/

The contents of this article, our website, 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 employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Introduction
Growing 21st century interest and investment in renewable energy sources and biodegradable products mean that the food industry, as well as the pharmaceutical, textile, paper, and biomedical industries, is becoming greener, too. A major reason for this shift is the corn protein, zein, (pronounced “ZEE-in”). A major zein scientist told The VRG that zein is a “plastic protein with huge potential.”

Zein is considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and so can be used in food. Some of its characteristics that make it appealing in many different food applications described in this article include its ability to: form films and coatings; resist grease; act as a water vapor barrier; act as an oxygen barrier; resist microbial contamination; and be non-allergenic. Zein is considered renewable and biodegradable. Zein is of poor nutritional value as a protein source.

History and Uses of Zein
Zein was first identified and isolated from corn in 1821. Commercial production didn’t begin until the late 1930s and lasted only twenty years, until it was replaced mostly by cheaper petrochemical-based substances (for example, plastics, polyurethane varnishes, and nylon that typically cost less than $1/lb). At its height, zein was used in the manufacture of fiber, adhesives, and binders (for example, in ink).

The first major commercial use for zein, however, was as a coating. During World War II, when shellac (produced by an insect) was in short supply, zein was used as its replacement: in lacquers, varnishes, and coatings. Zein was commonly used as a floor coating for steamship engine rooms because of its durability and resistance to grease. Sometimes, zein was mixed with rosin (derived from trees or plants). A zein-rosin floor coating had improved resistance and remained glossy longer than shellac-covered floors.

However, zein would sometimes form a gel and not be usable as a coating. Despite chemical modifications that made zein remain in liquid form and not form a gel, 1950s consumers showed a stronger preference for shellac in spite of the fact that the shellac cost substantially more than zein at the time.

A quality assurance manager at a shellac company told The VRG that the 2010 lac resin (i.e., the raw material of shellac) harvest was particularly bad due to climate conditions and has doubled the price of shellac, (to ~$7/lb.) . Currently, zein is even more expensive than shellac per pound (~$10-$20/lb.), according to a zein company, but not so considering that only half as much zein is used as shellac for the same application. Scientists at several companies told The VRG that increasing supply of zein due to corn extraction improvements is predicted to make zein more price-competitive.

Zein was also frequently used in the mid-20th century to coat pharmaceutical tablets because of its ability to form films and resist microbes. It is still widely used today for this purpose, usually labeled as “vegetable protein” on a pill bottle. Several zein scientists in private industry and in government told The VRG that zein should continue to play a major role in the pharmaceutical industry.

During its peak, zein was also used to coat foods, such as fortified rice. A senior scientist at a major bioethanol company told The VRG that today there is interest in zein as a rice coating for use in rice-containing premixes in order to make cooking times for all ingredients in the premix more uniform.

Zein was also used to coat nuts (to prevent rancidity), fruit (to prevent mold growth and decrease dryness), and candy (as a protective film) in the 1940s-1950s. At the time, zein was believed to be equal or superior to shellac in terms of gloss and moisture resistance in candy. Today shellac or vegetable wax is more common in fruit, nuts and candy. More recently, there has been some work done with zein as a coating for tomatoes, because it delays color change, maintains firmness, and reduces weight loss during storage.

Grease resistance is one of the most important characteristics of zein, making it very useful in the food packaging industry. Zein coatings were, and still are, put on cartons of doughnuts, crackers, pies, and cookies. Often the coating consisted of zein, rosin, and other substances.

The VRG spoke with Dr. Nicholas Parris who has done much work with zein as a food packaging coating. Waxed paper boxes (such as those used for frozen foods) are not presently recyclable, because it is difficult to separate the paraffin wax (a petrochemical) from the paper fiber without damaging machinery. Parris was able to accomplish this on a test scale easily and inexpensively ($1/lb.) when zein was used along with corn lipid (i.e., fat) molecules known as free fatty acids (FFA). According to Parris, the lipid in the zein-lipid mixture replaced the paraffin and other petrochemical-based substances used to make wax paper and wax-coated packaging. In the mixture, the zein resisted grease and the fatty acids repelled water. Boxes coated in this fashion would not only be biodegradable; they would be also recyclable.

