And 8 other pitfalls for vegetarians
Vegetarians do not eat products for which an animal has been killed. So no meat, fish and poultry. A cut of meat is easy to avoid, but some foods you might not expect to be unsuitable for vegetarians.
Nine things that are on the ‘suspicious’ list for strict vegetarians:
1. Cheese
As a vegetarian, you quickly opt for a slice of cheese on bread instead of cold meats. But cheese is often not as vegetarian as you think. To make cheese, the milk must be curdled. This is usually done using rennet extracted from the stomach of dead calves.
There is also microbial rennet made by microorganisms. Cheese prepared with microbial rennet is suitable for vegetarians. vegetarian cheese You can find it in specialty cheese shops and health food stores, among other places.
2. Strawberry yogurt
Red and pink foods often contain carmine (E120). This substance gives candy, but also strawberry yoghurt, drinks and paprika chips their color. Carmine is made from crushed scale insects, that is, insects.
3. Candy
The most important non-vegetarian ingredient of, for example, licorice, bacon and wine gums is gelatin. This protein product is mainly extracted from the skins and bones of pigs and cows. In addition to gelatin, candy sometimes contains ‘suspicious’ E numbers that may originate from slaughter fat, such as the E numbers E470 to E495.
You will also find gelatin in desserts and pastries. If you make your own desserts that require gelatin as a binding agent, you can substitute the vegetable agar agar.
4. Prawn crackers
The prawn crackers you get at the Chinese may seem ‘natural’, but it is made from flour and shrimp. Vegetable nibbles for an Eastern meal are cassava crackers and emping.
5. Toothpaste
It is of course not food, but you probably swallow a little now and then: toothpaste. This contains the solvent glycerine. This substance is made from pork fat, but can also be obtained from vegetable oil. So if it says ‘glycerine’ on a package, you are not sure whether the product is suitable for vegetarians.
6. Sambal
Many types of sambal contain trassi, an Indian seasoning made from fermented shrimp. You can also come across trassi in ready-made spice mixes.
7. Tapenade
Ready-made tapenades based on tomatoes or olives, for example, are not always vegetarian. These tapenades regularly contain anchovies or another type of fish. So take a look at the label.
8. Cane sugar
Bone meal (E542) is made from animal bones. It’s in several dry foods to keep it from clumping, including cane sugar.
9. Sauces
Inosinic acid (E630) is a flavoring compound found in muscle tissue. It can be synthetic, but is usually obtained from meat or sardines. Inosinic acid is a flavor enhancer that ensures that something needs less salt to taste good. It is also found in savory foods, such as soups and sauces.
Check the ingredient list on the package to make sure something is suitable for vegetarians.
Not all vegetarians are equally strict. Some eat all kinds of cheese for practical reasons or have no objection to gelatin or even fish. If a vegetarian comes to eat with you, it is therefore wise to ask what that person does and does not eat.
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