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 23.03.06, some of the below products may be sold out/discontinued/etc. at the time of posting.
Though No Frills is owned by Loblaw, they surprisingly don’t carry as many vegan options as their parent company. Sure they’re a ‘discount’ store, but that doesn’t mean they should carry less vegan products.
Vegans like deals, too!
Earth Balance:
Soy Free Buttery Spread
Original Buttery Spread
Becel:
Vegan Margarine
Unsalted Plant-Based Margarine Brick
Salted Plant-Based Margarine Brick
Yves:
Veggie Ham Slices
Veggie Turkey Slices
Veggie Bologna
Veggie Bacon Strips
Ground Round Original
Ground Round Italian
Ground Round Mexican
Veggie Family Hot Dogs
Jumbo Veggie Dogs
Veggie Chicken Nuggets
Veggie Nuggets With Whole Wheat Breading
Veggie Breakfast Links
Falafel Balls
Veggie Meatballs
Lightlife:
Smart Bacon Strips
Smart Dogs
Smart Chicken Tenders
Original Crumble
Original Tempeh
Gardein:
7 Grain Crispy Tenders
Chipotle Lime Crispy Tenders
Beefless Ground
Meatless Meatballs
Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n
Lightly Breaded Turk’y Cutlets
Fishless Fillet
Crispy Chick’n Sliders
Beefless Tips
Crispy Golden Chick’N
Barbecue Wings
Chick’N Wings Spicy Gochujang Style
Crabless Cakes
Beyond Meat:
Beyond Beef Ground
Beyond Burgers
Beyond Mild Italian Sausage
Beyond Hot Italian Sausage
Daiya:
Shreds Mozzarella
Shreds Cheddar
Pizza Supreme
Pizza Fire Roasted Vegetable
Flatbread Mushroom Caramelized Onion
Block Cheddar
Block Feta
Salad Dressing Ranch
Salad Dressing Creamy Caesar
Cheesecake New York Style
Cheesecake Key Lime
Silk:
Almond For Coffee Vanilla
Almond For Coffee Hazelnut
Soy For Coffee Original
Oat For Coffee Vanilla
Almond Original
Almond Vanilla
Almond Dark Chocolate
Soy Original Unsweetened
Soy Vanilla
Creamy Cashew
Half & Half Coffee Creamer
Coconut Original
Almond Yogurt Vanilla
Coconut Yogurt
Coconut Yogurt Vanilla
Oat Yogurt Vanilla
Oat Yogurt Plain
Whipping Cream Alternative
Oat Original
Oat Vanilla
Violife:
Shreds Cheddar
Shreds Mozzarella=
Slices Mature Cheddar
Slices Cheddar
Slices Smoked Provolone
PC:
Butter Alternative Salted
Butter Alternative Unsalted
Salad Dressing Caesar
Cheddar Slices
Swiss Slices
Coconut Cream Cheese Style Spread
Mozzarella Sticks
– Beefless Undeniable Burgers
Vanilla Marshmallows
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter Delights
As always, the above list is for the pre-made/faux vegan foods. I don’t list staple vegan products like fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, etc. because not only are those found at every store, including them would make these posts way too long.
Like this article? Check out more store crawls here!
This article was written 21.06.07, when COVID pre-cautions were still in place. Please excuse any reference that is no longer applicable
Similar to Metro’s store crawl, this crawl was also done online. While the restrictions are lifting a bit where I am, I still think it’s safest to not go to highly populated areas at the moment. Especially if I don’t absolutely have to go.
And running around a store writing down all the vegan food they offer isn’t on that list, so you’re getting another online edition. Actually, I was thinking of maybe making most of these online crawls instead. Lots of people would rather get groceries delivered, and, sometimes the online selection of products is better/has more variety than if you were to go in person.
Also, since we’re starting to get back into the cold weather, not having to brave the oncoming winter temperature’s seems like a good idea.