According to two zein companies, zein is expected to become common as a chewing gum base in the near future. One company is planning to build an Iowa plant (near the cornfields) for this purpose. Another new use for zein may be as a food coating to reduce fat absorption in high-fat foods.

Improvements in Zein Extraction from Corn
Zein is considered a “value-added” co-product of bioethanol production. This means that zein, if it is a marketable co-product of a process intended to make biofuel, could substantially lower the production cost of that biofuel. This is desired by (1) bioethanol companies because it increases their profits; and (2) all driving consumers paying for gasoline.

One of the reasons that zein is expensive is that it is traditionally extracted from corn gluten meal, an expensive byproduct of the corn industry. The corn gluten meal is produced by a wet-milling process that separates the oil, starch, protein, and fiber components of corn. In this process only 5% of the corn becomes corn gluten meal. In this process, sulfur dioxide, a very potent chemical, is used. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 36% of total bioethanol production comes from the wet-milling operation.

Approximately sixty-four percent of fuel ethanol, however, is produced by the “dry grind” method. This method yields dried distiller’s grains, (DDGs), all the non-starch components of corn, equivalent to 28% of the corn processed. In bioethanol production today, there is approximately twice as much DDGs produced per year in the US as compared to corn gluten meal. Finding and perfecting a method to extract zein from DDGs is therefore more cost efficient for large scale production

POET, the largest bioethanol company in this country, which uses a dry grind process, does not use sulfur dioxide to separate out the zein in its “no-cook” (i.e., without heat) ethanol production. DDGs are usually sold as cheap animal feed. Now, DDGs are being re-routed and used to extract value-added co-products such as zein. Two zein scientists told the VRG about research being done to incorporate DDGs, which become nutritional sources of protein after zein is removed, into breads.

Much research is being done to perfect the extraction of zein from DDGs. A method to extract the zein using ethanol at a bioethanol plant is more cost effective than producing zein from corn gluten meal at an urban plant simply because two needed materials (corn and ethanol) are present. After some ethanol produced in the plant as fuel is diverted to extract the zein, this ethanol is separated and recycled back into the stream of production, eventually becoming part of the total ethanol yield at the plant.

Many refinements have occurred in the dry grind process to extract zein, including techniques used to decolorize and deodorize it by physical separation methods, making the final product purer and more abundant than before. Another technique, the COPE (corn oil and protein extraction) process developed by the University of Illinois, has been licensed to Prairie Gold, a Midwest company. The University of Nebraska is also developing its own method of zein extraction. A few bioethanol companies are actively conducting further research as well.

Conclusion
The current trend toward biofuels and its concomitant production of value-added, corn-based ingredients, all of which are biodegradable and annually renewable, means that “old’ uses for zein may become popular again. Zein as a replacement for shellac is just one example, used as a coating on produce, nuts, and candy.

Zein could also be used as a coating on disposable diapers, bed sheets or tablecloths. Zein may be used to replace a host of petrochemical-based products in the form of soda bottles, plastic bags, foam cups, etc., and is considered better than corn starch-based products. New food uses for zein include zein as a chewing gum base. New agricultural uses include zein as a mulch or fertilizer coating or as an edible hay bale wrapper. New biomedical uses include zein as a component in tissue scaffolding needed for skin and bone regeneration.

Consumer demand and economic necessity will drive the new markets for corn-based products such as zein as well as biofuels.

For more information on shellac, see http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php#lac-resin
For more information, on ingredients, visit http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
and sign up for VRG’s e-mail newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/
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By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

This article originally appeared in Vegetarian Journal Issue 2 2009.

Vitamin D has been in the news a lot lately. Researchers are looking at whether it plays a role in a multitude of diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to depression to cancer. Vitamin D has long been known to be important for bone health and is being added to foods like orange juice and to many brands of calcium supplements. Vitamin D has always been looked on as an unusual vitamin because, unlike any other nutrient, our bodies can actually make a substantial amount of vitamin D. Add in the fact that it acts more like a hormone than a vitamin, and you can see why there’s a lot to know about vitamin D.

