This article was written 23.08.28, some of the products below may be out of stock, discontinued or otherwise unavailable at your local store. Please check with your own closest location for product availability.
As a drug store, carrying food isn’t Shopper’s primary focus, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that their vegan offerings are not as plentiful as some grocery stores.
Some of their locations don’t even have a grocery section, and the ones that do, well it’s not that big. You can usually get fresh produce, juice/pops or other snack foods and that’s pretty much it.
Oh, and you can also find great deals on Halloween candy! (Though not the vegan kind)
Faux Milk:
Earth’s Own Oat Chocolate
Earth’s Own Almond Chocolate
Earth’s Own Almond Original
Earth’s Own Oat Barista
Earth’s Own Oat Original
Silk Almond Chocolate
Silk Almond Original
Silk Almond Unsweetened
Silk Oat Original
Silk Oat Unsweetened
Silk Soy Unsweetened
Silk Oat For Coffee Vanilla
Silk Almond For Coffee Vanilla
Silk Soy For Coffee OG
Natura Soy Original
Natura Soy Unsweetened
Natura Soy Vanilla
Natura Soy Chocolate
Natura Rice Original
Snacks:
Smartfood’s Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn
Skinny Pop! White Cheddar Popcorn
Skinny Pop! Original Popcorn
Smart Sweets Cola Gummies
Smart Sweets Peach Rings
Chocolate:
Lindt Vegan Salted Caramel Bar
Lindt Vegan Hazelnut Bar
Prana Chocolate Bark Algarve
Prana Chocolate Bark No Mylkin’
Other:
Hellman’s Vegan Caesar Dressing
Hellman’s Vegan Ranch Dressing
Hellman’s Green Goddess Dressing
Becel Vegan Margarine
Magnum Non-Dairy Almond Bar
Beyond Meat Burger Patties
Personal Care:
Attitude Super Leaves Body Wash
Attitude Super Leaves Glowing Body Wash
Attitude Super Leaves Shampoo Volume & Shine
Attitude Super Leaves Shampoo Clarifying
Attitude Super Leaves Shampoo Nourishing & Strengthening
Attitude Super Leaves Conditioner Colour Protection
Attitude Super Leaves Conditioner Volume & Shine
Attitude Super Leaves Conditioner Clarifying
Attitude Super Leaves Conditioner Moisture Rich
Attitude Super Leaves Red Vine Leaves Hand Soap
Attitude Super Leaves White Tea Leaves Hand Soap
Attitude Super Leaves Deodorant White Tea Leaves
Attitude Super Leaves Deodorant Lemon
Attitude Leaves Deodorant Sandalwood
Attitude Super Leaves Deodorant Orange
Attitude Leaves Deodorant Sea Salt
Attitude Leaves Deodorant Herbal Musk
Attitude Super Leaves Body Cream Nourishing
Attitude Super Leaves Body Cream Soothing
Attitude Super Leaves Body Cream Regenerating
Pacifica Ceramide Barrier Face Cream
Pacifica Glow Baby Vita Glow Hydrating Face Lotion
Pacifica Vegan Collagen Hydrating Setting Mist
Pacifica Vegan Collagen Lip Balm
I Love Cosmetics Mango & Papaya Shower Gel
I Love Cosmetics Raspberry & Blackberry Shower Gel
This article was written 22.03.02, please excuse any reference/joke to COVID pre-cautions that’s no longer accurate.
Summer is the perfect time to have get-togethers and BBQ’s with friends and family. The one usual annoying thing about this, is you’re asked to bring ‘something’.
Now sure, it’s to lessen the burden on the hosts, and what kind of guest doesn’t feel a little guilty when they don’t bring at least something to a get together?
But, what if it’s too hot to turn the stove on? Are you expected to sweat your ass off before going to socialize? Or, what if you’re not a great – or even okay – cook? Should your friends and family suffer through whatever failed attempt at food you bring? How is that fair?
