Friday 1 June 2012

accidentally vegan #2331 [+ E120]


[transcription: Um no I am a vegetarian myself and I know for a FACT that vegans can't eat Jelly Beans OR Arnott's barbeque shapes because they contain Worcestershire sauce in them and that is made from anchovies which ARE FISH which is meat and Jelly beans well they contain jelly which is um hello GELATIN which is bones and felsh of animals so I don't know where you got that information but...]

Yes, anonymous commenter who is not the first person to have made this comment and been deleted, you are way a better vegetarian than me because after five years of being a vegan I definitely have never ever done any research and had no idea that gelatine is made from dead animals or that worcestershire sauce generally contains anchovies and I've definitely never read the back of any snack foods or called or emailed any manufacturers in order to verify the things I then post on my blog or put in my body. How kind of you to educate me on these things, because otherwise I would have gone my life assuming fishies were vegetables. And I definitely didn't just go read the back of an Allens Jelly Bean pack in order to not find the word gelatine on it (spoilers: I didn't find the word gelatine).

I did, however, find colour 120, which is cochineal. Does anyone know any more about this?

And look, just for the record, I want to know if something I'm eating isn't vegan, and I accept that sometimes I'm wrong and that sometimes I might accidentally tell you a thing is vegan when it's not, but I am not open to being told like I don't know what I'm doing, like I can't read or am incompetent.

12 comments:

Danni said...

I guess they changed the formulation?

steph said...

I'm now going to check everything I've ever loved every time I buy it.

Sarah said...

Don't worry Steph - as you've found out not all jelly beans contain gelatine and some brands of worcestershire sauce are vegetarian. No idea about barbecue shapes though. Cochineal is made from insects. I don't understand why some people are so rude about it!

Anonymous said...

I have to admit since coming back to Australia I've found alot more things containing E120 and have just started reading all the labels again. I think because it's identified as a natural flavour (and the traditional bad wrap red food colouring gets for making kids hyper) alot of things have changed to have the dead bugs in them now.

Stewart Smith said...

I got vegan worcestershire sauce from the Coles in Elsternwick (Kosher foods section), and you can get vegan jelly crystals from places too (i've gotten mine from veganperfection).

Anonymous said...

@Stewart, alot of the "quick set" jellies you can buy in the supermarket are gelatine free too!

Johanna GGG said...

According to arnotts the worcestershire sauce is vegan - see http://www.veggieboards.com/t/103731/arnotts-bbq-shapes-are-vegan-in-oz

I remember when I first went veg they said may contain animal products but I was under the impression this had changed

Mel said...

The Coles brand of salt and vinegar chips are no longer vegan too. They changed the packaging a while ago which made me re-check the ingredients and sure enough they had added lactose, milk powder or something like that to them. :(

EssMick said...

I buy this vegan Worscestershire sauce in the supermarket
http://www.springgullyfoods.com.au/spring_gully/sauces/worcestershire_sauce_250g

Arnott's confirmed that BBQ shapes are vegan friendly.

Perhaps the judgemental commentator should join Vegan Products Australia (http://www.veganproductsaustralia.com/index.php), which is a community forum on the vegan friendly products that do NOT contain gelatine, E120, etc etc.

:o)

Di said...

I make my own Worscestershire sauce & loads of other things because of animal additives, colours & chemicals. I also read every label & carry my little additives book, it's a pain but I am so healthy since going vegan 4 1/2 years ago :-)

Jess said...

My brother works for Arnotts. BBQ are definitely vegan.

steph said...

Jess tell me more!