I am what they call a flexitarian...

I quit eating pork some 10 years ago. Eating baby veal & lamb turns my stomach.  ​Perhaps I am hypocrite for eating meat at all. I cannot disagree.... I just feel that if I am going to eat meat protein, then Kosher, wild, free-range, or Halal is best.

 

I am a yo-yo vegger. Sometimes I go for months as a vegan or vegetarian.

Currently, I am back eating seafood, locally farmed grain-fed beef, wild game and free range fowl. When I say "free range" I mean roaming around the farm pecking at the ground with their buddies. Not crowded inside barns, (sickly & diseased) with only a small hole leading to nature and sunlight. 
 

Eating meat is one thing, but I prefer not to bathe in it nor brush my teeth with it.

Have a boo at what's hiding in common products & foods that we use & eat ever day.
 

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If I don't know the ingredients I research them.

 

Below is my shortlist of some household items & products which we all use or eat that you may or may not know are derived from animal sources & other disgusting additives.

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What's Eating You?

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1) TOOTHPASTE:  Surprise! Some 40 different brands of toothpaste are made with ingredients which come from animal fat derived glycerin. Calcium phosphate comes from bones, and/or bee-sourced propolis. CREST TOOTHPASTE DOES NOT contain pork, beef, sheep, or any other animal products. Sugar? What?  Sodium saccharine is approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar, found in many toothpaste brands, & is a known carcinogenic.

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2) IVORY SOAP & DOVE contain tallowate and/or tallow acid. Soaps that are opaque generally contain meat bi-products such as sodium tallowate & tallow acid; products of tallow come from rendered fat that is derived from the fatty tissue of mutton or cattle. Triglycerides & lanolin are also made from beef. Nothing says 'clean' like lathering up with meat.

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3) GLYCERIN and/or GLYCEROL in FOODS, SOAPS, SHAMPOO & COSMETICS contain animal fat. If the label says “vegetable glycerin" or "vegetarian glycerol" then it is from plants. If not, then most likely from an animal fat or protein. Clear soaps normally do not contain meat however there are some brands of homemade opaque soaps which are meat-free. I purchased a beautiful bar from a farmers market, (flannel scent), made by a Japanese lady, Umi, of the Steveston Soap Company, with  only plant based ingredients. And while it was $10 a bar - its been 6 months and I am still using it. $10 is worth it. 

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4) CEREAL: FROSTED MINI WHEATS, CHEERIOS, LUCKY CHARMS, COUNT CHOCULA, BOO BERRY & FRANKENBERRY; RICE KRISPIES, POP-TARTS & FRUIT FLAVOURED SNACKS all contain gelatin. Kellogg's cereals are made using beef and gelatin. What is gelatin? It is a protein made by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones in water. Gelatin comes from cows, mutton, or pigs.

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5) MARSHMALLOWS, ICE CREAM, JELL-O, PUDDING, CAKES, CANDY & GUMMIES contain gelatin. Most gel-like candies are made using gelatin.  

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6) COLLAGEN PRODUCTS, SUPPLEMENTS, & INJECTIONS: collagen supplements are usually made from animal products such as tallow from pigs, cows, and/or fish. Bovine collagen injections come from cows. There is such a thing as 'vegan collagen', you just have to ask your beautician, esthetician, pharmacist, or read labels.  (Botox is not a product made from animals), however, Botox is tested on animals so that it can be certified as safe for human use.

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7) VITAMIN D3 versus VITAMIN D2 supplements; VITAMIN D2 is used in fortified foods, & made from plants. Vitamin D3 mainly comes from animal sources; fish oil, fatty fish, liver, or egg yolks. Spending time outdoors in the sunlight is the best way for your body to produce it's own natural vitamin D3.

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8) SUGAR;  Organic, unrefined, light brownish coloured sugar is either lightly processed or not processed at all.  On the other hand; while White & Brown sugar do not contain particles of bone char, or what they call "natural charcoal" , (animal products), in it per se, animal bone char is used during the sugar-making process. Brown sugar is basically white refined sugar with molasses added to it.  For more info on Veganism & Sugar visit the VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP dot org

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9) AMYLASE; is found in many supplements & vitamins as well as packaged foods & beauty products; amylase is mainly produced by the salivary glands and pancreas of humans and animals. If you see Amylase or AMY1 or AMY2 on the label its probably from animals. 