Well, not to worry! I’m here to show you 3 very simple, yet delicious dips you can bring. This will eliminate any sweating, as none of the below require cooking, and the only ‘cooking’ skills you need, is being able to throw everything together in a container.
Ranch
A classic dip, which is perfect for any occasion, but especially shines during the summer, this ranch is the perfect, easy dip to prepare.
This is a bastardized version of HotforFood’s Ranch dip from Vegan Comfort Classics, so if you’d rather make the original, you can go ahead and do so.
This version is kind of the ‘lazy’ version of Lauren’s – it’s less ingredients, but still has the taste you want when making a ranch dip.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Vegan Mayo (I use Hellmann’s Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread, which is pretty much vegan Miracle Whip)
1tsp of Dill
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp vinegar
Directions:
Scoop everything into a suitable sized container. Stir to combine.
That’s it!
It’s super simple, yet has amazing flavour! And, the best part, is you can even reduce this recipe down to just the mayo and dill and it will still pretty much taste the same as the more complicated version.
It was in making Lauren’s recipe I discovered that dill is the seasoning that gives dishes that classic ‘summer’ taste, so that’s basically all you need to transform the mayo into a suitable summer dip.
You can also obviously increase the measurements if you’re going to be bringing this dip to a get together. The above recipe makes a very small amount of dip – I’d say… maybe around half a cups worth, or less.
I usually don’t make this dip in big quantities, because I’m not very good at meal planning, so I usually decide to make it after I finish making whatever else I was doing and then realize, ‘crap, I forgot to make a dip’.
2. French Onion Dip
Excuse the messiness, I mixed it right in the container.
I’m gonna be honest, I actually have no idea what the difference between ‘onion dip’ and ‘French onion dip’ is, because from what I could tell, all the recipes I found online seemed the same. So technically, this could just be ‘onion dip’, but I think it sounds fancier this way. (Maybe that’s the difference?)
Regardless of what you choose to name it, one thing I’m sure you’ll call it, is ‘tasty’.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 tsp Onion Flakes
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together in whatever bowl/container you’d like. Whatever you choose, make sure it is safe to go in the fridge.
2. Once combine, place in fridge for minimum of 2 hours. (This will help enhance the flavour, and allow the sour cream to get re-firmed, if mixing turned it too runny)
Once it’s been cooled to perfection, you can go ahead and enjoy this bad boy using almost anything: veggies, chips, even just straight up bread would taste great dipped in this stuff!
Just be sure to brush your teeth after eating. Unless you want to use it as a deterrent for avoiding certain family members. In which case, dip away! 😉
3. Paprika Mayo
This one, I’ve actually only used as a spread on various sandwiches (a TLT [tempeh, lettuce, tomato], avocado toast, salad wraps, etc.) but I think it would be good as a dip, as well. I’m also not sure if Paprika Mayo is a thing other people have heard of/made, or something my brother made up, but it’s definitely delicious, and, super simple to make!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Vegan Mayo
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a container and stir until combined.
And that’s it!
Now you can impress at any summer get-togethers you may have, while keeping your house cool as a cucumber. Not to mention, because these are so fast to whip up, you’ll also have plenty of time to enjoy these few good weather months before winter returns. Get out of your kitchen and soak up that sun while you can!
Also, as you might have noticed, these recipes are for very minimal amounts of these dips. This is because contrary to the point of this post, I actually tend to make these dips when I want them, not for get togethers. (Also, since COVID broke the world, get-togethers have been back burned indefinitely) And since I try to vary what I eat on a daily basis, I tend to only make them in small batches, so I can finish them off within 1 to 2 days.
Don’t worry, though. The ratios are the same whether you’re making them for just you, or to feed a whole family. There are plenty of measurement converters you can find online to help you out making bigger batches.
I’m also not too sure how long exactly these dips would last in the fridge, since I tend to finish them within 2 days. If I had to guess though, I’d say to eat them within 1 week, just to be on the safe side.
Do you have any favourite simple homemade dips? Let me know in the comments below!