And with that little preamble out of the way, let’s see what vegan offerings** Loblaws has:
Yves:
Original Ground Round
Ham
Turkey Slices
Hot Dogs
Mexican Ground Round
Bologna
Pepperoni
Chick’N Burgers
Italian Ground Round
Lightlife:
Smart Dogs
Smart Tenders Plant-Based Chicken
Smart Bacon
Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips
Organic Original Tempeh
Plant Based Burgers*
Plant Based Ground*
*All other products said Certified Vegan on packaging, these products did not, however their ingredients appeared vegan when I read them
Gardein:
7 Grain Crispy Tenders
Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n
Beefless Ground
Crispy Fingers Chipotle Lime
Turk’y Cutlets
Golden Fishless Filets
Beefless Tips
Breakfast Spicy Sausages
Chick’n Sliders
BBQ Wings
Breakfast Maple Sausages
Earth Balance:
Soy Free Buttery Spread
Original Buttery Spread
Whipped Spread
Creamy Coconut Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter and Flax
Crunchy Coconut and Peanut Spread
Crunchy Peanut Butter with Flax
Silk:
Soy Original
Soy Original Unsweetened
Soy Vanilla
Soy Chocolate
Unsweetened Almond
Vanilla Almond
Dark Chocolate Almond
Almond Protein
Almond and Coconut
Coconut Unsweetened
Cashew Unsweetened
Oat Yeah Original
Oat Yeah Unsweetened
Oat Yeah Vanilla
Barista Soy
Barista Almond
Soy For Coffee
Vanilla Coffee Creamer
Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
Oat Yeah Coffee Creamer
Plain Coconut Yogurt
Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
Raspberry Yogurt
Blueberry Yogurt
Almond Strawberry Yogurt
Almond Peach Yogurt
Strawberry Banana Yogurt
Presidents Choice (PC):
Swiss Style Slices
Cheddar Style Slices
Mozzarella Style Slices
Cheddar Style Shreds
Mozzarella Shreds
Coconut Cream Cheese
Vegan Cheddar Puffs
Chickenless Strips
Onion and Chive Tofu Dip
Beefless Undeniable Burgers
Amy’s Kitchen
Alphabet Soup
Vegetable Barley Soup
Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable Soup
Light In Sodium Minestrone Soup
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Lentil Soup
Daiya:
Cheddar Block
Mozz Shreds
Cheddar Shreds
Cheddar Sauce
Alfredo Sauce
Cheddar Mac
Alfredo Mac
Cheeze Lovers Pizza
Margherita Pizza
Fire Roasted Veggie Pizza
Supreme Pizza
Vegetable Crust Meatless Pepperoni Pizza
Vegetable Crust Mediterranean Pizza
NY Style Cheesecake
Key Lime Cheesecake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Vanilla Ice Cream
Triple Fudge Ice Cream
Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Bar
Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream Bar
Original Cream Cheese
Enjoy Life:
Mini Choc Chips
Mega Chunks
Plentil Dill and Sour Cream
Plentil Thai Chili Lime
Plentil Sea Salt
Cocoa Loco Baked Chewy Bars
Chocolate Chip Mini Crunchy Cookies
Soft Baked Mini Double Choc Brownie Cookies
Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies
Soft Baked Mini Snickerdoodle Cookies
Soft Baked Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Oat and Fruit Breakfast Ovals Choc Chip and Banana
Oat and Fruit Breakfast Ovals Fig and Maple
Oat and Fruit Breakfast Ovals Berry Medley
Gluten Free Crunchy Double Choc Cookies
Boom Choco Boom Candy Bar
Misc:
Mr. Noodle’s Vegetable
Habitant Garden Style Vegetable Soup
Lipton Cup-A-Soup Spring Vegetable Dry Mix
Knorr Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast (Large Flake)
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
Oreo’s Original
Fudgee-O’s Original
Triscuits Original
Ritz Crackers Original
Kisko’s Mr. Freeze Jumbo Freezies
Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy Netflix and Chill’d
Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy Peanut Butter Half Baked
Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy Cherry Garcia
Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy P.B. and Cookies
Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Dandies Vanilla Marshmallows
**This is not counting of course fresh/frozen/canned fruit and vegetables, and staple dry ingredients like pastas and rices, this is also not including ‘obvious’ snack products (Lay’s Original chips, etc.)