We’ve recently heard from several readers who have had their blood checked for vitamin D and were surprised to learn that they were considered vitamin D deficient. They wrote asking us about vegan sources of vitamin D, the role of sunlight exposure, and what kind of supplements to use. We realized that it’s a good time to answer some questions about vitamin D.

What Does Vitamin D Do?

Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health – it helps our body absorb calcium. When vitamin D is deficient, we absorb very little calcium. That’s the main reason that calcium supplements often also contain vitamin D. If calcium is not absorbed due to a vitamin D deficiency, the result is weaker bones that are more likely to fracture.

More recent studies also suggest that older people with lower blood levels of vitamin D are more likely to lose their balance and fall, possibly because of vitamin D’s role in promoting muscle function.¹ Higher blood levels of vitamin D have been associated with a lower risk of colon and breast cancer in some age groups.²

In addition, lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and depression have also been reported in people with higher blood levels of vitamin D.^2,3

Where Do We Get Vitamin D?

Vitamin D comes from two places – we take it into our bodies in foods and supplements, and our bodies produce it after sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is found naturally in only a few foods like fatty fish (for example, cod liver oil) and egg yolks. Because there are so few natural dietary sources, vitamin D is added to foods such as fortified soymilk, fortified juice, fortified breakfast cereals, cow’s milk, and margarine. (Vegan spreads like Earth Balance do not have vitamin D added.) Typically, soymilk is fortified with vitamin D2, the vegan form of vitamin D, while cereals, juice, and margarine are fortified with vitamin D3 derived from sheep’s wool. If the label on a fortified food doesn’t say what form of vitamin D is used to fortify the food, you can contact the company.

Recently, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists reported that mushrooms that had been exposed to ultraviolet B light for 5 minutes had very high levels of vitamin D, close to 3,500 International Units (IU) in a 1-cup serving.⁴ These vitamin D-containing mushrooms are expected to be commercially available in the next few years and will be a plantbased source of vitamin D.

Besides vitamin D from food and supplements, our bodies are able to make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet B rays from sunlight under certain conditions. It doesn’t take much sun to stimulate vitamin D production, just 5 to 30 minutes on arms and legs twice a week. However, this sunlight exposure only works at certain times of day and in certain seasons above certain latitudes (or below certain latitudes if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere). Vitamin D production is highest when the sun’s rays are most intense – between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the summer months. In locations above 42 degrees north latitude (Chicago, Boston, and Portland, Oregon, for instance), vitamin D production does not occur from late October through early March. Even as far south as Atlanta (about 35 degrees north latitude), vitamin D production doesn’t occur from November to February.²

Factors like sunscreen use, darker skin pigmentation, clothing, pollution, and aging can reduce the amount of vitamin D we produce. Because of this and because of concerns about sun exposure leading to skin cancer, many people feel safer relying primarily on foods or supplements for vitamin D.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?

The current recommendation for vitamin D is 200 IU per day for children and adults up to 50 years old, 400 IU for 51-70 year olds, and 600 IU for those age 71 years and older.5 These recommendations are more than 10 years old. Because of more recent research on the role of vitamin D, experts are suggesting intakes of 800 IU or more per day for the average adult and 400 IU for children, with higher intakes recommended to treat deficiency.^2,6

Can We Get Too Much Vitamin D from Food or from Supplements? Will Our Bodies Make Too Much Vitamin D?

It is possible to get too much vitamin D, especially by overdoing supplements. Excess vitamin D can cause the body to absorb too much calcium and can lead to kidney damage. The highest safe level of vitamin D for people to take is controversial, with some researchers using up to 10,000 IU per day without seeing problems.² A conservative recommendation is to stay below 2,000 IU per day.⁷ If you have had kidney stones, check with your health care provider before going above 1,000 IU per day.⁷

Don’t worry about producing too much vitamin D following sun exposure because your skin stops producing it once you’ve had enough. It’s still a good idea to limit sun exposure, however, because of the link between sun exposure and skin cancer.