Vitamin C is one of the more popular nutrients people talk about. Maybe it’s because that’s the nutrient people focus on when they catch a cold – everyone knows when you’re sick/have a cold to drink orange juice to replenish your Vitamin C.
But what you might not know, is that oranges actually aren’t the best source.
Starting in the top left-hand corner, moving clockwise:
Raw Red Bell Pepper 190mg
Raw Green Bell Pepper 120mg
Cooked Broccoli 102mg
Raw Strawberries 98mg
Raw Grapfruit (1) 78mg
Raw Broccoli 78mg
Orange (1 medium) 70mg
Kiwi (1 med) 64mg
Green Peas 60mg
Cantaloupe (1 Whole) 58mg
Cooked Cabbage 56mg
Raw Cauliflower 52mg
Green Beans 18mg
Baked Potato (1 Med) 17mg
Raw Tomato (1 Med) 17mg
As you can see, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables with Vitamin C, so getting enough as a vegan definitely shouldn’t be a struggle.
And hey, maybe next time you get a cold, you could try juicing a bell pepper, instead?
Like this article? Check out the rest of the Nutrient Series!
This article was written 20.11.12, when COVID was still running rampant/wasn’t under control. (At least in Toronto) Please excuse any reference/joke that’s no longer applicable.
Disclaimer: This article contains links to graphic videos of animal slaughter. If you have issues with watching, I recommend not clicking the video links, but I implore you to ask yourself: if you can’t watch, should you really continue to fund it?
I’m gonna be honest, when I started doing this series, I didn’t really have a plan other than making pretty-ish collages of vegan alternatives. However, after giving it some thought, I realized that I should be taking this time to educate the non-vegan, and new vegans, to show them what options there are, so they don’t have to freak out and go through that ‘wait… what am I gonna eat?’ phase.
Hopefully if you’ve stumbled upon this article on the vegan section of a website, you already know what’s wrong with eating meat, but just in case, here’s a quick refresher:
As you hopefully already know, you have to kill an animal to be able to eat it’s dead body. Sooo, not to be ‘that’ vegan, but yes meat is murder! (There’s a reason why it’s a popular chant!) And, as we (hopefully) all know, murder is wrong.
Slaughterhouses are giant murder factories. Animals go in alive, and come out chopped into pieces wrapped in plastic. As if murdering them wasn’t enough, the animals are also often traumatized, by either being abused, or by hearing their friends and family (yes, animals have friends and family!) being killed in the next room, or both. ‘Oh, Ater’ you say, ‘but animals don’t know what’s happening! They’re not that self-aware.’
Well, how about you look at this picture, and I mean really look at it. Are you still gonna try to tell me that’s not fear and sadness in that animal’s eyes? Does that expression look like the expression of someone who doesn’t know what’s going on? What if I told you this is a picture from a video that was shot in 2015, and this animal has been dead for 5 years. Now do you care? What if this was a picture of a dog, instead of a pig – would you care then? Why?
If you believe dogs have souls and deserve to live, so should other animals. Not all animals are as smart as dogs, but does that mean they deserve to die? What if we did that with people? Dogs on average are about as smart as 2 year olds, so what if we just killed everyone not as smart as that. Does that sound even remotely like an okay thing to do?
And, while we’re on the subject of intelligence, pigs have actually been shown to be more intelligent than dogs. So… why is it okay to eat one, but not the other? Tell me, truly, what’s the difference?
2. Humans as a whole are so overly murdering animals, it’s crazy. Seriously, the shear number of animals that are being killed every minute is insane to think about. In fact, why don’t you check out this site, and watch the numbers go up. That is a lot of lives that are being lost. On average, humans kill 3 billion animals every day. Yes, you read that correctly 3 billion animals die every day!
To put this into perspective, on 9/11, roughly 2,900 people died. That was enough to change basically the world as a whole, and there were many changes enacted to make sure something like that never happened again.