I want to start this off by saying that at the time of writing this post (20.04.07), the COVID-19 shut down of practically everything is still in full swing, so this store crawl is going to be a bit different.
Since I wasn’t actually able to go through and crawl the physical store, this will be a crawl of Metros’ online store. This means that not only may there be vegan items not listed, but that due to the virus and panic buying, they may not list items that are sold out, either.
I actually debated about scraping this post and doing a different one altogether, and to maybe back burner this series until things get back to normal, but then I figured in the midst of what’s happening, it may be more important now than before to keep the series going, as you may not be able to get groceries delivered from your favourite store, and knowing what other stores are offering without doing the research yourself (which takes hours, btw) would probably be helpful.
Also, I want to note: Since this is an online version, instead of listing the foods by section, I’m going to be listing them by brand.
I’m also not going to list the fruit, veg, grains or most snacks that are vegan friendly because seriously, how long do you want this post to be?
Earth Balance
Soy Free Traditional Spread
Original Traditional Spread
Creamy Peanut Butter & Flaxseed
Creamy Coconut & Peanut Spread
Yves
Lunch Meat:
Salami
Turkey
Bologna
Ham
Pepperoni (I know it’s not technically a deli meat, but the official Yves website lists it here)
Not-Dogs:
Jumbo Veggie Dogs
Meatless Veggie Dogs
Yves Mediterranean Harissa Sausages
Spicy Italian Veggie Sausages
Ground Round:
Original Ground Round
Italian Ground Round
Mexican Ground Round
Other:
Veggie Burgers
Souvlaki Veggie Skewers
Veggie Chick’N Tenders
Veggie Breakfast Links
Veggie Breakfast Patties
Broccoli Bites
Falafel Balls
Lightlife
Original Veggie Bacon
Veggie Chicken Tenders
Smoked Veggie Hot Dog Sausages
GF Vegan Burger
Beyond Meat Beyond Burger (don’t know why, but online they were listed together)
Tofurky
Italian Sausages
Polish Style Meatless Kielbasa Sausages
Marinated Roast Ham
Holiday Roast and Gravy
Daiya
Cheese/Sauce:
Plain Cream Cheese
Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
Mozzarella Slices
Cheddar Slices
Smoked Gouda Block
Cheddar Block
Mozza Style Cutting Board Shreds
Cheddar Style Cutting Board Shreds
Mozzarella Sticks
Cheddar Sticks
Cheddar Style Cheezy Mac
Deluxe Alfredo Style Cheezy Mac
Deluxe Veggie White Cheddar Style Cheezy Mac
Deluxe Cheddar Style Sauce
Deluxe Alfredo Style Sauce
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
Homestyle Ranch Salad Dressing
Blue Cheeze Salad Dressing
Frozen:
GF Supreme Pizza
GF Margherita Pizza
Cheeze Lovers’ Pizza
GF Classic Pepperoni Pizza
GF Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Pizza
Crunchy Chocolate Fudge Ice Bar
New York Cheezecake
GF Chocolate Cheezecake
Key Lime Cheezecake
Amy’s Kitchen
Frozen:
California Veggie Burger
Roasted Vegetable No Cheese Pizza
Thai Red Curry
Pad Thai
Organic Veggie Loaf While Meal (listed as Veggie Loaf and Vegetable Meal)
Black Bean Enchiliada Whole Meal (Enchiliada with Spanish Rice and Beans)
Quinoa & Black Beans with Butternut Squash & Chard
Dairy Free Bean & Rice Burrito
Black Bean Vegtable Burrito
Cans:
Organic Split Pea Soup
Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup
Organic Vegetable Barley Soup
No Chicken Noodle Soup
Organic Medium Chili with Vegetables
Organic Spicy Chili
Silk (All Silk products are vegan!)