Is Vitamin D a Special Concern for Vegans?

A vegan diet can be planned to provide adequate amounts of vitamin D through use of fortified foods like fortified soymilk. Any person, whether vegan or not, who does not include good sources of vitamin D in his or her diet or take vitamin D supplements can be at risk for not getting adequate vitamin D, especially if sunlight exposure is limited. Some studies have found that vegans have lower vitamin D intakes than do lactoovo vegetarians or meat-eaters.⁸ This may be because cow’s milk (a source of vitamin D) is a more common part of the daily menu for non-vegans than vitamin D fortified foods are for vegans.

What Happens If Someone Doesn’t Get Enough Vitamin D?

A vitamin D deficiency leads to nutritional rickets, a condition that causes weak and deformed bones in babies and children. Symptoms can include a delay in learning to walk, low height-for-age, and bowing of the legs and arms. Rickets rarely occurs in the U.S., but a recent outbreak of cases has raised concerns that children are not getting enough vitamin D.

In adults, not getting enough vitamin D can increase risk of osteoporosis and other diseases.

What’s The Difference Between Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3?

Two different forms of vitamin D are used in supplements and fortified foods. Vitamin D2, also called ergocalciferol, is manufactured through the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance called ergosterol that comes from yeast. Vitamin D2 is vegan.

Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is made by the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance derived from sheep’s wool. Some research suggests that vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are absorbed equally well,⁹ although other studies suggest that vitamin D3 is better absorbed.¹⁰ If you are treated for a vitamin D deficiency, you may find that your health care provider recommends taking a higher dose of vitamin D2 than of vitamin D3 to compensate for possible differences in absorption.² This is an area of active research that we will continue to follow.

What About Vitamin D For Breast-fed Babies?

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. Human milk, however, contains little vitamin D. If a nursing mother is vitamin D-deficient, her breast milk will be even lower in vitamin D than usual. To prevent vitamin D deficiency in breast-fed babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breast-fed babies be given a 400 IU/day vitamin D supplement beginning within the first few days after birth.⁶

Another possible way to prevent vitamin D deficiency in a breast-fed infant is for the mother to take a vitamin D supplement daily containing up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D.¹¹ High-dose vitamin D supplements, used by the lactating mother, have been shown to markedly increase breast milk vitamin D content.^11,12 While there is some possibility that a baby will be able to make adequate vitamin D following sunlight exposure, there are many factors that interfere with vitamin D production (skin pigmentation, pollution, season, amount of clothing, location, and sunscreen). This is why supplemental vitamin D is recommended.

Vitamin D Sources for Vegans

These products are examples of foods and supplements that contain vitamin D. Because product formulations change, check labels to get the most recent information. Vitamin D on a label is expressed as a percent of the Daily Value for vitamin D. The Daily Value is 400 IU, so a product that contains 25 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin D would contain 100 IU of vitamin D.

References:

1. Dawson-Hughes B. 2008. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and functional
   outcomes in the elderly. Am J Clin Nutr 88:537S-40S.
2. Holick MF. 2007. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med 357:266-81.
3. Peterlik M, Cross HS. 2005. Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose
   for multiple chronic diseases. Eur J Clin Invest 35:290-304.
4. Calvo MS, Garthoff LH, Feeney MJ, et al. “Light exposed mushrooms:
   From development to market of naturally enhanced plant sources of
   vitamin D.” Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Vegetarian
   Nutrition. Loma Linda, CA; March, 2008.
5. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference
   Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride.
   Washington: National Academy Press, 1997.
6. Wagner CL, Greer FR, and the Section on Breastfeeding and
   Committee on Nutrition. 2008. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D
   deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics 122:1142-52.
7. Liebman B. Are you Deficient? Nutrition Action Healthletter Nov.
   2006; 23:1, 3-7.
8. Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, et al. 2003. EPIC-Oxford:
   lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33,883 meat-eaters and 31,546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutr
   6:259-68.
9. Holick MF, Biancuzzo RM, Chen TC, et al. 2008. Vitamin D2 is as
   effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining circulating concentrations of
   25-hydroxyvitamin D. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 93:677-81.
10. Armas LAG, Hollis BW, Heaney RP. 2004. Vitamin D2 is much less
    effective than vitamin D3 in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab
    89:5387-91.
11. Kovacs CS. 2008. Vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: maternal,
    fetal, and neonatal outcomes from human and animal studies. Am
    J Clin Nutr 88(suppl):520S-8S.
12. Basile LA, Taylor SN, Wagner CL, et al. 2006. The effect of highdose
    vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and milk
    calcium concentration in lactating women and their infants. Breastfeed
    Med 1(1):27-35.