That is only 0.0000966% of 3 billion. But for animals, nobody cares? What if we killed that many people everyday? At the time of writing this article (20.11.12), there are 7.8 billion humans on Earth. If we were to kill humans at the same rate we killed animals, the human race would be extinct in 17 days.
17 days!
And this isn’t even mentioning all the terrible environmental factors that slaughterhouses, and needless breeding of animals has on the planet.
But, in the interest of keeping this short, let’s move on.
So, now you know meat is terrible, and you’ve agreed to stop funding murder – awesome! But, now you may be wondering, what else is there to eat?
Well, thankfully, there have been amazing strides in the vegan movement in the past couple of years, and it’s easier than ever to stop eating meat!
Starting from the top left corner, going clockwise:
Beyond Meat Beyond Burgers
Gardein Beefless Strips
Gardein Beefless Ground
Gardein Chick’N Patties
Gardein Chick’N Scallopini
Gardein Turk’y Cutlets
Gardein Stuffed Turk’y
Tofurky Veggie Roast
Gardein Porkless Bites
Beyond Meat Beyond Sausage
Tofurky Italian Sausage
Yves Veggie Dogs
Yves Veggie Ham
Yves Veggie Bologna
Gardein Fishless Filets
Gardein Crabless Cakes
Seitan
This collage show only a small sample of all the different vegan friendly ‘replacement’ meats currently available. Basically any meat you want to eat has a substitute. And, these are just some of the convenience foods available. There’s also tofu, tempeh, or heck, even vegetables, such as mushrooms or jackfruit can be used as a meat substitute. (Depending on the dish, of course)
All it takes is a little know-how to make kick-ass faux meat dishes. Or, instead of trying to replace meat directly with substitutes, you could also try making different dishes. Expand your meals from being meat-centric, to include ones that put veggies in the spotlight.
Instead of trying to replicate steak and potatoes, why don’t you try making stuffed bell peppers? You can replace the ground beef or chicken (or whatever meat you’d usually put in the rice) with lentils, or mushrooms. Add in some of the usual suspects (corn, broccoli, carrot, etc.) and BAM! You’ll have one seriously hearty dish on your hands. I guarantee you that you won’t even notice the lack of meat in the dish.
There are tons of veg-centric meals just waiting for you to try them. So why not give it a whirl? And if you need some help? No worries! There are tons of vegan cookbooks, blogs, Youtube channels and even Instagram accounts out there for you to draw inspiration from. One of my all time favourite Youtube channels is HotforFood. Lauren is a master in the kitchen, and makes all kinds of breaking-vegan-stereotype dishes. She has recipes for burgers, mac n cheese, gravy, and even a vegan ranch dip! In a lot of her videos, she also explains why she uses certain ingredients, instead of keeping you guessing.
When I first went vegan, I watched a lot of her videos, and learned a lot from her videos about combining certain ingredients to get certain flavours. So go ahead and give it a try! There’s never been a better time to test out new recipes. (Not like you’re leaving the house, anyway)
Like this article? Check out more vegan tips here!
Liking the site? Consider signing up for my Patreon, so I can continue bringing you the content you love!
Here’s the next installment of the Vegan Fast Food series.
I know, I know, another vegan series? Well yes, because apparently there is still surprisingly little information out there that’s quick access to help vegans, so I’ve taken it upon myself to put in the work for future generations. (You’re welcome)
I honestly don’t know why, but I’ve heard a lot of people bag on PizzaPizza. Personally, they’re my favourite pizza place! They actually allow you to have thick crust, have quality ingredients, their squishy fries are amazing and have some of the best vegan options! (For a non-vegan place)
Starting in the top left corner, going across:
Classic Crust
Whole Grain Crust
Cauliflower Crust
Home-style Tomato Sauce (This is the same as the Italian Marinara dipping sauce)
Dairy-Free Cheeze (Violife)
Artichokes
Cilantro
Caramelized Onion
Hot Banana Peppers
Grilled Zucchini
Spinach
Sundried Tomato
Fire Roasted Red Peppers
Pineapple
Red Onion
Mushrooms
Black Olives
Jalapeno Peppers
Roma Tomatoes
Roasted Garlic
Green Pepper
Green Olives
Broccoli
Plant Based Pepperoni
Plant Based Chorizo
Hot Sauce
Sweet Chili
Bruschetta
Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
Balsamic Vinegrette
Potato Wedges
Regular Fries
Onion Rings
Sweet Potato Fries
Lays Classic, Ruffle’s All Dressed and most of their drinks are some other vegan offerings that aren’t listed in the picture.
