VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Volume 15, Issue 3
March 2011
CONTENTS
- MCDONALD'S NEW FRUIT & MAPLE OATMEAL CAN BE ORDERED WITHOUT THE CREAM
- TODO ACERCA DEL SOYRIZO
- THANKS TO BOBBI PASTERNAK!
- VRG'S NEW VISA PLATINUM REWARDS CARD
- OUR PASSOVER BOOK SPECIALS!
- VRG'S ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST FOR KIDS- DUE MAY 1ST
- VRG'S $2,500 ELEANOR WOLFF SCHOLARSHIP/INTERNSHIP
- L-CYSTEINE IN BREAD PRODUCTS STILL MOSTLY SOURCED FROM HUMAN HAIR, DUCK FEATHERS & HOG HAIR
- VEGAN EGGPLANT DISHES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
- About The Vegetarian Resource Group
- About VRG-NEWS
1) MCDONALD'S NEW FRUIT & MAPLE OATMEAL CAN BE ORDERED WITHOUT THE CREAM
by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director
New for 2011 on McDonald's national menu is Fruit & Maple Oatmeal. Made with whole grain rolled oats, it may be ordered with or without cream. This product may also be ordered without brown sugar, diced apples, or the cranberry raisin blend according to Ashley, a customer service representative at McDonald's who spoke with us about the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal. Patrons must request their preferences upon ordering.
Readers who looked at the Ingredients Statement posted on McDonald's website in early February 2011 may have been confused by the presence of two entries for this product, one of which omitted the word "cream" but was followed by "contains milk." The second entry also omitted "cream" but did not have an allergen alert for milk.
We contacted McDonald's to clear up the confusion. Ashley called me back and said it was an error. The word "cream" now appears in the entry. Later, Amanda, a supervisor on the consumer hotline at McDonald's, confirmed that cream is a standard part of the menu item. Upon ordering, patrons must request that it not be added.
The word "cream" does appear in the entry at this time but there is no "contains: milk" in bold after it. Other entries containing milk products do have this allergen alert in the Ingredients Statement, but the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal does not. We have mentioned this to a supervisor on the McDonald's hotline. She stated that "it's common knowledge" that "cream" is a milk product.
(At the end of February 2011, The VRG noticed a similar confusion with the low-fat granola, served in a separate packet along with the Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (which contains gelatin, an animal-derived ingredient). Two entries are listed. One entry for granola (which contains honey) includes the milk allergen alert while the second does not. Neither ingredient list appears to contain milk products.)
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal is offered throughout the day at McDonald's restaurants. Patrons must make their preferences clear when ordering if they do not wish the cream or other components to be added.
For more information on quick service chains, see:
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue2/veggieRestaurantChains.htm ]
[ http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htm#2009_mcdonalds_l-cysteine ]
To support VRG's ingredient and restaurant research, please donate at
[ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]
or
[ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4 ]
2) TODO ACERCA DEL SOYRIZO
We'd like to thank Laura Rico for helping us with our outreach to the Spanish speaking community. The following is her Spanish translation of an article that appeared in Vegetarian Journal Issue 1, 2011.
[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/02/23/todo-acerca-del-soyrizo/ ]
To see VRG's other Spanish materials, click here [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/index.htm#spanish ].
3) THANKS TO BOBBI PASTERNAK!
A big thank-you to Bobbi Pasternak who has been sending out VRG's email newsletter and assisting with outreach for over 15 years!
To sign up for VRG-NEWS and to view the archives, please visit [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ].
4) VRG'S NEW VISA PLATINUM REWARDS CARD
VRG's new affinity Visa® Platinum Rewards credit card is now available!
When a cardholder activates the card, VRG receives $50. Then for the life of the program, VRG will receive a portion of every dollar that each cardholder charges. The VRG Visa® Platinum Rewards card offers qualified cardholders exceptional benefits including no annual fee, a low APR and reward points for shopping at participating merchants.