Garden of Life Vitamin D3 Derived from Lanolin;
a Provitamin D3 Made from Genetically Modified Yeast Is Available

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In November 2009, a VRG member asked us to confirm with the vitamin company, Garden of Life, what the company told him about their vitamin D3, sold as Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin D3:

A preliminary look at the Garden of Life website in November 2009 yielded confusion because the term “vegetarian,” (not “vegan”), was used to characterize their Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin D3. They told a customer that the vitamin D in the Vitamin Code products was from a single cell plant (yeast) rich in vitamin D3. Given that the usual commercial source of vitamin D3 is sheep’s lanolin, the VRG had questions for Garden of Life about its production methods and wanted to determine whether the product was “vegan.”

By the end of January 2010, as we continued to call and email Garden of Life, requesting more detail on their production methods and detection methods, we were informed by Barbara, a Product Support Supervisor at Garden of Life, that the yeast are “fed” lanolin as their starting material. Barbara stated: “The D3 that we use has been synthesized from animal cholesterol, primarily lanolin. For a more detailed explanation, please visit our website www.gardenoflife.com/d3.”

The company said there is no known plant source of Vitamin D3. Wondering whether Garden of Life was correct about there not being a non-animal derived vitamin D3, I further examined the question. After searching patent websites and speaking with several doctors and scientists at biotech companies, vitamin companies and universities, we discovered that there is a patented process, discovered in the late 1980s-early 1990s by Amoco BioProducts Corporation in Illinois to produce a mutant yeast-derived provitamin D3. The patented process is considered “semisynthetic” because petrochemical materials are used in conjunction with the fermentation of genetically engineered yeast to produce the provitamin D3.

Then, during the manufacturing process, the yeast-derived provitamin D3 is exposed to light and transformed to “High Density 25-hydroxy
vitamin D3” used in poultry feed and as an injectable vitamin supplement in Europe. Currently, Roche holds the US patent while DSM holds the European version.

According to the scientists whom we interviewed, one of whom was directly involved in the genetic engineering of the yeast at Amoco which led to the patent and another who is a technical director at DSM, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 made through the patented process is currently used in poultry feed in the United States because it “ameliorates the effects” of leg bone deformation while maintaining weight gain during the rearing process. It is produced in high yield, too. One source stated that its widespread use in the livestock industry suggests that it is economically feasible to produce it semisynthetically and saw no reason why it couldn’t be used in humans, too. He suggested that since lanolin was an abundant enough source of a vitamin D3 supplement, manufacturers lack an incentive to make it any other way for human use. Nevertheless, the patent application proposes that the semisynthetic process to make provitamin D3 could be “useful in a number of contexts, e.g., in topical pharmaceutical formulations (for the treatment of skin disorders or the like), in oral vitamin compositions, and as livestock feed additives.”

Several scientists told The VRG that 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 made through the patented process is used in injectable form throughout Europe to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases in people. The VRG has not currently identified European doctors or clinics using this non-animal derived 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 in humans.

American vegan consumers who wish to see the semisynthetic, non-animal-derived 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 available in the U.S. for humans are encouraged to inquire of their healthcare providers and supplement manufacturers about the likelihood of its future use in humans as an injectable, or as an oral supplement like that in poultry.