The Veggie Quesadilla unfortunately won’t let you switch to dairy-free cheeze, but both the Calzones and Panzerottis can be customized to be vegan. The Italiano Blend, Sweet Garlic and Pepper and Chili Flakes are also vegan, if you wish to add those to your pizzas as well. (They’re listed under ‘free toppings’)
The Garden Salad is also vegan, but beware the croutons: they have whey in them.
The Honey Garlic dipping sauce is also fine, if you’re a vegan who eats honey, but the Honey Mustard dip contains eggs.
And, as always: These ingredients are for Canada only. I recommend you look up the ingredients for your own country.
I do apologize that this article was a day late. As we all know, life got in the way and prevented me from finishing on top (also why there is no Throw Away Fic this week).
Better late than never though, right? Especially when it comes to learning about nutrition. This is the third installment of my Vegan Nutrient Collage series.
It’s not as common to get questions about iron, but it’s still good to bust myths. Most people know iron is in blood, so I understand the logic of ‘animals have blood, I should eat them to get iron’, but luckily for us, iron isn’t only found in blood. It’s in all kinds of plants, too!
Take a look for yourself:
Starting in the top left corner, going clockwise:
Lentils 6.6mg
Soy Beans (29.2mg)
Chickpeas (12.5mg)
Red Kidney Beans (15.1mg)
Oatmeal 29.9mg
Fortified Cereal 18mg
Quinoa 6.3mg
Brown Rice .8mg
Spinach 6.5mg
Swiss Chard 4mg
Kale 1mg
Swiss Chard .2mg
Sesame Seeds 21mg
Sunflower 7.4mg
Cashews 6.7mg
Peanuts 6.7mg
Pistachio 4.8mg
Pumpkin Seeds 2.1mg
Tofu 13.2mg
With only needing 16-18mg (a bit more if you’re a menstruating woman) it’s really not that hard to get all the iron you need. As long as you eat a balanced diet, you shouldn’t have trouble getting any of the essential nutrients you need to survive.
This will be the last entry of the Nutrient Collage series for this year – but don’t worry, I’ll continue the lesson into the new year!
Next month is Halloween – the spookiest time of the year! Not to worry vegans – there’s plenty of Halloween treats we can still enjoy! Next month I’ll give you Surprising Vegan Chips so you can get your snack on. Until then, check out my Surprising Vegan Halloween Candy collage and start stocking up!
Warning: This article includes pictures that may be considered graphic/disturbing. If you find any of the below images hard to look at, perhaps you should ask yourself if you’re really okay with continuing to fund the cruel practices that result in the below images.
Yep, it’s true – we humans put animal pieces/bits/by-products in all kinds of things that have nothing to do with food!
If you’re shocked, well don’t feel too bad – it’s not exactly like companies put ‘insect exoskeleton’ or ‘sheep fat’ on the label. They disguise these animal by-products by giving them a different name, so that they can sneak them under the radar.
This is why veganism is so much more than a diet, it truly is a lifestyle change. If you’re committed to reducing your harm to animals, then read through the list below to discover some of the most common animal by-products that are hiding in non-food items.
Unfortunately, the way society is, it’s literally impossible to be 100% animal product free, that’s why there’s no such thing as a truly 100% vegan – it’s just impossible in today’s world. While it can get overwhelming to see just how many everyday things have animal products in them, I don’t want you to freak out – take things slowly. It can be overwhelming, but don’t fret if you’re unable to cut out using all of the things listed below, it’s not feasible for everyone, and that’s okay. As long as you’re aware, and are consciously trying to reduce your harm, you’re doing enough. So try not beat yourself up too bad.
