Hidden Animal Ingredients
Here is a list of ingredients that could be non-vegetarian, therefore non-offerable to Krishna (and non-beneficial to anyone's spiritual life). In general, devotees only offer Krishna lacto-vegetarian items (no meat, fish, or eggs). When in doubt about some specific item, you can always contact the manufacturer.
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Calcium stearate Emulsifiers Enzymes Fatty acids Gelatin Magnesium stearate Mono and diglycerides |
Monostearates Oleic acid Olein Palmitin Palmitic acid Pepsin |
Polysorbates Rennet Stabilizers Stearic acid Stearin Tween |
In the United Kingdom, the following “E” numbers are nonvegetarian: 120, 140, 141, 153, 161-161g, 252, 280, 322, 352, 385, 404, 422, 430-436, 450, 470-478, 481-483, 491-495, 509, 516, 526, 540, 542, 545, 552, 570, 572, 623, 627, 631, 635, 904. Plus glycerol, glycine, glyceryl, glycerol triacetate, leucine, oxystearin, spermaceti, and vitamin D3.
| Hidden Animal Ingredients | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ingredient | What It Is | Its Use |
| Albumin | The protein component of egg whites. Albumin is also found in animal blood, milk, plants, and seeds. | To thicken or add texture to processed foods. |
| Anchovies | Small, silvery fish of herring family. | Worcestershire sauce, Caesar salad dressing, pizza topping, Greek salads. |
| Animal shortening | Butter, suet, lard (see lard below). | Packaged cookies and crackers, refried beans, flour tortillas, ready-made pie crusts. |
| Carmine (carmine, cochineal, or carminic acid) | Red coloring made from a ground-up insect. | Bottled juices, colored pasta, some candies, frozen pops, "natural" cosmetics. |
| Calcium stearate | Mineral typically derived from cows or hogs | Garlic salt, vanilla, meat tenderizers, salad-dressing mixes. |
| Capric acid (decanoic acid) | Animal fats | added to ice cream, candy, baked goods, chewing gum, liquor and often not specified on ingredients lists. |
| Casein (caseinate) | A milk protein. It coagulates with the addition of rennin (see rennin below) and is the foundation of cheese. | An additive in dairy products such as cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Also used in adhesives, paints, and plastics. |
| Clarifying agent | Derived from any number of animal sources. | Used to filter wine, vinegar, beer, fruit juice, soft drinks. |
| Gelatin | Protein from bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin of animals, Much of the commercial gelatin is a by-product of pig skin. | Marshmallows, yogurt, frosted cereals, gelatin-containing desserts, molded salads.. |
| Glucose (dextrose) | Fruits or animal tissues and fluids. | Baked goods, soft drinks, candies, frosting. |
| Glycerides (mono-, di-, and triglycerides) | Glycerol from animal fats or plants. | Processed foods, cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, inks, glues, automobile antifreeze. Used as emulsifier. |
| Isinglass | Gelatin from air bladder of sturgeon and other freshwater fish. | Clarify alcoholic beverages and in some jellied desserts. Rarely used now. |
| Lactylic stearate | Salt of stearic acid (see stearic acid below). | Dough conditioner. |
| Lanolin | Waxy fat from sheep’s wool. | Chewing gum, ointments, cosmetics, waterproof coatings. |
| Lard | Rendered and clarified pork fat. Often fat from abdomens of pigs or the fat around the animal’s kidneys. | Baked goods. |
| Lecithin | Phospholipids from animal tissues, plants, lentils, and egg yolks used to preserve, emulsify, and moisturize food. | Cereal, candy, chocolate, baked goods, margarine, vegetable oil sprays, cosmetics, and ink. |
| Lutein | Deep yellow coloring from marigolds or egg yolks. | Commercial food coloring. |
| Myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) | Animal fats. | Chocolate, ice cream, candy, jelled desserts, baked goods. |
| Natural flavorings | Unspecified, could be from meat or other animal products | Processed and packaged foods. |
| Oleic acid (oleinic acid) | Animal tallow (see tallow below) | Synthetic butter, cheese, vegetable fats and oils, spice flavoring for baked goods, candy, ice cream, beverages, condiments, soaps, cosmetics. |
| Palmatic acid | Animal or vegetable fats. | Baked goods, butter and cheese flavoring. |
| Pancreatin (pancreatic extract) | Cows or hogs | Digestive aids. |
| Pepsin | Enzyme from pigs’ stomachs | With rennet to make cheese. |
| Propolis | Resinous cement collected by bees | Food supplement and ingredient in “natural” toothpaste. |
| Rennin (Rennet) | A coagulating enzyme obtained from a young animal’s stomach, usually a calf’s stomach | Rennin is used to curdle milk in foods such as cheese and junket--a soft pudding like dessert. |
| Royal jelly | Substance produced by glands of bees. | “Natural foods” and nutrient supplements. |
| Sodium stearoyl lactylate | May be derived from cows, hogs, animal milk, or vegetable-mineral sources. | Used in cake, pudding, or pancake mixes, baked goods, margarine. |
| Stearic acid (octadecenoic acid) | Tallow, other animal fats and oils | Vanilla flavoring, chewing gum, baked goods, beverages, candy, soaps, ointments, candles, cosmetics, suppositories and pill coatings. |
| Suet | Hard white fat around kidneys and loins of animals | Margarine, mincemeat, pastries, bird feed, tallow. |
| Tallow | Solid fat of sheep and cattle separated from the membranous tissues | Waxed paper, margarine, soaps, crayons, candles, rubber, cosmetics. |
| Vitamin A (A1, retinol) | Vitamin obtained from vegetables, egg yolks, or fish liver oil. | Vitamin supplements, fortification of foods, “natural” cosmetics. |
| Vitamin B12 | Vitamin produced by microorganisms and found in all animal products; synthetic form (cyanocobalamin or cobalamin on labels) is vegan | Supplements or fortified foods. |
| Vitamin D (D1, D2, D3) | D1 is produced by humans upon exposure to sunlight; D2 (ergocalciferol) is made from plants or yeast, D3 (cholecalciferol comes from fish liver oils or lanolin | Supplements or fortified foods. |
Adapted from: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian by Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A., Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst, The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak, M.S.Ed.