How to Spot Sneaky Non-Vegan Items in Everyday Products
Being vegan for over a decade now, I still miss from time to time a sneaky ingredient that may sound vegan, but actually is not!
If I realize in time, I return the item or pass it on to someone that is not vegan. But there’s been plenty of times that I didn’t realize it until it was too late (I know, the horror!).
Most people are familiar that vegan food and everyday items means devoid of animal sources.
When it comes to food, it usually means no meat, eggs or dairy. When it comes to everyday items, it means no leather, fur or wool.
So what are these sneaky items I’m referring to?
Check the list below and see if there are any surprises for you!
LANOLIN
This items sneaks into soaps, creams, shampoo, and is also in most nipple creams.
Why is it not vegan?
The wax-like substance comes from secreting the sebaceous glands of sheep that are usually raised for wool.
CONFECTIONER’S GLAZE
I was late in the game with this one. Lots of candy and baking items unfortunately have this ingredient, as it makes it shiny. Some common items include jelly beans and sprinkles.
Why is it not vegan?
Confectioner’s glaze is made from shellac, which according to Taste of Life, comes from the female lac bug. After feeding on tree sap, the female lac bug secretes a substance called lac to protect her soon-to-hatch eggs. Often found and collected in forests of India or Thailand, the lac later hardens to create a flaky shellac. It is then dissolved in ethanol, an alcohol fuel distilled from plant materials. The process leads to the creation of glaze and shellac polish.
SHELLAC
You can find shellac in nail polish, wood varnishes, and sometimes as a coat on medical pills.
Why is it not vegan?
It comes from a secretion of the lac bug (see above for further details).
HONEY
There’s a large variety of products that can sneak in honey available in the market today. Some of them include cookies, cereals, even tea.
Why is it not vegan?
Honey is made by honey bees (and some related insects) by removing a sweet secretion from plants, then ingesting it and regurgitating it into the hive (yes, it’s bee vomit).
BONE CHINA
Tea sets, dinnerware and other items that you may find still available today in wedding registries all over the world.
Why is it not vegan?
Bone china is made from the ashes of animal bones. This is a product that is no longer necessary in order to have beautiful, high quality tea sets and dinnerware, as the vegan alternatives are far and wide. Check out this post about vegan teaware for more information.
DOWN
These items are usually duvets, pillows, blankets, comforters and mattress pads.
Why is it not vegan?
Down products are filled with the feathers from geese and ducks. This is usually an extremely painful process for our featherly friends as it involves a practice called live-plucking. That’s when feathers and the undercoating of geese and ducks are pulled off their skin while the waterfowl are still alive (1).
The highest grade of down, used to make the most comfy and costly bedding comes from this method. This is not luxury, it is cruelty!
SILK
Lately I’ve seen lots of silk pillowcase products advertised just about everywhere. But some products that might not be so obvious to have silk include lingerie, kimonos or dressing gowns, and even wall hangings.
Why is it not vegan?
The process of silk production is known as sericulture. … Extracting raw silk starts by cultivating the silkworms on mulberry leaves. Once the worms start pupating in their cocoons, these are dissolved in boiling water in order for individual long fibres to be extracted and fed into the spinning reel(2).
In other words, the silk worms are burned alive in order to produce silk 🙁
Checking labels is so important because you want to make sure there are no sneaky ingredients or items when making a conscious purchase. If you find a product that says vegan on it, you are good to go!
Also be sure to come here often as everything I recommend is always vegan and cruelty-free!
Much love,
Angélica Renée
Sources:
1 CBS News