Alright, let’s start with the most obvious:
Leather
If you didn’t know, leather is cow skin. (Or snake, alligator, buffalo, sheep and more) Yep, you read that right, leather products are literally skinned animal. Do you really want to walk around like Michael Myers? (Why do you think his nickname is Leatherface?)
Suede
Pretty much the same as leather, (made out of animal skin), but suede is ‘fuzzy’. Either way, you’re wearing dead animal.
Fur
Fur can be in many things, including: coats, boots, blankets, etc. If it’s not faux, the fur once belonged to an animal, usually mink, foxes, and raccoon dogs. These poor animals are often de-furred alive, often without the use of anaesthetic, or pain pills. Is it really worth torturing an animal and taking its’ only defence against the cold, when we as humans have so many other options?
This animal was still alive at the time this picture was taken. If you can’t even look at the above image, or find it disturbing, you shouldn’t be wearing fur. Help prevent the above from happening by shopping for faux, or find other alternatives.
Wool
Where do we get wool from? Sheep. We shear the wool off the sheep to use for sweaters, blankets, socks, etc. What’s wrong with wool? Well:
Shearing: Let’s start with the practice everyone knows about. Farmers shear sheep to get their wool. But, often shearing is painful for sheep, and is much more than just a haircut. But wait, don’t sheep need to be sheared? Well, no, not at all. Undomesticated sheep only produce the amount of wool they need to survive, which truthfully isn’t that much. Same as we have genetically bred chickens to be too fat for their legs, humans have genetically modified sheep to overproduce wool that now requires the support of the shearing industry. Their bodies have a hard time supporting the weight, and some risk suffocation because they can’t breathe.
(Those marks are scars from old cuts, not ribs/bone)
Why are they bred to produce so much wool? Because most shearers are paid per sheep, not an hourly wage. Meaning they need to get the most amount of wool possible from a sheep in a quicker time frame. This also results in carelessness by shearers, and sheep often get injured from the quick paced shearing. Anything from nicks, to amputation of their udders, ears and other body parts can happen.
In Australia (where about half the world’s wool comes from) farmers often practice ‘mulesing’ which is a terribly cruel procedure in which farmers use tools resembling garden shears and carve chunks of skin/flesh from lambs’ backsides in an attempt to prevent a parasitic disease called ‘flystrike’. This practice is commonly performed without painkillers. And why does this happen? Because we’ve bred them to produce as much wool as possible, a sheep’s’ skin has wrinkled, and this wrinkled skin accrues excess moisture, which attracts flies. These flies lay eggs in the folds of the skin, resulting in maggots consuming the sheep’s’ skin.
What happens once the sheep begin to produce less wool? They get shipped off to a slaughterhouse and sold for meat, just like cows, pigs and other animals. Many are killed by having their throats’ slit while still conscious.
Silk
Silk comes from worms. (Or spiders) Yes, they count as animals. (If bees count, so do worms)
You may be wondering: Why does it matter if we take their silk?
Silk is the fiber that silkworms make to make their cocoons. (Similar to a caterpillar) For humans to get the silk, manufacturers’/collectors boil the worms alive while they’re in the cocoon. This prevents the worms from transforming to the next stage of their life cycle (the pupal phase), where they make a hole in the cocoon by releasing enzymes, which often cause the silk fibers of the cocoon to break down, and thus make them unviable for harvesting. Boiling the cocoon not only kills the worm by boiling it alive, but also makes the cocoons easier to unravel. Often times, after being boiled, the worms themselves are eaten as well.
Roughly 10 billion cocoons are required to produce the 70 million pounds of raw silk that are needed yearly.