Add your support with every purchase when you use the The Vegetarian Resource Group Visa® Platinum Rewards card. To apply, see: [ http://www.cardpartner.com/app/vrg ]
For FAQs about the program, see: [ http://www.cardpartner.com/marketing/faq ]
5) OUR PASSOVER BOOK SPECIALS!
Need vegan recipes for Passover?
Right now we're offering a special: get both Vegan Passover Recipes and No Cholesterol Passover Recipes for just $12 and free shipping!
Click here [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=26 ] to order, or call us at 410-366-8343, Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
No Cholesterol Passover Recipes [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=3 ] is a must for every home that wants to celebrate a healthy and ethical Passover. Enjoy eggless blintzes, dairyless carrot cream soup, festive macaroons, apple latkes, sweet and sour cabbage, knishes, vegetarian chopped "liver," no oil lemon dressing, eggless matzo meal pancakes, and much more.
Dishes included in No Cholesterol Passover Recipes have also been featured in The Washington Post, Jewish World, and many other publications.
In Vegan Passover Recipes [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=14 ], Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD provides the basics: Vegetable stock without chicken fat or added sodium, Savory Spaghetti Sauce, Zucchini/Potato Kugel, and Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage (a new spin on an oldie, but goody).
Looking for spicier dishes? Try Minted Carrots with Chilies, Moroccan Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Salad, Spinach and Okra Stew, and Coconut Curry over Greens, and much more.
6) VRG'S ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST FOR KIDS - DUE MAY 1ST
**1st prize is a $50 savings bond**
SUBJECT: 2-3 page essay on any aspect of vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, and birds (for example, chicken or duck). Among the many reasons for being a vegetarian are beliefs about ethics, culture, health, aesthetics, religion, world peace, economics, world hunger, and the environment.
Entrants should base their paper on interviewing, research, and/or personal opinion. You need not be a vegetarian to enter. All essays become the property of The Vegetarian Resource Group.
ENTRY CATEGORIES:
- A. Age 14-18.
- B. Age 9-13.
- C. Age 8 and under.
DEADLINE: Must be postmarked by May 1 for each current year of judging.
SEND ENTRIES TO: The Vegetarian Resource Group [email protected], PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. FAX: (410) 366-8804. Include your name, address, telephone number, age, grade, school, and teacher's name.
Click here [ http://www.vrg.org/essay/ ] to read essays from past winners.
7) VRG'S $2,500 ELEANOR WOLFF SCHOLARSHIP/INTERNSHIP
Eleanor Miltimore Wolff became a committed vegan late in life. Once she learned and understood that dietary choices affected not only one's personal health, but also the health of the planet and the well being of the animals, there was no looking back. Leather shoes and purses, along with non-vegan food products went out the door. Her children and grandchildren were showered with vegan reading material. When she exercised she would sport a T-shirt proclaiming: "I think, therefore I am -- a vegetarian". Eleanor was a military censor during World War II, but there was no censoring her commitment to a plant based diet and lifestyle.
In her memory, the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship is a $2,500 paid internship at the VRG office in Baltimore (plus some money towards housing) for a student who:
- Wants to be an effective change agent on behalf of vegetarianism
- Is motivated to use knowledge gained from the internship to make a significant impact within his/her world
- Could not participate in this development effort without a little financial assistance
If you would like to apply for a VRG internship, please send a resume, writing sample, and cover letter detailing your interests, skills, goals, and vegetarian knowledge to:
The Vegetarian Resource Group P.O. Box 1463 Baltimore, MD 21203
or e-mail to [email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]
For more information about the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship and to view what past recipients have said of their experiences, click here [ http://www.vrg.org/student/eleanor_wolff_scholarship.php ].
8) L-CYSTEINE IN BREAD PRODUCTS STILL MOSTLY SOURCED FROM HUMAN HAIR, DUCK FEATHERS & HOG HAIR
by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director
The VRG recently surveyed food ingredient manufacturers and suppliers as well as bread and bagel companies to find out if the animal sources of the common amino acid dough conditioner and human and pet food reaction flavor used to make flavor enhancers, L-cysteine, were still dominant in the marketplace as they were in 2007 when we last reported on L-cysteine. The answer was a resounding "yes."