Soy:
Organic Unsweetened Soy Beverage
Organic Original Soy Beverage
Chocolate Flavoured Soy Beverage
Soy Beverage For Coffee
Almond:
Original Almond Fortified Beverage
Unsweetened Almond Fortified Beverage
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Beverage
Vanilla Flavoured Almond Beverage
Dark Chocolate Almond Fortified Beverage
Berries and Acai Flavoured Dairy Free Almond Yogurt
Peach Flavoured Dairy Free Almond Yogurt
Vanilla Flavoured Dairy Free Almond Yogurt
Strawberry Flavoured Dairy Free Almond Yogurt
Hazelnut Flavoured Almond Beverage For Coffee
Dairy Free Almond Coffee Whitener
Coconut:
Original Coconut Beverage
Unsweetened Original Coconut Beverage
Almond and Coconut Blend Beverage
Vanilla Flavoured Unsweetened Coconut Beverage
Original Coconut For Coffee
Vanilla Flavoured Coconut For Coffee
Unsweetened Vanilla Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Yogurt Alternative
Unsweetened Plain Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Yogurt Alternative
Berries and Acai Cultured Almond Milk Yogurt
Cashew:
Original Creamy Cashew
Unsweetened Creamy Cashew Beverage
Vanilla Flavoured Creamy Cashew Beverage
Gusta:
Vegan Montrealaise Wheat Sausages
Vegan Espanola Wheat Sausages
Vegan Italiana Wheat Sausages
Pizzaroni Vegan Seitan Stick
Gardein
Chicken:
7 Grain Crispy Tenders
Crispy Chick’n Patties
Chick’n Sliders Mini Burgers
Chick’n Fajita Bowl
Teriyaki Chick’n Bowl
Beef:
Sweet and Tangy BBQ Wings
Beefless Ground
Beefless Tips
Patties:
Chipotle Flavoured Black Bean Patties
Spicy Breakfast Meat Free Saus’age Patties
Breakfast Meat Free Saus’age Patties
Sweets from the Earth
GF Flourless Cashew Flavoured Cookies
Nut Free Cupcakes
Blueberry Cheesecake
Chocolate Fudge Cake
GF Vegan Chocolate Cake
GF Vegan Espresso Cheesecake
Ben & Jerry’s
Non-Dairy Peanut Butter Half Baked
Non-Dairy Cherry Garcia
Non-Dairy Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Non-Dairy P.B. and Cookies
Non-Dairy Coffee Caramel Fudge
Okay, I know that seems like a lot, but considering they’re a pretty big grocery store, this actually isn’t that much. It just looks like it all listed out.
Anyways, I hope you found this helpful, should you need to do some digging around your non usual digs for vegan food, at least this way you know you’ll be able to find some pre-made stuff.
Which I know isn’t everyone’s favourite, and I’m actually trying to move away from it, myself, but it’s better than starving.
There are literally tons of non-cruel alternatives to cows’ milk. Why are you still funding such a cruel and unnecessary industry?
I made this collage out of alternatives I thought up in about 5 seconds.
Off the top of my head, I came up with:
Soy
Almond
Coconut
Pea
Oat
There’s obviously way more than just 5 alternatives – since you can make milk out of just about anything – but 5 alternatives for a 5 second brain storm is pretty good.
Some other popular alternatives are:
Rice
Cashew
Hemp
Hazelnut (Walnut, Pistachio, Macadamia, and just about any other nut you can think of)
Sunflower
So, now you know what’s wrong with dairy, and have at least 10 alternatives to choose from, what are you gonna do with this knowledge? You can no longer claim ignorance, since I’ve just given you all the info you need to make a change.
Wanna know what else I’ve given you?
Zero excuses.
Like this article? Check out more vegan tips here!
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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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