Down
Down is the under-feathers from geese, ducks and other birds. Down is used most often for pillows, winter coats, and comforters. The feathers used for down are often taken via live-plucking. (I.e., the bird isn’t dead when the feathers are taken) You know the feeling of needing to tweeze/accidentally getting an arm hair ripped out? Imagine that pain ten fold, all over your body.
Beeswax
For those who don’t know, beeswax is a natural wax that honey bees produce. It’s formed by the bees into ‘scales’ by eight wax-producing glands in their abdomen. They then ‘discard’ the wax in or at the hive.
To put it in laymen’s terms, beeswax is essentially bee poop.
It would probably be faster to list products that don’t have beeswax, so to save time, I’ll just list a few examples:
Natural food wraps
Candles
Shoe/furniture polish
Surfboard Wax
Cutler’s Resin (a glue used in the handles of cutlery knives)
Tambourines (often used by percussionists on the surface for ‘thumb rolls’)
Oil/Body Paint
Soaps
Lip balm/gloss
Egg decoration (such as Easter egg crayons, dye, etc.)
Cream/lotion/moisturizers
Make-up (eye shadow, blush, eye-liner, etc.)
Moustache wax/hair pomades
It is even an ingredient in surgical bone wax, which is used during surgery to control bleeding from bone surfaces.
As you can see, beeswax is in many different products, and isn’t specific to one group of them. This isn’t saying that all of the variations of these products contain beeswax, just that it’s most likely an ingredient. Always read the label on every product to ensure you know what’s in that particular item.
Now, onto the less obvious animal by-product names:
Carmine
Carmine or Red #40 (or Allura Red AC) is the fancy name they decided to give red food colouring/red dye, perhaps because if they called it what it actually is, crushed cochineal beetles, nobody would buy the products.
Speaking of food dyes:
Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)
Blue #2 (Idigotine)
Green #3 (Fast Green FCF)
Red #3 (Erythrosine)
Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)
Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow FCF)
All 6 of the dyes listed above are tested on animals. These food dyes are not only used in foods, however – since they’re food-grade safe, they’re often also used in soaps, bath bombs, creams/lotions, and more. Pretty much if a non-food item is dyed a certain colour (and the label doesn’t specifically say it’s vegan), chances are good you’ll find one of the above listed in the ingredients.
If you can’t tell or aren’t sure? Call or e-mail the company to get your answer. In my experience, if a company doesn’t use one of the above, you’ll get a speedy, in-depth reply explaining what they use instead. If they do use one of the above (or other animal ingredients) chances are good they’ll take a while to reply, if at all. If you can’t find the info for the ingredients used on the website, chances are good they’re using an animal-derivative.
My rule since going vegan: if they’re hiding it, they probably shouldn’t be doing it. If I ask a company, and they don’t get back to me, I assume it’s not safe and try to find an alternative.
Bone Char
Exactly what it sounds like, the charred/ash remains of animal bones. This stuff is used mainly in the processing of sugar. This is why Oreos (and many other things) aren’t technically vegan in the US, because the sugar used is made with bone char. In Canada, our sugar isn’t processed this way, so Oreos, and other products are vegan. (Check the processing for your own country, as it can vary)
Bone char can also be found in plastic bags.
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered for of animal fat, usually from cattle. Tallow and its’ derivatives can be found in all kinds of non-food items, such as: fabric softener, eye makeup, lipsticks, foundations, shampoos, moisturizers, and other skin care products.
Castoreum
Does your perfume like vanilla? Then it might contain castoreum, which comes from a beavers’ castor sac – which is a gland between its’ pelvis and the base of it’s tail.
Yep, your sweet, vanilla scented perfumes, lotions and/or candles have the aroma from a beavers’ ass.
Polymers
Not all polymers are non-vegan. The polymers used specifically in plastic bags as a ‘slip agent’ (used to reduce friction) is made from animal fats. Companies like Tyson Foods are reportedly experimenting with keratin protein (found in chicken feathers) to be used in new plastic bags, adhesives and non-woven materials.