One leading amino acid supplier reported to us in February 2011 that "duck feathers or human hair" were the sources, based on an official statement received from its Chinese supplier.
A product manager with another food ingredients company reported to The VRG in August 2010 that "it's not human hair, not duck feathers, that's the major source of L-cysteine today; it's hog hair." He estimated hog hair to be the source of 90% of the Chinese L-cysteine supply.
A manager of company that produces non-animal L-cysteine stated in September 2010 that the major animal source of L-cysteine today was "human hair mostly" followed by "duck feathers or hog hair when the human hair supply was low." According to this source, feathers and hog hair "are reportedly inefficient compared to [human] hair [in yielding great quantities of L-cysteine]. So if there is a problem with hair [supply], then hog hair or feathers may be a backup."
In September 2010, the VRG asked companies that produce non-animal versions of L-cysteine how their product was doing on the market. Estimates given by the leading companies put the vegetable-based fermentation or synthetic product at approximately 10% of the L-cysteine market today. The reason given for the low market share is the high price of non-animal L-cysteine (two to three times as much) compared to the much cheaper and much more plentiful Chinese (and Indian, to a lesser but growing degree), supply.
A second reason given is that a growing number of food companies are demanding a "natural" product and a "synthetic" L-cysteine does not meet that criterion. Furthermore, a major reseller of L-cysteine told us in September 2010 that the company policy is to label anything using an animal-derived (i.e., hair or feathers) L-cysteine as "non-vegetarian" even though it is still technically "vegetarian" and considered "natural." Their labeling decision was precautionary in response to those who prefer to avoid all animal-sourced ingredients. (Note: one company does sell an L-cysteine manufactured through microbial fermentation and another is in the process of developing their own fermentation technique. The latter company estimates that it may take two-three years to perfect the process on an industrial scale and then bring it to market.)
The writer noticed through canvassing many companies in February and March 2011, compared to 2007 when The VRG last updated L-cysteine, [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/2007jul.htm#s2 ], that a growing number of companies are requesting or reselling only non-animal derived L-cysteine for food use.
Concerned individuals who would like to see more of the non-animal L-cysteine used in their bread products as well as in other human food and pet products are encouraged to voice their opinion politely to food companies and restaurant chains that are using the animal-sourced L-cysteine. Likewise, food companies and chains which are using non-animal L-cysteine are due a "thank you."
To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, go to: [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8 ]
To support VRG's research, please donate at: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ] or [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4 ]
9) VEGAN EGGPLANT DISHES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
This article originally appeared in Vegetarian Journal Issue 2, 2010 [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue2 ]
Delightful Eggplant Dishes From the Middle East and North Africa By Habeeb Salloum
From large and egg-shaped to small and thin, the many varieties of eggplants in produce sections have been catching an increasing number of consumers' fancy. From black to blue, mauve, purple, white, and all the shades in between, eggplants draw those seeking appetizing foods.
Versatile, visually appealing, and delicious, eggplants are a vegetarian's dream vegetable. For thousands of years, they were one of the most popular vegetables in their lands of origin. In China, India, Japan, the Balkans, and eastern Mediterranean countries, they have been used as a meat substitute for untold centuries. It is said that, if the eggplant recipes of all the Mediterranean countries were gathered, there would be well over a thousand. In the Arab countries of the Middle East alone, at least 150 eggplant dishes are known.
To read the rest of the article, click here: [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/03/11/eggplant-dishes-from-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ ]
ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, bequests, and book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online.)
If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [ http://www.vrg.org ]
Donate: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1561 ]
The contents of this newsletter, 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 own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
ABOUT VRG-NEWS
VRG-NEWS is the e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2011 by The Vegetarian Resource Group. The newsletter may be freely distributed in electronic or print form provided its contents are not altered and credit is given to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