However there is an AMYLASE which is produced by plants -> Plant foods rich in amylase are: soybeans, sweet potatoes, barley, potatoes, rice, tomatoes & cereal grains. 

How can you tell the difference? Well if the product you're buying says its Vegetarian or Vegan you know you've got the plant version. 

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10) TATOO INK:  I surmise there may be a few tattooed Vegans out there getting squeamish but there are vegan alternatives - so I've read. The reason regular tattoo inks are not considered Vegan is due to some inks being produced with animal products such as; bone char, hoof gelatin, beetle shellac, and/or animal fat (glycerin). For more on tattoos ink ingredients & Veganism visit MEDERMISLASERCLINIC.com  tattoo removal clinic. 

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11) BONE CHARCOAL or what they call NATURAL CARBON; found in and/or used in processed foods & a variety of vitamin supplements. If you see this on the label of your food and/or beauty products - it is animal based carbon. 

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12) ELASTIN: used in many cosmetics may contain Elastin. Elastin comes from connective protien found in animal tissue and/or bone. 

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13) L-CYSTEINE or CYSTEINE; an amino acid used to make bread and many various types of dough contain Cysteine or L-Cysteine; derived from swine hooves, cow horns, bird & fowl feathers. L-Cysteine is from HUMAN HAIR. Yes you heard right, and yes that is truly gross! But it is the L-Cysteine which is most commonly used to make - ahem- bread-and dough-- namely for FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS. (I guess thats why they call them "buns" LOL). 

Read your labels homies!! 

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14) CASTOREUM; If the human hair didn't gross you out enough ...get your barf bag ready for this one; Castoreum extract is used to flavor a large variety of foods & perfumes; in particular, those that are vanilla flavored or scented. Castoreum can be found in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dairy desserts, candy, baked goods, gelatins and pudding.  Chanel, Givenchy, Lancome, Daniel Hechter and Coty all use it in their famous scents. What is Castoreum? It is a dense, odorous secretion which comes from the anal glands of beavers. Mama mia!!! More info can be found all over the internet

or go to JOTSCROLL.com

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15) ISINGLASS; translation- FISH BLADDER; is used as a fining agent to remove the haze from many types of juices, wine & beer. Other types of fining agents derived from animals such as gelatin, carbon, egg whites and casein are also used. For more information on the fining process of wine, beer and juices visit AWRI.com.au  

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16) PDMS, E900 / DIMETHYLPOLYSILOXANE; I can't pronounce this one so I'll try to keep it simple. Its silicon. Think...breast implants and Silly Putty. Yes its a plastic type substance which may or may not always come from animals. PDMS is a favorite with FAST FOOD companies (some but not all). For example; chicken nuggets, french fries, cooking oil, vinegar, some chocolates, milkshakes, smoothies; cosmetics, condoms, hair products & more.   Visit Blogs.UBC.ca 

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17) ANNATTO; Annatto is used as a dye in foods & cereals such as Kellogs ALL-BRAN; butter, cookies & snacks; it may cause headaches & also flucuate blood sugar. Diabetics using medications should beware as it may trigger a blood sugar spike or reduction. Annatto may even decrease the effectiveness of diabetes medications which can be dangerous if your blood sugar goes too low.  

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18) TALC; you may have noticed its a little hard to find TALC these days. 

Asbestos contamination can intermingle in the underground mines & finds its way into not only baby powder, but makeup,  & other beauty products. Johnson & Johnson has faced litigation costing them billions. For more info to Asbestos.com

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19) BHT; is used in many cosmetics, and as a food preservative; and while there are many Internet searches singing its praises, if you keep looking you will find a difference of opinion. David Suzuki Foundation has it listed as one of the "dirty dozen." According to their website; "Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, causing liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affecting lung function and blood coagulation [4]. BHT can act as a tumour promoter in certain situations [5]. Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen [6], the primary female sex hormone, and prevent expression of male sex hormones [7], resulting in adverse reproductive affects."  

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Read Your Labels!

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~ Bella Blanchard ~ the Dine Snob