As if using the remains of animals isn’t bad enough, using plastic bags is also contributing to the destruction of the ocean. Birds and sea turtles often mistake shredded bags for food, and by ingesting these products their stomachs are filled with toxic debris.
It’s also estimated that only about 1% of plastic bags are recycled. This means that for an average family, only 1 in 15 bags are recycled. Couple this with the fact the average amount of plastic bags used a year in Canada is 3 billion (100 billion in the US), and the fact it takes roughly 400 years for plastic bags to break down, you can hopefully start to see the problem.
Also, while we’re on the subject, just a quick note: most of the pollution found in the ocean is from the fishing industry, specifically, fishing nets.
Stearic Acid
Again, not all stearic acid is made from animals. Animal-derived stearic acid is made out of animal fats. This non-vegan stearic acid can be found in many things, but the biggest/most common seems to be tires for bikes, cars, etc. In tires, it’s used to help the rubber hold the shape under friction.
Another uncommon thing animal-derived stearic acid is found in? Fireworks! (This genuinely surprised me.)
It’s used to coat metal powder and is used to prevent oxidation, which allows the fireworks to be stored for longer periods of time.
Glycerin
Just like with polymers and stearic acid, glycerine can come from either animal or vegetable fats.
Glycerin is found in many different products, including:
Soaps
Shampoo and conditioners
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Ointments
Cough syrups
Perfumes
Lotions
Shaving cream
Inks
Glues
Anti-freeze and brake fluid
Unless the label on a product specifically lists ‘vegetable glycerin’, it’s best to ask the company, or stay away all together (if that’s an option) if you can’t get a clear idea of the type.
Chitin
As explained in my Vegan Sunscreen post, chitin comes from the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects and arachnids. Protecting yourself from the sun by rubbing a dead spider on you? No thank-you!
Elastin
Elastin is a type of protein, found in the artery walls, intestines, lungs and skin of animals. Elastin is most often found in anti-aging products and sunscreens.
Animal Glue
Used most often in shoes, handbags and is even sometimes used for fixing wood instruments, ‘animal glue’ is made by boiling animals’ connective tissue or bones.
It’s apparently the ‘best’ for fixing musical instruments made out of wood, like violins or pianos. It’s also one of the most readily available and widely used glue.
I unfortunately could keep going with this list, but in the interest of not making this article too long, I’ll be ending it here. As you can see, there are many different animal-derived ingredients that can be found in non-food items. This is unfortunate for people who are trying their best to avoid exploiting/using animals, but as said at the beginning of this article, it’s impossible in society today to be 100% vegan.
Another thing to keep in mind, is this list is only talking about non-food products that contain animal ingredients – this isn’t even counting the massive amounts of products that are tested on animals, such as: shampoos, lotions/creams, sunscreens, makeup and more.
And, (just to make things more confusing) cruelty-free does not mean a product is vegan. The difference is, cruelty free means the product just isn’t tested on animals – it says absolutely nothing about the ingredients. There can be products out there that are cruelty-free but not vegan. But, on the flip-side, if a product is vegan, that means it’s cruelty free.
Cruelty-free \= vegan (Cruelty Free does not equal vegan)
This is why it’s important to read the ingredients and the label of each product. I always do my best to creep the company’s website to see if I can dig up the answers to my questions, (fortunately many companies are now making things like ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan’ selling points for products) but if you can’t find the information you need on the website, always, always be sure to e-mail or call the company. If you ask them directly, they’ll most likely give you an answer (or might give you a generic ‘check out our FAQ page!’).
If you still can’t find the answers you’re looking for, I usually will end up not buying the product, or looking for a vegan company substitute instead. Another thing I’ve recently started doing is to make my own products if I can’t find an alternative.
While the above is nowhere near an exhaustive list, I hope this article has helped you realize that there are animal products in many different non-food items. I also hope that the information in this article will help you be more mindful of what’s in the products you’re buying, and will hopefully allow you to make a more informed, kind choice with the products you buy.
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